My family and I have been shivering in the Chi these last few days, frostbitten not only by what the Patriots did to the Bears, but also by the blizzards. Yes, the snow has been blanketing our abode, and dressing our driveway in the gorgeous garments of winter. However, as much as I love snow, I am not a big fan of clearing it from the driveway. The mere thought of burrowing through it with my shovel makes my back ache.
But I keep clearing the snow, not just so we can get OUT OF THE HOUSE, but so people can get TO THE HOUSE-to our front door. Sometimes people bring news, or gifts, and sometimes they just bring their loving presence, and so, to make it easy for them to get to our door, I keep removing the snow.
Interestingly enough, that's EXACTLY what it means "TO PREPARE" in the Bible. "To Prepare" means "to remove any obstacles that are scattered." An obstacle is anyone or anything that opposes, stands in the way of, or holds up the progress of something or someone else. In the Bible, when a prophet named Isaiah says to Israel, God's chosen people in the Old Testament,"Listen! A voice is crying out, saying, 'In the wilderness, PREPARE the way of the Lord,' he is saying, "DON'T MISS THIS! Someone is coming with a message. His message is this: 'Move all those obstacles- pride, selfishness, material things, hate, disobedience, lust, addiction, and jealousy- out of the way. They are in the way of what God wants to do for, in and through you!"
Enough about Israel. What about you? What obstacles are scattered in your own life that may be opposing, standing in the way of, or holding up the progress of God getting to the front door of your heart? What in your life needs to be cleared away like the snow in my driveway? What person, what thing, what attitude, what behavior- WHO or WHAT is keeping God from making it to the doorway of your heart?
You know what it is, and God does too. The first step to removing it is ADMITTING that it is a problem.
You might be saying, "I hear you, and yes, I have these obstacles that I want to remove, but HOW do I remove them? How do I "PREPARE" the way for God so that I can have a spiritual encounter with Him?
I'm glad you asked. The answer can be found by looking at the life and work of a guy named John the Baptist. Why? John the Baptist is actually the person Isaiah's prophecy was referring to. John was the person, "the voice," who fulfills Isaiah's prophecy. In Matthew 3:1-3 John senses that the eternal God had entered time in the person of Jesus Christ, so he began "preparing the way" by delivering one message: “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
How do I remove my obstacles? I must also REPENT for those things that are in God's way. That's not a bad word. Contrary to the judgmental tone with which many ministers, myself included, have incorrectly talked about it, repentance just means "to change your mind about something." It means "to change the way you think or feel about something;" "to have a change of heart."
When it comes to our obstacles, we need to see them for what they are- things that are in God's way. They are things that we might be holding on to; things we don't want to let go of. Things that are holding us back. Things that are stunting our growth. Things that are stifling our potential. Things that are hurting us. Things. God doesn't mind US HAVING THINGS; He minds THINGS HAVING US. Whatever, or whoever, we can't walk away from has become our master.
When you change your mind about these obstacles- repenting to God for them- you turn away from WHO YOU ARE NOT and open your heart to becoming WHOM GOD CREATED YOU TO BE. When you repent, you turn away from your false self and turn to your true self- your best self. When you repent, saying, "God I'm sorry for x... It's not worth me missing out on experiencing your presence more fully. God, you are more important to me than anyone or anything!"- when you pray that kind of prayer, you make room for a very special work to be done in your life.
My friend, this Christmas season, God might have good news for you. He might have a gift for you. Or, He might just want to bless you with His very presence...I'm SURE He does. But there might be some things in your life that are in His way. May I be so bold to ask you to PREPARE the way for Him by grabbing your spiritual shovel and clearing those things out of the way?