A long time ago, older folks used to ask me what was holding me back, and I would more often than not say “I don’t know.” That was the truth at the time because I really had no clue what could be holding me back from great things. I was never really a possessions guy so things never motivated me to work hard. It wasn’t t until I met my wife that I really began to strive to reach my potential. It has been a pleasure for me to work and provide for a growing family, but that wasn’t all there was. I still wasn’t choosing to go God’s way, there were so many paths that were evident to me and I decided to run from them because I thought I knew better or I was simply chasing money. Once we start to get into the habit of seeking monetary gain that is usually the start of bad things, well in my experience anyway. Love and admiration from my family became my driving force; yes, God was there, but he wasn’t my source. By not allowing Jesus to be my guide me, my emotions were moving the needle of my inner compass. So what was holding me back was a failure to surrender to the most high God.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” -Romans 12:2-

For many years, I was just floundering about and going where the wind took me, and more often than not, it led me back to the same place. That place was lonely, desolate and below mediocre. There were times when I found myself thinking of better days ahead, like when I was at church with my mom. Though the service was mostly in french and I had to squint to hear better (as if that made a difference) my mom would translate for me. What I would take away was a feeling of rejuvenation, but because I didn’t really have a relationship with Christ the moment was fleeting and was gone just as quick as it came. I would muddle through until the next week’s sermon, changing emotions like we change clothes. In hindsight, one of the major things that held me back was fear. Fear had kept me anchored in place many times over, fear of failing my parents, my brothers, then later my wife and sons. Yes, a lot of that pressure I put on myself, but that pressure was then amplified because I had no real peace. The devil definitely has his schemes and I’m sure he put things in place to chip away at my confidence. I can’t help thinking if I had been grounded in God’s word that I wouldn’t have been crippled by an idea. Hindsight is 20/20, I know it’s cliche, and yet I know it’s very true. Since I’ve grown in my faith due to getting into the word, fear no longer has a death grip on my mind. That has been replaced with God’s promise for a hopeful future.

“This is my Command- be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1:9-

I’ve seen people stuck in place, who wanted progress. They would constantly talk about it, but do nothing about it. I’m “they, they is me” I was all talk and no action. I just sat around wishing for better things and twiddling my thumbs, but like I mentioned earlier, fear was the reason for not leaving what was comfortable. I told myself that I believed God’s word, but I didn’t really. Every decision I made was as if I was half stepping and all because I wasn’t trusting God, I was afraid too. Ultimately my choice was to not trust God hence keeping me stagnant. I can say that the devil fed me lies to propagate my fears, but I have to take responsibility for my thoughts and actions as well, so how do I move away from such things? Take a look at the two verses from before Romans 12:2 and Joshua 1:9. Remembering that we as believers are not bound to the machinations of this world and through the word of God we can be transformed from fearful to fearless. What I remember everyday is that My Lord is with me everyday, everywhere I go and that gives me the strength needed to persevere through anything trying to hold me back or hold me down.

Thank you for spending a little time to read this blog, I truly appreciate you. I pray that you were encouraged in some way by what you read. Spending time with the Lord and being filled with the Holy Spirit is essential for our struggles to become more bearable. Draw closer to God and He’ll draw closer to you. Tap in and you’ll be amazed. God bless, and don’t forget to keep “Chasing God’s Way/ve.”