#Stand:Unhindered

By Kolleen Lucariello

My husband, Pat and I set up the air mattress, arranged the bedding, and settled in for our final night after a fun visit with my sister in Nebraska. As my body relaxed and drifted into “stage two” sleep, I felt the weight of rest settle in—my breathing deepened, and the outside world began to fade away.

All of that changed in an instant when I felt something scurry down the left side of my face—or more accurately, a distinct thump, thump, thump. No kidding. My body froze as I cautiously opened my eyes and tilted my head, only to see a large black spot on my left shoulder. The realization hit like lightning: a massive black spider had decided to make my shoulder its resting place. Now, I know spiders always seem larger in our imaginations, but I promise you—this one was enormous. And if you doubt me, Pat will back me up: it was huge.

What would you do if you felt a thump-thump-thump down your face, only to discover a giant spider on your shoulder? Me? I panicked—flicked it off in Pat’s direction, screamed like my life depended on it, jumped out of bed, and turned on the light. Poor Pat, who had been peacefully sleeping, shot awake, wondering what just happened.

After I explained to him all the dramatic details, he wasted no time joining me in the hunt for the unwelcome intruder—there was no way I was getting back into bed until it was found and dealt with it. Sleeping with the enemy was not an option. We eventually located the culprit (Pat can confirm, it really was gigantic), and with the aid of Pat’s trusty size eleven shoe, the monstrous spider was eliminated, and peace was restored.

But was it? The memory of that spider became a hindrance to my sleep as the scene replayed over and over in my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the sensation of the spider crawling down my face. Peaceful sleep was difficult the rest of the night as the spider dominated my thoughts. Nevertheless, it would have been unattainable, if Pat and I hadn't succeeded in locating and removing its presence.

I lost a lot of sleep that night as I rehashed every moment with that nasty spider. It was through its demise that it was no longer a hindrance to what I needed most—sleep. With the threat gone, the only barrier to that was my inability to stop dwelling on it. That experience taught me the truth behind the saying, whatever you empower in your mind gains control over you.

Israel serves as a valuable example for us as we reflect on how to #Stand:Unhindered throughout the month of February. Although the threat from Egypt was eliminated, the Israelites were hindered by their fixation on the false security they believed they had in Egypt. As God guided them toward the promised land, they struggled to let go of the distorted belief they, as slaves, were better off there.

When we allow misplaced trust to overshadow who we are in Christ, we will always be tempted to do exactly what Israel did—look back at what "used to be" and turn to the false security of empire. We must no longer be held hostage by thoughts that hold us captive because we have empowered lies. The ease with which enemies such as insecurity, doubt, fear, shame, pride, or resentment are empowered comes through our inability to capture thoughts like Pat and I intended to capture that spider. If we don't remove them quickly, they will hinder our ability to trust in our kingdom identity.

A hindrance is the state of being interfered with, held back, or slowed down. Imagine you have a carpet with a crease that continually trips you. Rather than smooth out the carpet, or even remove it, you just keep tripping over it. What attitude are you still tripping over? That's a hindrance. What is the thing that interferes with your understanding of God's love for you? That's a hindrance. What lie has been empowered that slows your progress of growth in your faith? That's a hindrance.

Don't be afraid to call out what you know is truth. Jesus wasn't afraid to call Peter out when his agenda didn't line up with God's. In fact, "he turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man'” (Matthew 16:23, ESV).

We hope you will join us at a chapter meeting this month, as we revisit our conversation surrounding the Israelites and where they had misplaced trust. While some, like Egypt were "trusting in chariots and horses, we are going to learn how to fully trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm" (Psalm 20:7-8, NIV). We want to #StandUnhindered.