You consider yourself a good Christian, you pay your tithes, study the word diligently, work to build up the Kingdom and talk to God daily with incessant prayer. During the course of your lifetime you will endeavor to take a trip, traveling to some predestined locale with purposeful intent. Your mind is made up and you need to get there no matter the circumstances. Despite anything that would prevent you from moving forward, you’re on a mission. As you begin the journey you’re comfortable in your lane, not expecting the road to be arduous and full of mayhem. You’re no psychic nor a visionary, but you know that anything can happen to make a journey go awry, so you prepare for whatever may come. But do you really? The purpose of this essay is to allow better reaction to signs that tend to thwart progress, and for them to have different definitive meanings for adherence. The key is to help your navigation. Recently, a student down in the dumps because she missed being Valedictorian by a hair, thus subjecting her to Salutatorian thought it the end of her world, until she heard MY speech at her commencement exercises. In essence, this is what I shared with her:

Know that something always will be in your way to stop your progress. Carnality working in an unspiritual mind will surely cause you to be lax in your spiritual walk. Satan works hard to make sure that you do not succeed. I don’t regret the rebirth I made years ago to avoid pitfalls. At this stage of my life I’m comfortable where I am. Unlike others I see, there’s a tendency to rush along and not consort the Lord. Before you know it the ego blows up. When this happens the roadblocks proliferate, and satan rises to occasion to give you advice contrary to anything spiritual. Look at the bigger picture and purpose in your heart and mind that you will stay the course and prevail no matter what. Stick closer to God who will use His still small voice to be ever so vociferous once you embrace Him. I learned the hard way and wasn’t always compliant, but when the Holy Spirit got ahold of me the roadblocks became less problematic and the journey became much more than a common ride! You too can rise above the hurt and pain of temporary setbacks.

Imagine Paul on his journey toward Damascus. He had no idea that his roadblock was necessary for change to manifest a magnificent mantra for him to adhere to. We know the rest of the story. God changed his name, directed his path and gave him an agenda. Likewise, there’s a purposeful venue for all of us. There’s always unique stories that harkens to encounters with God where better courses are yours in remapping your best plans! There are signs in your life that should be heeded for extra-curricular benefits. What are some of those signs that you may encounter along the way? There are a few that should have your attention for your journey to be worthwhile. Take a look at a few worth mentioning:

Yield - Not onto temptation; be conscious of oncoming traffic in the wrong lanes; slow down and let the Holy Spirit prompt you when to move forward in lieu of your own understanding.

Stop — Cease and desist from participating in immoral acts; find it in your heart to obey God’s Commandments. Rededicate your life to Christ!

No U-Turns — Be sure to keep moving in the right direction. Backsliding and apostasy are not options to continue doing wrong…go straight, turn right and look up!

Men Working — Find a ministry, latch onto it and carve a niche for your quest to be accountable in helping build the Kingdom.

Slippery When Wet — Stay upright, plant your feet and stand firmly on God’s Word. The devil is a liar and seeking whom he may devour; Stand up for what you believe in.

Detour — Find another route, but stay the course to be out of the box but in His will.

Slo — You’re moving entirely too fast! Slow down, take inventory of yourself and move along moderately using discernible options to do the right thing.

No Left Turn — Always seek that which is righteous for a better lease on life; Embrace righteous pearls and spiritual gems in life for redeemed value, but wear them well!

Caution! – Look before you leap…tread lightly, choose your friends wisely, and be diligent in using the fruits of the Spirit to make your election and calling sure.

Roadblocks signify different messages to different travelers, but before you choose an easier path, consider that it might be a test of your perseverance. Don’t be so attached to your current walk if it isn’t in concert with God’s dictate for righteous living. You must be willing to obey the signs along the way to avoid the roadblocks. You want a better quality of life. It goes without saying that if you are unwilling to set them aside and stop straddling fences, your dream might not be necessarily better on the other side. Faith initiatives should be a part of your modus operandi. Persevering through roadblocks are not hard once you stop, look and listen. You must toe the line and look up every so often and know that God is in your corner and working on your behalf. Don’t worry about gaining a point — make sure that you make a point to travel the best journey with all the signs of a winner!