Barriers to Breakthrough

“Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. ² Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. ³ Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. ⁵ One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶ When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, ‘Do you want to get well?’ ⁷ ‘Sir,’ the invalid replied, ‘I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.’ ⁸ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.’ ⁹ At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.” (John 5:1-9, NIV)

Breakthrough.

Defined as…

1. (Warfare) An offensive military assault that penetrates and carries beyond a defensive line.
2. An act or instance of moving beyond an obstacle.
3. A sudden advance, especially in knowledge or a technique.
4. A person’s first notable success.

In our lives, this often translates to

• Finally conquering the giant.
• Finally breaking the cycle.
• Finally having a change of mindset that allows you to walk in freedom in a certain area.
• Finally achieving that milestone.

Breakthrough is something we often seek, is not something that is easily found. This is because often, we are our own barrier to breakthrough.

I am so thankful that the God of the Bible specializes in the business of breakthrough.

In fact, he calls himself in 2 Samuel 5:20, The God of Breakthrough.

‘So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. 2 Samuel 5:20

Baal Perazim: The God who Breaks Through.

I love the imagery here. I picture pipes bursting open as water comes rushing out of them. This is the power of God to bring about breakthrough. And he is in the business of doing it- because with God, nothing is impossible.

John 5:1-9 tells us a story of a man who, through the miraculous power of God, experienced a breakthrough of massive proportions. A man who found himself bound on a mat for his entire life finally was set free from his infirmity and able to walk.

The power to bring about breakthrough is all God’s. BUT- the responsibility to steward breakthrough belongs to us. Our break through is only as effective as our ability and desire to walk in it. I wonder how many times we are blaming God for the situations in our lives, when in reality God has given us every tool and opportunity to overcome, but we are not in a position to maturely walk in freedom. True breakthrough requires maturity. True breakthrough requires stewardship.

Are you ready to steward your breakthrough?

Often times, our own blind spots prevent us from seeing the part we are playing in preventing our own breakthrough.Over the next few weeks, we will take a look at often unseen barriers in our lives that become barriers for our own breakthrough, and prevent us from stewarding it.

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Don’t miss the first barrier to breakthrough: Process.