How Do You Handle Sinful Obstacles in Your Life?

By Jessica Brodie

Have you ever come across a huge obstacle that you had to face head-on before pressing on in your journey?

This past weekend I went on an overland camping trip with my husband and some friends. We started in Alabama, and our plan was to drive steadily across northern Georgia along what’s called the Georgia Traverse, crossing the state in a ragged line as we made our way back to South Carolina.

The first few days were relatively uneventful other than some nasty rain, gorgeous scenery, rugged campsites, and neat river crossings. But the final night, dangerous weather was forecast, so dangerous we were forced to abandon our camping plans and hole up in a hotel overnight. The next morning we were grateful for our decision—massive gusts and possibly some tornadoes had left downed trees and power lines all over the place.

As we made our way home along a desolate section of the traverse, we soon came across a downed tree. Luckily we had a chainsaw with us, and Matt cut that one away with relative ease.

But not long after, a far larger tree blocked the road. And this one wasn’t budging.

It took a lot of work and many hours to clear this obstacle. We started by winching the tree, using synthetic ropes hooked to our vehicle to haul it toward us so we could tear the roots free. Then Matt chainsawed away sections of the tree in painstakingly slow increments. At one point the chainsaw got stuck in the tree, and we had to get creative in easing it back out.

Eventually, the chainsaw battery died and we put it on the charger to regroup and reassess, then used the winch to drag the tree 90 degrees around so we could try to roll it off the ledge—but that was far too heavy.

We had no choice but to pause and wait for the battery to charge enough to finish the chainsaw work.

Thankfully, not long after, a pickup truck pulled up equipped with a gas-powered chainsaw, and the driver finished the last cutaways. We pushed the last sections of trunk away, enough so we could clear a narrow path and edge our jeep around it. We were through!

Of course, it all reminded me of how we deal with obstacles in life—including how we do the hard work of eliminating sin.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:5 that we shouldn’t worry about the speck in our brother’s eye. First, we must remove the log from our own eye.

Sometimes in life, removing that log—eliminating that sin, or overcoming those obstacles—is super easy. You can barrel right around it like a boss, no fuss and no worry.

Sometimes you’ve got to turn around and go in an entirely different direction.

But sometimes, it’s not easy, and avoidance isn’t possible. Those are the times when you’ve got to get a chainsaw and hack that obstacle or that sin away. You’ve got to face the problem head on.

Even then… while there are times you can remove it easily and press on, sometimes that log is massive, and you need to chunk it away in sections. You start at one end, tug it free, then cut away in manageable pieces till it’s moveable and you can pass on.

Maybe in the middle, you’ve got to take a break to reassess and charge your batteries, and it feels like the process is taking forever.

But eventually, you’re on the other side. You’re free. The dragon has been vanquished, the obstacle obliterated.

Wherever you are in this process, remember one thing. You’re not out there alone. The work is hard, and sometimes you’ll need to stop and rest. Sometimes it feels like it’s taking forever.

But Jesus is with you in the center.

Sometimes he looks like a stranger in a pickup with a gas-powered chainsaw, there at the eleventh hour to help you do the job. Sometimes he’s that quiet voice cheering you on in your head.

But make no mistake—he is there. And together, you can do this.