We all face obstacles in life, whether it is a personal challenge or an issue within our communities. Yet, as Christians, we can take comfort in the fact that Paul tells us in Romans 8:37 that "overwhelming victory is ours through Christ." This means that no matter what challenges arise, we have the power to overcome them with His help and guidance.
As spiritual leaders, we must lead by example when living as an overcomer. We must learn how to set attainable goals so that we can make progress toward overcoming any obstacle in our path. By breaking down larger tasks into bite-sized pieces and taking action one step at a time, we can begin making headway on any goal or mission before us. Additionally, allowing God's Word to transform our mindsets will help us stay focused on achieving victory despite whatever difficulties may come up along the way.
Leaping Past Your Obstacles to Achieve Success
Everyone would be living in a different place of success in ministry if it weren't for those brick walls that spring up unexpectedly and discourage us. Still, real success stories start with problems, failures, or obstacles. We see that in the lives of those who have gone before us. We teach about them from scripture week after week. The truth is things will always stand in our way. We have an enemy who is trying to stop us. That's precisely why we all have a choice to live in faith: we can choose to believe God is with us, and we can and should live as overcomers of any obstacles the enemy puts in our way, or we can choose to give up. It always starts with a faith choice.
Setting Attainable Goals to Overcome Obstacles
You need to be able to set God-given, attainable, realistic goals so you can leap over the obstacles that are in your way on the path to living as the leader He has called you to be. Setting goals is a great way to move past obstacles because it gives you a timeline to help you get things done regardless of the barriers. Once you have prayerfully set attainable goals to overcome obstacles, it provides your prayer life and your team's prayer life focus. This will also help you make constant progress through prioritization and organization. God is not a God of chaos or confusion. He works through systems and organization.
Prayerfully setting goals is important to overcoming obstacles because it allows you to envision your future and create something concrete to work toward. This will empower you to speak and cast your vision. Many people become apprehensive when they only see barriers and roadblocks standing in their way. These people see the obstacles but don't see the goal at the end of their journey. Sadly, they give up before they get started. But this doesn't have to be you! As a leader, it is our job to help others see past the obstacles to the result and vision.
Creating Bite-Sized Goals
God-given goals can help you see that some things that seem hard may not be as complicated as you thought. So don't make a big problem out of a small one! If what stops you from reaching your goal is extensive and complex, try breaking them down into smaller, bite-sized goals. This way, you will help make them achievable and realistic for your team, church, and yourself. That way, everyone can easily see and do each one and live out God's vision for you.
For example, if you need to build a building for your church, consider getting the plan and the blueprints as your first mini-goal and move forward from there, one step at a time. Once the blueprints are done - celebrate - you have accomplished the first goal of achieving a God-sized vision!
Continually allow God to transform your mind and thinking.
Continually allowing God to transform our minds and thinking is essential to overcome obstacles. In Romans 12:2, Paul reminds us that this transformation can only come from the Holy Spirit: "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." We cannot overcome obstacles if we conform to this world's standards. The only way we can become overcomers is through spiritual transformation - a process that requires us to open our hearts and minds to the possibilities God presents for us.
The transformation that comes from allowing God to renew our minds helps us overcome obstacles by changing how we think and approach difficult situations. We learn to trust the Lord and know He will provide solutions when we encounter brick walls or detours. We also become more willing to take risks, as God's wisdom teaches us the importance of faith-based action.
As spiritual leaders, we are responsible for leading the way in living life as an overcomer. We must take steps to move forward and continually seek God's guidance in how we should proceed. When we stay focused on His Word and on what He has promised us, we become better equipped to face each obstacle that comes our way. We learn to accept the challenge and use it as an opportunity for growth, trusting in God's plan.
Final Thoughts
Overcoming obstacles requires faith-based action and a willingness to move forward with God's guidance. As spiritual leaders, we are responsible for leading the way in life as an overcomer by setting attainable goals and creating bite-sized tasks that empower us to speak and cast our vision. We must continually allow God to transform our minds so we can trust in His plan for us despite any barriers or roadblocks standing in our way. With Him leading the way, we do not doubt we will successfully achieve every goal He has set out before us!