Blocking Your Own Blessings

We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can / namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us. ~ St. Teresa of Avila

Scripture:
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men. Matthew 16:23 (New International Version)

As we go through life, there are many things we may want or desire. We see someone and want to make them our mate. We desire big cars, fancy houses and a multitude of other riches. We want fame, fortune and success. However, I ask; how many of us seek God first before we go after the desires of our hearts?

Personally, I know there were a lot of things that I went after in my life without consulting God about it first. For example, when I met my ex-husband, I decided after our first date that he would be the man I married. Sadly, my marriage didn’t work out. I had made a life altering decision without going to God and seeking His guidance first.

Now this doesn’t mean that my ex was a bad man or even a bad husband. He just wasn’t meant to be my husband and if I had truly listened to what God was trying to tell me about that particular relationship, we never would have gotten married. I wanted what I wanted and I wanted to marry him. However, we didn’t want the same things in a marriage and that’s what led to the demise of my family.

I share this story with you today as a reminder that when we are seeking certain things in a relationship, in order for anything that we do to succeed, we must first take it to God and He will direct our paths.

God cannot bless our unions, our jobs, and our prosperity if those things are outside of his will. He cannot bless us as only He can when He sees us making wrong choices. God has given each and every one of us, free will. And as a result, we must learn to live our lives with His will for us in mind.

Satan is always trying to make our lives difficult by filling our hearts with lust for the wrong things. He is constantly putting up road blocks and distractions in our lives in his effort to keep us from the kingdom of God. Far too often we fall into his traps and as a result, will block our own blessings.

Remember, God cannot bless you if there is something else in the way.

Be Blessed

Prayer:
Father, there are times when I realize that I have a selfish spirit. I want what I want. Sometimes, I will do whatever it takes to get what I want. Lord, I come asking that You would help me to overcome my spirit of selfishness. Help me to develop a more Christ like spirit. Father help me to see my life through Your eyes. Help me to recognize my sins and faults and to work on my negative attitudes. Lord, help me to see when I am blocking my own blessings. Father, if there is something that I can do or something that I can to say to help someone else, help me to see it. When I am doing or saying something that is not pleasing to you, help me to know it. Father, I ask that You would order my steps this day as I surrender my will to Yours. Lead me, guide me, bless me. Use me Lord, for Your edification. Continue to bless my brothers and sisters in Christ. Lord, I give You all of my heart, All the praise, All the honor and glory, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Jacqueline Moore is a Christian author who offers spiritual words of encouragement daily on her website at http://www.jacquelinedmoore.com . She has contributed to several anthologies and is currently promoting of her first novel, “Serving Justice” under the Peace in the Storm imprint.