The Hidden Hindrance

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

My main form of transportation is a motor scooter.

My wife gets to drive our van because, let’s be honest, it is a little easier to transport 3 kids in a van than on a scooter. My wife cares well for her van but, you know, I have worn the same helmet for the last 3 years and I am not real careful with it.

I should care properly for my helmet but, instead, I let my kids grab it and they play with the visor, moving it up and down; in short, my helmet looks used and abused.

However, the other morning, before heading out, I decided to grab some glass cleaner and really give my helmet a good cleaning. My whole scooter experience changed after that; I could actually see out of my helmet and no longer had to keep the visor up most of the time.

Riding was a much more enjoyable experience all because I cleaned the visor on my helmet, which was actually a hidden hindrance that I had just lived with for the past three years.

God showed me that we all have little things, like my dirty visor, that we live with in our life.

These hidden obstacles greatly affect our walk with the Lord or “the race”, as Hebrews 12:1 calls it.

Just as I didn’t realize the visor was a hindrance for me, there are often things in our lives that we don’t realize are weighing us down and affecting our “perseverance”. These hidden hindrances can be relationships, jobs, desires, unforgiveness, or even little sins that go unchecked.

Brothers and sisters, please make the time to take stock in your life, and check for places where you are being held back; these weaknesses can keep us from living the fulfilling life of faith Christ has for us.

Are you entangled in ways that you haven’t yet realized? Take a moment today to examine your life; is there anything that presents a hinderance?