Removing What Keeps You Stuck

"Make level paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.”— Hebrews 12:13

I’ve been thinking a lot about roadblocks lately—the kind that show up in the middle of our lives without warning. The kind that forces you to slam on the brakes and sit there for a minute, staring at something you didn’t ask for and definitely didn’t plan on.

A roadblock, by definition, is something that stops you from continuing forward. But spiritually? It’s anything that interrupts your ability to walk closely with Jesus. Sometimes it’s obvious: sin, fear, unforgiveness, doubt. But more often, it’s subtle—a person, a job, a relationship, a responsibility, a habit, or even a mindset that once felt normal but now stands in the middle of your path like a giant “Do Not Enter” sign.

I had one of those moments recently. A situation surfaced, and immediately I knew: This is a massive roadblock. Not a pebble. Not a detour. Not an inconvenience.A full-scale barricade.

And the Lord, in the quiet way He speaks to me, was very clear: “You cannot go further with this in your way.”

That’s a heavy realization—especially when the thing blocking you is something (or someone) you once cared deeply about. Or something you’ve tolerated for too long. Or something you’ve convinced yourself you can work around.

But here’s what I’m learning:

A roadblock doesn’t move until you decide to move it.

God will reveal it. He will convict. He will nudge, whisper, or sometimes shout. But He won’t drag it out of your life for you.

He gives the clarity, but He asks for our obedience.

And obedience doesn’t always feel gentle. Removing a roadblock can look like:

• ending a relationship that keeps pulling you backward,

• stepping away from a job that drains the life out of you,

• surrendering a responsibility that God never asked you to carry,

• confronting a lie you’ve believed so long you started calling it truth,

• or simply admitting that your heart has grown attached to something God never blessed.

  
  

There are right ways and wrong ways to remove a roadblock. The wrong way is to bulldoze people, act in anger, or make decisions rooted in fear or pride. The right way? Invite Jesus into the moment. Ask Him for clarity, courage, and timing. Ask Him for a clean heart and the right tone. Ask Him to help you release the thing without burning the ground around it.

But ultimately, we’re the ones who have to pick it up and move it.

And here’s the part I keep coming back to:

Every roadblock is really a crossroads.

We can stay stuck, circling the same obstacle, praying for a breakthrough, but refusing to participate in it. Or we can take the hard, holy step forward—trusting that anything we remove in obedience becomes space for God to move.

God doesn’t ask us to move things out of the way because He wants to take something from us . He asks us because He wants to lead us somewhere our current situation can’t go.

When He says, “This can’t stay here,” it’s always because He has a future that requires more freedom, more purity, more intentionality, more healing, and more closeness with Him.

So here’s where I am today: standing in front of a roadblock I didn’t expect, choosing to move it not because it’s easy, but because Jesus is on the other side, calling my name.

And if you’re staring at something that’s stopping you from going forward—something you know isn’t meant to stay in your life forever—let this be your confirmation:

You’re not losing anything. You’re making room.

My Prayer:

Jesus, give me eyes to see the roadblocks in my life with honesty and courage. Show me what is keeping me from walking closely with You, even if it feels uncomfortable or painful to acknowledge. Give me Your wisdom to know when and how to remove what no longer belongs, and give me the strength to obey You fully. Purify my motives, steady my heart, and remind me that anything I lay down for You is never a loss but an invitation into something better. Clear my path, Lord, and lead me forward.

Amen.