Looking at Life Thru God’s Glasses: Stumbling Block or Stepping Stone

LOOKING AT LIFE THRU GOD’S GLASSES: STUMBLING BLOCK OR STEPPING STONE – PART 3

You have a choice of looking at people and events through your own glasses or looking at them through God’s glasses. Human glasses see stumbling blocks and complain about them – God’s glasses see stepping stones and use them.

In the New Testament, the cross became a stumbling block for many people. They couldn’t understand why Jesus would die. That would put an end to everything that he had started. Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1 Cor. 1:23, 24)

Jesus saw the cross as a stepping stone for not only the salvation of all people but the opportunity to conquer death and the grave. This wasn’t the end of His movement – it was the beginning.

In the Old Testament, a Jewish girl named Esther found favor with the king because of her talent and beauty. When there was a sinister plot to exterminate all of the Jewish people, everybody looked through human glasses and saw that plot as a stumbling block. It would be the end of the Jewish people.

But Mordecai looked through God’s glasses and saw it as a stepping stone. Esther had already overcome the stumbling block of being a Jewish woman and now would become the stepping stone God would use to save the Jewish people and proclaim a great message.

Esther was hesitant to go into the king’s parlor without being invited because that could mean execution. Mordecai said, “God has brought you into the palace for just such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) She went in and what was intended to be a stumbling block became a stepping stone.

There’s a story about a king who had a huge rock placed in the middle of an often traveled road. He then hid and watched to see if anybody would take the time and effort to remove it.

Some of the biggest merchants traveled the road. When they came to the huge rock, they simply went around it. In fact, many of them started criticizing the king for not keeping the roads clear. They wanted a better infrastructure, but none of them attempted to move the rock out of the way.

Later a farmer came along carrying a load of vegetables on his back. When he came to the huge rock, he put down his heavy load and began trying to move the rock to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded.

He paused to catch his breath and then picked up his vegetables and was about to continue when he saw something. In the sunken area where the big rock had been, he saw a purse. He picked it up and opened it. Inside was a note from the king indicating that whoever moved the large rock from the road could have the contents of the purse, which was filled with gold coins!

That obstacle was really a huge opportunity! Most folks just saw the obstacle and complained. An opportunity often appears in disguise – and its favorite disguise is dressing like an obstacle!!

What do you see – stumbling blocks or stepping stones?