Stumbling Blocks

'...take the stumbling block out of the way...' Isaiah 57:14 NKJV

To fulfil your God-given purpose in life you must confront your defects of character, see them as stumbling blocks and begin to remove them. Here are six of the most common ones.

(1) Pride. Spiritual pride, social pride?God hates all forms of pride. His Word says, '...with humility...regard one another as more important than yourselves.' (Philippians 2:3 NAS) Pride toppled Satan from his high position in Heaven, and it will topple you too if you let it.

(2) Insecurity. Insecure people aren't willing to take risks. They complain about their lot in life, yet they're afraid to embrace change and do something about it. They prefer to remain comfortable. What's the solution? Stepping out in faith, being confident in God!

(3) Moodiness. Moody people are like the wind?you don't know which way they'll blow. You can't depend on them. Confidence is never built on a person who's fickle. (4) Perfectionism. Perfectionism is the obsessive need to perform flawlessly. It stifles your creativity, and turns others off. Perfectionists can't affirm themselves, therefore it's difficult for them to affirm anybody else.

(5) Over-sensitivity. Over-sensitive people are always licking their wounds and looking inward; as a result, they're unaware of the needs of others. Ironically, they never understand why they're so lonely.

(6) Negativity. Negative people are hard to be around. Their personality says no to life in general, and people tend to avoid them like the plague. Do you recognise any of these stumbling blocks in your life? If so, pray, ask God for help, and start to remove them.