I can’t run many places, but I can run here- here on the flat and hard-packed sand of Hilton Head Island. There are no hindrances and no obstacles. There are no hills to slow me down and no roots to trip me up. I don’t have to worry about cars running over me, and the cool breeze on my face keeps me comfortable. Everything is in my favor, so I run well and with endurance.
“You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” Galatians 5:7.
Running was a favorite theme of the Apostle Paul as he penned the Epistles, or letters to the Christian churches. Foot races were common in the Roman Empire, and it became an easily understood metaphor of the Christian life. Here he commends the church for running well and then abruptly wants to know what happened? Who hindered them from obedience?
The Christian life is like a race. We cannot merely profess to be a follower of Christ. We must live up to our profession by the way we obey God’s truth. We must not allow anything or anyone to hinder us. At the same time, we must not allow ourselves to hinder others. As much as is possible, we want to remove hindrances from the lives of other Christians, as well as our own lives, by practicing faithfulness and obedience to God’s Word. Then we will have a clear path on which to run, free of hindrances and obstacles.
What hindrances can you remove from your life today?
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