I wish you all the best this year. I hope you achieve all your goals. I pray that you become all that you strive to be:
- a better student
- a loving husband
- a successful entrepreneur
- an effective leader
- and so forth
May you reach–or even exceed–your potential. Unfortunately, this might not happen. There are roadblocks to reaching your potential. Sadly, one of these is people. These are people who will stand in the way of your goals, either unconsciously or intentionally.
There are some people who are clueless about how they weigh you down by their insecurities, selfishness, pessimism, or inaccurate perceptions of reality. Check if these people are around you. You do not necessarily have to avoid them. Just be careful so that you do not get sucked in to their negative outlook in life.
On the other hand, there are others who are simply mean to you, who oppose everything you do, who wish that you would fail, who spread lies about you, who sabotage your good work, and/or intentionally do you harm. If at all possible, have nothing to do with these people. Paul, the great apostle and church planter, was not exempt from people who opposed him and his God-given mission:
Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message (2 Timothy 4:14-15).
But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me (1 Corinthians 16:8-9).
Strive hard to be and to do all that God has planned for you this year. But let me give you a word of caution. Be on guard against the Alexanders around you who will oppose you and will do you great harm. They are roadblocks to reaching your potential. Do not allow them to determine who you will become or what you could accomplish. At the same time, be wise and gracious in relating to them. Who knows, perhaps you are the right person to influence them to do what is right and to become better persons?
Photocredit: Roadblocks
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Clear intentions 