Are Roadblocks God's Way of Saying No?

God does discipline those He loves so I would be concerned if my rewards came with little to no effort or struggle. It may be worth noting that since blessings follow faith and obedience it is good to pray about and examine our personal behavior to discern whether our difficulties are there to refine us and/or as consequences to our choices. Having recognized those truths I still struggle with changing my own habits and would appreciate success stories from anyone experiencing personal victory in the area of positive daily habit building. As Paul said....I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Michael I love these. Your topic is mirroring one of the blogs right now at business reform. The key, I think, is to learn to hear God...to, as Jesus did, see where the Father is working and then go there and join Him in that work. The Bible presents many \"rules\" and \"principles\" that when followed lead to a strong foundation. But what do we do about stem cell research? What do we do when passages seem to take totally opposite angles: Pv 26:4-5 \"Do not answer a fool according to his folly, or you will be like him yourself.\" But then....\"Answer a fool according to his folly, or he will be wise in his own eyes.\" Which is it??? What do we do when we have to choose between two good options? (this is why most people in business have terrible problems with focus, fyi) The answer is that we follow and worship God, not rules. God's \"rules\" are key...but they are a training tool that teaches us to \"see where the Father is working\" ala John 5. Gal 3:24 says the rules were designed to bring us closer to Jesus, not replace Him! not to replace listening to our Lord! \"We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths (read \"rules\") of God%u2019s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness (read \"how to hear God\"). But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil (read \"see where God is working\"). Heb 5:11-14 , paraphrasing mine. When it says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the \"word of God\" we instantly think that means only reading the bible or some devotional. But the actual phrase \"word of God\" (rhe%u0304ma) means utterance...that is, saying something. This leaves us in a pickle...does God really speak to us? Does He expect us to listen? Were the rules put in place to train us? Or are we to be modern day Pharisees ignoring God but following the law jot and tittle?

There are many, many ways that God speaks to us. Scriptures, circumstances, friends, prayer, etc. Sometimes I wonder if we are listening! I often find that people know what they should do, but are still looking for other options.

dave, you hit he nail on the head. I have had answered prayers revealed to me by perfect strangers. God is speaking to each one of us as we learn to be in his will not our own.

Thank you Michael for your posts and this blog. I met you at a seminar last year in Cedarville, OH. The work that you (and Eric Beck too) are doing is awesome to behold. You have been a great blessing to so many people. Thank-you! Your posts have been like guiding stars shining light on my path for this past year. Now in addition to a request for prayers, I have a very specific practical question: I am in the process of building a music wellness project under an existing non-profit umbrella. When it is successfully built up I will receive a salary from this effort. Right now though my personal funds are depleted. I have been working in 100% commissioned sales for 8 years being the sole provider for a family of six. However because of my intensely strong belief that God wants me to work on this project, I needed to make a decision two months ago between being inside or outside sales. I chose the latter. Short term though this presents difficulties since I deal in a retail item (pianos and digital pianos) and about 85% of my previous customers came from walk-in or phone in leads. Multiple individuals and organzizations I am partnered with are trying to help spread the word on the project, and on referring me for traditional sales. And I do already see that I can meet more people by going out than by waiting for them to come to me. Unfortunately though we are typically not paid until one month after delivery and I find myself in a challenging financial gap. Regarding the non-profit project just about everything else is in place to go forward successfuly with soliciting grants for the next stage. God has given me many types of encouragement and support along the way and I daily ask for discernment and grace to only do His will with this project. The one thing I realize clearly at this juncture is that I need to clearly ask for help from others. Do you know of any sources of starter- funding capital for a non-profit? In essence seed-money which will allow the final development of a program (already proven beneficial in multiple field trials)? I have heard of venture capital for for-profits and grants for established programs, but I have not yet discovered something for where I am at. I am asking many people here the same question - and attending a fundraiser/development networking event next week. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. God bless!

The roadblocks I (we) have incurred are usually God's way of safely getting our attention, and /or a need for course-correction. It has also been from my experience in the school of hard knocks, when we experience \"dis-ease\" with a situation or circumstance, it most likely beacause we are forging ahead when we shouldn't. Pray, seek His guidance and wait for God to intervene and show you the way to proceed and as they say \" the peace of God will overcome you\". When you have His peace then and only then may proceed with the full knowledge that He is behind you or your endeavor.

This really hits home to me right now in my life as I struggle with what my career goals are as well as where I want to carry them out geographically. I am reminded to seek God's guidance always, paying attention to these roadblocks, understanding that they may not be \"stops\" but rather detours to help me grow.

Pain in childbirth is a curse according to the Word of God. We are redeemed from the curse of the law Gal 3:13 You are looking at this from a carnal perspective. Sons of God are lead by the Spirit of God, Rom 8:14 You can't get a godly answer from carnal means. Blessings Bill

Meredith: Before coming along side Selling Among Wolves, I was a Career Manager for many years. If you would like to talk about your situation, feel free to email me at my email posted to the left. Blessings.

Bill, On behalf of mothers: Redeemed - yes indeed! However, the painful effects of that curse are still in play and so is the difficult process that one must endure & persevere through to reach the reward. I have grown so much more through the tough times and through the painful consequences of my bad choices than when I have been on tract with God's ways. His grace is just that big and I am forever grateful. God Bless

For so many years, i saw \"wolves\" prosper in selling, doing dirty tricks on their customers, I wish the people of God (us) will go out there and take the market for God's glory, that's why when I saw your book, and since I'm a reader of A.W. Pink, a very spiritual man on his time, maybe I thought your related, I readily bought it and for a year now since I bought it, I've been reading it. Now, I had the courage to email you. Praise God for God's servant like you who help us take dominion and gain back what should belong to us for God's glory for His work. I'm inquiring also if there's existing selling among wolves group here in the Philippines because I'm interested to join or if there isn't yet to learn how to form one. Thank you.

Agreed with Eric that we must br trained to hear God and receive his Word while rejecting those messages from the enemy. Perhaps all of the issues in which we attempt to know the Lord's will are exercises for the time when grass is not green anymore. It is critical that we become spirit equipped with spiritual eyes and ears. Why? Whatever door God opens, no man can close; and whatever door God closes, no man can open. In other words, we can spend a great deal of time and energy banging our heads against a metal door and wonder why we have a headache. Oswald Chambers makes it clear in his devotional writings \"My Upmost for His Highest\" that as we are dumped down into these situations, our first order is not self actualization where we look for our solution in the matter; peace from bible reading and prayer or the benefits from Christ, instead of Christ himself; Christ realization-where is Jesus in the situation. We can rest in the constance search for answers in our life; He is the answer to every one. If you have the book, see entry for July 10th.

This was a timely post for me Michael and one that I have been contemplating all year. The first 6 months have been the worst ever in my business. I'm self employed in financial services. I have often wondered should I get a \"good job\" and call it quits? When I have thought about that and started to look, I get no where. Then, all of a sudden, God shows me a little of what he as in store for me if I only continue to have faith. I have great peace about what I'm doing and I know without a doubt this is where God wants me. He is definately getting rid of the habits and character traits that he doesn't like/want so that he can bless me even more so that I can be more of a blessing to others. Thanks for your insight.

I've been thinking about some of the things people have said here and would like to say something myself. Regarding God's will, just because we follow God's will, even when we have had incredible confirmation, doesn't mean that things will go smoothly. Knowing that I'm in God's will doesn't necessarily help the circumstances. Over the last few years, although I am quite certain that I have done what He wanted and could almost see Heaven rejoicing that I finally got it, well, everything has gone wrong--roadblocks everywhere at every turn. My thinking is that there is no trust without unanswered questions. Also, it may be that sometimes He doesn't answer questions about His will because we are looking for control over our lives and if we have that, then once again we have no opportunity to trust Him. God told Abraham that He would make a great nation of him for a period of over 20 years and Abraham got older during that time making the circumstances more difficult to maintain trust but yet he continued to do so. During this time, there was a \"feast\" of communication from God, but there was a \"famine\" of receiving the promise until God decided it was the right time and the \"feast\" of the promise began.

I am not sure this is the right place to put this but I need some real help. I was listening to a sermon the other day that sighted Psalm 1:1-3 So I was praying that I could find a business man to mentor me. Is this perhaps a different topic?? Well in the nut shell my only income is selling and marketing original art work at exteemly low prices and I think I may have tapped my market because sales have dropped off to nearly nothing. I'm also the first to suffer during crisis so every time the gas goes up I feel it first. Still.. how can i expand my market when i have limited resources and stamina due to a disability. There is still pleanty of money out there. I just havent figured out how to get it to where I am. I also know that the favor of God is better than the favor of 100 wealthy clients. Would that God would give me favor of both. cherokeeharte@yahoo.com

In response to all the feedback above. First of all, thank you for writing. So many of the insights shared in this blog have been profound and really helped me and I am sure really helped others too! God bless you all. I do want to respond to a few that solicited a response beginning with BUD who wanted to know if anyone had a testimony of personal victory in the aread of habit building... I have been studying the rainforest as a business system that God made and wanted to understand how He made it work. What I have discovered is absolutely profound and will be a new series to be premiered next month in Ft. Lauderdale. One of the first things was the simple fact that plants seek the light daily. Light speaks of vision and vision is what fuels discipline (without a vision, people cast off restraint Pr 29:18) Based on that understanding, I began seeking God for clarity on vision. The more clear I became the more focused I was and the focus gave me confidence which led to action. So Bud, spend time daily with God getting clear on His vision for your life. It will give you all the discipline you need. This applies to any area of the seven major areas of life (work, relationships, health, finances, etc) We do have one resource in our store about vision and will soon be offering Eric Beck's module on strategic vision in MP3 format. As for Eric in Ohio, I do not know of any good source for capital to recommend. As for getting by financially until the company pays you commission... I would be shocked if they wouldn't give you an advance on commissions on sales made. In fact, many companies will provide advances against potential if the rep looks promising. I can't imagine why that wouldn't work for you. My brother Bill who believes as I do that the travail of childbirth is part of the curse which we have been redeemed from. That doesn't make childbirth a bad example. Paul who gave us Gal 3:13 also gave us Romans 8:22 (For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now.) Furthermore, you seem like a man who has a passion for the Word of God. That's a good thing, but don't get locked into a small frame of reference. Let me ask you, is Jesus the bread of life or the prince of peace? Is He the light of the world or the vine? Is He door of the sheepfold or the Shepherd? Eric Beck (2nd entry) covered this well. Yes, as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. Of course. But how does the Holy Spirit lead us? I submit He sometimes gives us specific answers and sometimes He puts us in learning situations that are fraught with difficulty that we might grow and mature and I suspect there are many other ways He leads us that we may not discover in this lifetime. He's that big. Thank you so much for taking the time to post! Blessings. Levi; you are the second person this week from the Philippines interested in joining a Selling Among Wolves group. Please email us with your contact info and we will put you in touch with others who share your interest. Cherharte: I do recommend that you find a group of Christian business owners in your area that can provide valuabe input into your life. I suggest you look into groups like FCCI, CBMC or contact Os Hillman's group at marketplaceleaders.org Depending where you live, we may have a Selling Among Wolves group in your area too. Blessings

Thank you for the reccomendation of the resources. I will check them out. May God's blessings be upon you and all those who participate here. ~cheri

Nice point about this, good summary.

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