The Series on Spiritual Obstacles – Some Spiritual Obstacles
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III addresses the obstacles that a person faces in spiritual life, explaining that the spiritual path is not free from difficulties and trials, even for saints, apostles, and faithful servants. He explains that these obstacles have multiple sources, as they may come from the devil, love of the world, the body and the desires of the soul, the surrounding environment, incorrect advice and teachings, or personal traits that need to change. He clarifies that the presence of difficulties is not necessarily a bad thing, because God may allow them in order to test a person’s faith, love, and obedience to His commandments. Overcoming these obstacles is also connected to spiritual struggle and faithfulness in one’s life with God.
Spiritual Message
The Pope emphasizes that a person’s love for God becomes clearly evident when that person holds fast to Him despite difficulties, and not only when life is easy and stable. A person who endures hardships for the sake of serving God, maintains love for others despite their offenses, and remains faithful to the truth despite the price that may have to be paid demonstrates the depth of that person’s love and the purity of the heart. He points out that trials reveal the true nature of the virtues within a person, just as Job’s virtue appeared amid his trials, and Abraham’s obedience was revealed through the tests that God permitted in his life. He encourages believers not to become distressed by obstacles, but to remain steadfast in faith, love, and obedience, so that their spiritual faithfulness may increase.
Educational Lesson
The Pope explains that spiritual obstacles help a person discover their weakness, protect them from pride and self-glorification, and teach them to depend on God’s grace rather than relying only on their own abilities. These obstacles also reveal how much a person needs God’s help and provide deeper spiritual experiences through witnessing God’s work in times of hardship. He explains that God does not necessarily prevent every trial, but He can provide a way through it and preserve His children during it, as happened with the people who crossed the Red Sea, the three young men in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lions’ den. Difficulties may also lead a person to pray more deeply, repent, struggle spiritually, and examine themselves, helping them discover what needs to be corrected in their lives. He also warns against surrendering to bad character traits or accepting misleading guidance, emphasizing the need to struggle to change wrong behavior and to distinguish sound advice from advice that obstructs spiritual life.
Practical Spiritual Application
The Pope calls on believers to face obstacles through prayer, spiritual struggle, and trust in God’s help, rather than surrendering to discouragement or relying on human strength alone. A person should hold fast to love even when subjected to offense, maintain faithfulness in work and service, and offer what they can for God’s sake even when their resources are limited. A person should also thank God during times of illness and distress, seek His will in every situation, and learn humility when discovering personal weakness. People also need to resist wrong character traits, examine their thoughts and behaviors, and be cautious of the influence of friends, the surrounding environment, and unsound advice. The goal is for the believer to remain steadfast in their relationship with God, like a house built on rock that is not shaken by storms, and to see God’s hand working with them even amid trials and difficulties.
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