Obstacles and How to Overcome Them

1.0 What Are Obstacles?

Obstacles are the stumbling blocks that prevent one from achieving his or her goals in life. They are limiting factors that hinder us from reaching our desired dreams and must be overcome in order to reach our set goals.

Everybody has goals and aspirations in life, but it is not enough to have goals. They need to be actualized. To actualize our goals and dreams, there are obstacles that must be overcome.

Every success in life comes with its own challenges — problems that need to be solved in order to achieve success.

With God on our side and as our strength, we can rest in Him when He says He has overcome the world. He has overcome the world with all its problems and difficulties. When we trust and rely on His strength on our journey, His victory becomes ours.

1.1 Reasons Behind Obstacles

As long as we walk on this earth, there will always be obstacles on the journey of destiny. Once you have a purpose to fulfil, there may be people, things and issues that stand in your way or resist you from fulfilling that purpose.

The journey of Israel to the Promised Land provides an example. Jericho stood along the route designed for them by God, yet the city was heavily fortified and its gates were closed to prevent the Israelites from entering.

In the same way, there can be systems, cultures, laws and other spiritual and physical realities that must be confronted before we can become who we were made to be.

Jesus Christ overcame the world through His life, death and resurrection. Knowing and believing that Jesus has overcome the world becomes a foundation for peace, hope and confidence in the battles of life.

1.2 Our Confidence

With this understanding, we can look at situations on our way with unwavering hope because our Saviour is still in control.

Our defender is stronger than any wicked scheme seeking to destroy us. We trust that God wins in every situation. We can praise the Lord because He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ and equipped us with His armour when the battle is fierce.

The Lord guards our minds with the helmet of salvation and protects our hearts with the breastplate of righteousness. His mercies are new every morning and He goes before us as our rescuer, redeemer and peace.

1.3 Obstacles Are Important

When you think of obstacles in life, they may first appear to be completely negative because they make life difficult. Yet God can use situations intended for destruction for our good.

By learning how to overcome obstacles, we become stronger and grow as individuals.

Every time we meet an obstacle, we are often forced to learn something new and adapt to our environment. Difficult situations can help us understand life better, learn from mistakes and avoid them in the future.

2.0 Personal Obstacles

Personal obstacles are related to a person's own inner struggles and limitations. They can resist a person from fulfilling his or her destiny and are often difficult because they may be invisible.

These obstacles can include emotional issues, low self-esteem and distorted perceptions of one's own worth and identity.

The Yearn to Be Perfect

Many people face personal obstacles because of the need for perfectionism. When a person feels the need to be perfect in everything, it can become difficult to remain on the road to success.

Perfectionism can become a barrier to creativity, vitality and discovery. It is important to practise what you have learnt, try new things and allow yourself to be human while relying on the strength of the Holy Spirit.

Fear

Fear can prevent people from taking the steps necessary to achieve their goals. People may fear confrontation, rejection, embarrassment, speaking before others or failure.

The Bible teaches that God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, love and self-discipline.

Difficult circumstances should not cause us to abandon our dreams. Through determination, perseverance, support and the power God gives, we can face fear and move forward.

Comparisons

Comparing yourself with other people can become a serious obstacle when it causes you to feel inadequate or discouraged because you are not where someone else is.

The race of life is not about constantly competing with other people. We are called to focus on the race set before us and to keep our eyes on the Lord.

Untamed Inner Self-Talk

As one thinks, so the person is. The words we repeatedly speak to ourselves can influence how we see ourselves and how we approach life.

Uplifting, positive, loving and compassionate inner self-talk can encourage healthy growth, while constant criticism can become an energy drain.

2.1 Overcoming Personal Obstacles

Many challenging personal obstacles arise from emotional issues connected to a sense of low self-worth. Developing an adequate sense of self-worth is important in overcoming these challenges.

You need to understand that you are not what happened to you in the past. Your weaknesses, mistakes and failures can become part of the process of moving towards the desired destination of your life.

God created something new in us through Jesus Christ. His love meets us where we are and transforms our lives towards where we should be going.

We need to look at ourselves through the lens of God and understand that our identity and worth come from Him.

We cannot truly know ourselves unless we know God who created us and gave us a purpose. We need to accept God as our source of being and build intimacy with Him.

Our secure, stable, significant and satisfying basis of self-worth is found in our identification with Christ. In Christ, we can have confidence and peace while trusting that God is able to work through us beyond what we can imagine.

3.0 External Obstacles

External obstacles are an inevitable part of life. They can impede progress and hinder our ability to achieve our goals.

These obstacles may develop outside of ourselves and can come through friends, family, church, workplace, community or society.

They may include financial constraints, limited resources, societal expectations and unexpected circumstances. Although we may not always control external obstacles, we can control how we respond to them.

3.1 How to Overcome External Obstacles

Understand the Nature of the Obstacle

The first step is to understand the nature and impact of the obstacle on your goals. By identifying the specific challenge and its underlying factors, you can develop a targeted approach.

Seek Support and Collaboration

You do not have to face external obstacles alone. Friends, family, life coaches and mentors can provide insight, advice and emotional support.

Adapt and Persevere

External obstacles often require flexibility. Adjusting plans, reallocating resources and modifying strategies can help you remain focused when circumstances change.

Stay Focused on the End Goal

Obstacles may temporarily divert your attention or cause setbacks, but keeping the bigger picture in view can help you remain motivated and purposeful.

When facing conflict, prayer for wisdom is important. Ask whether the conflict is worth your time and energy, what God may be saying about the issue and whether you have contributed to the situation.

Sometimes you need to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit to remove obstacles from your path. When an obstacle cannot be removed, you may need to find another way around it.

Pray to God for wisdom and the ability to use the obstacle as a stepping stone to the next level. The story of Joseph demonstrates how problems can ultimately become part of a greater purpose.

4.0 Spiritual Obstacles

The Bible teaches that human beings are created in the image and likeness of God. Since God is Spirit, we also need to understand that life has a spiritual dimension.

The Psalmist says that our times are in the hands of God. When we recognize that God knows the seasons of our lives, we can have confidence in His loving care as we walk through them.

Obstacles may sometimes be created by ourselves, other people, environments and systems. The module teaches that spiritual warfare is also a reality and that Christians must understand the spiritual resources God has provided.

4.1 Protective Armor Against Spiritual Obstacles

The armour of God described in Ephesians 6:13–17 provides the believer with spiritual protection.

4.2 Defense Armor Against Spiritual Obstacles

The Christian is encouraged to understand his or her rightful position and responsibilities in the spiritual realm.

Life involves choices, and our choices have consequences. The module emphasizes that our daily decisions should be guided by the Holy Spirit and aligned with the will of God.

The finished work of Jesus Christ provides the foundation for freedom and new identity. In Christ, the believer becomes a new creation.

Humility

Humility is presented as a foundational weapon for the Christian. Believers are encouraged to submit to one another in the fear of God and to understand their position under Christ.

Submission is presented not as inferiority but as order and function within relationships and the body of Christ. The same principle is applied to marriage, family and other relationships.

Our defense and freedom are also connected to how we understand life and how we live out our responsibilities. Living in holiness, righteousness and integrity and fulfilling our responsibilities in alignment with God's principles contributes to victory in our lives and families.