He is passionate and relentless in his desire and His invitation has been the same from the beginning of creation: to come and know him.   God Most High, Creator and sustainer of the earth, invites us in not because of need, but because of desire.

 

Sometimes I think we forget that God has given us the freedom of choice.  God doesn’t force us, he invites.  His promises are instilled by his testimony.  God is faithful and he is present.

 

The enemy would have you believe that you must find your way in, but that’s not true.  God has already overcome the obstacles; he knows the best path to take.

 

The obstacles of busyness

 

One of the obstacles to the Throne Room is busyness.  When you allow the tyranny of the urgent to take over, you abdicate your authority to lead.  Somehow, the belief that all the tasks and commitments of busy must be accomplished first supersedes anything else of value—like pursuing the heart of the LORD.

 

In my opinion this is the Enemy’s favorite tactic, because busyness is addictive.  The busier you are the harder it is to be still. It is like getting on a runaway train, which increases its speed as it barrels down the mountain.  Busyness is an unmerciful master.

 

Busyness lies, telling you that by accomplishing all its tasks, you are somehow more valuable.  Doesn’t that sound ridiculous?  I mean, I know that my value is not based on what I accomplish, yet, I will confess that busyness sometimes takes me for a wild ride.

 

Here’s the thing, there is always another task that “needs” your attention.  The obstacles of busyness can be obvious, but they can also be subtle too, because the tasks in and of themselves are not the problem; it’s how you manage them.

 

You can be just as busy with lack of planning as you can be with over planning.  Everyone has commitments and responsibilities. Busyness is going to happen, but it doesn’t get to lead—you always have choice.  Learn to recognize when alignment is needed.

 

 

 

 

The obstacles of fear

 

The obstacles of fear are dangerous, so learning to recognize them is important.  The LORD hard-wired us with a reflex that creates a feeling of fear in certain situations—Fight or Flight.  This is meant to be an indicator, not the fuel that drives.

 

I tend to hold a hard-line regarding fear, because I’ve spent a lot of time doing battle with it.  When fear rises up, you must begin to address what it’s all about, because it will always oppose what the LORD has for you.

 

Fear is insidious so you have to be ruthless.  You cannot candy coat it, because when you give the enemy an inch he just takes over.  So when you experience thoughts of concern and worry, understand that these are manifestations of fear.

 

Another symptom of fear is a need to control and manage all the details around you.  Let me clarify, I’m not suggesting that planning and organizing is bad, but when there arises a need to control it all, you may have a problem.

 

If fear is an issue for you, then I suggest you ask Holy Spirit to help you.  You have been given the best tools for dealing with the spirit of fear—which again is not the same thing as your fight or flight reflex.

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves.  Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.  Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”  Romans 8:15

 

 

 

The obstacles of pride

 

So this is an ugly one.  I don’t know about you, but I hate admitting this is even an issue.  Over the past two months I’ve been working my way through the Bible, using a 90-Day reading plan.  I am completely wrecked as the Spirit of the LORD reveals such areas of arrogance.  Ugh.

 

Pride looks to exalt itself above God.  I’ve literally lost track of how many times the Bible says, “Humble yourself.”  Understand that this is the very thing that caused the LORD to expel Lucifer from the Throne Room (you can read that account in Ezekiel 28:11-19).

 

This can be a tricky obstacle to deal with, because pride can take on different appearances.  The heart of pride wants all the attention.  Perhaps the easiest manifestation to recognize is arrogance.

 

Don’t mistaken confidence for arrogance, because there is a great difference.  The attitude of arrogance carries an air about it that reeks of superiority.  Confidence trusts, while arrogance demands.

 

Another form of pride is self-sufficiency, which is blind belief in your own resources, powers, skills, and abilities.  Self-Sufficiency has a hard time acknowledging need.  It can be sneaky and subtle, so if you are looking for sure markers, watch for the way of busyness, and a martyr mentality.

 

Self-Sufficiency takes on the burden of proving, which was done away with when Jesus spent his life of the cross.  Bottom line: we NEED God in all things.

 

Pride also presents itself through self-abasement, which is often a knee-jerk reaction to self-sufficiency.  It is also a misguided attempt at humility.

 

 

 

4 ways to overcome the obstacles to the Throne Room

 

Since the beginning of time, God’s plan has always been about community.  His desire is for close, connected, intimacy.  He has moved heaven and earth to establish access.  Jesus Christ is always the way in and with the help of his Spirit, he will lead you.  You can trust him, he knows the perfect way.

 

We can all agree there are some big obstacles that stand in the way, but because of what Jesus did for us, we can overcome.

 

The first strategy to overcoming the obstacles is to clearly identify what they are and where they stand.  Light expels darkness, which means that when call something out, it loses its leverage.  When you identify the pot-holes it’s much easy to avoid them.

 

The second strategy to overcoming the obstacles is to simply surrender—not to the obstacles, but to the Father. A surrendered heart releases personal agenda and waits on the LORD.  This is about beholding the magnificent beauty and wonder of God.

 

Surrender seamlessly gives way to faith, which is the third strategy.  You have to practice trust every step of the way in, because the enemy sets up a mind-field outside the Throne Room. Sometimes you know there’s a trap, you can’t quick find it.  Faith humbly follows the Spirit in, even when it seems like a nutty way to go.

 

The final strategy in overcoming the obstacles is to be brave.  Navigating the mind-field of obstacles can feel daunting.  So much so, that many people tap out simply because it feels too hard.  The Father will pursue you, because his love is relentless, but there is more.  Intimacy is created when you trust him and do the hard.  So be courageous and stay the course.  Don’t tap out!

 

 

 

 

Responding to the Invitation

 

“Be still and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”  Psalm 46:10

 

God isn’t calling his children to defend him among the nations; he’s got that covered.  He is in fact calling his children’s to come and behold his glory.  This verse is so powerful, because it calls us to our sole purpose, intimacy—to be loved and to love.

 

It’s time to quit going through the motions.  Incline your heart to the Father and listen to what he says.  Be brave when he corrects and convicts, because that is perhaps his greatest offering of mercy and compassion.  His way in is right and perfect, so trust him.

 

“What joy for those whose strength comes from the LORD, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  When they walk through The Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs.  The autumn rains will clothe it with blessings.  They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.”  Psalm 84:5-7

 

Wow!  What a sweet exhortation regarding the way in.  It is not an easy journey, but somehow the LORD makes it sweet and refreshing.  It is so worth it.

 

Be quiet and still the activity of your soul.  Rest in the peace He establishes, because he is holy and righteous.  Behold the glory of God.  Don’t be in hurry; take time to linger, because that’s where the “more” is.

 

 

 

 

Digging in

 

What areas of busyness do you struggle with?  Do you feel like you are on a runaway train, having lost complete and utter control? Ask the Spirit to reveal his perspective and lead you through taking back your authority.

 

How about Fear?  (Deep Sigh) this one is always like an onion…peel a layer back and the LORD reveals it in whole other light.  But don’t back down—press in—It’s so worth it.

 

What areas of pride are you most prone toward?  Arrogance? Self-Sufficiency? Self-Abasement?  I know– this is hard.  Push through.  The resistance you feel toward this process is evidence enough…

 

If you feel like this has touched something in your heart and want to go deeper, but don’t know where to start, please reach out. If you have questions, drop them in the comment section.

 

I would love to help either through encouragement, resourcing, prayer, or all of the above.