The Windshieldনমুনা

Day 3 Cracks – Stone Chips – Snow – Bugs

What do cracks, rain, snow, stone chips, star-shaped windshield damage and bugs have in common?

One or more of these obstacles on your windshield can significantly impair your visibility and even lead to dangerous situations. For instance, if your car has a crack in the windshield within your line of sight during an inspection, it will likely fail the approval process and be rejected, so it’s important to address such issues promptly.

I’ve personally experienced poor visibility caused by bugs. It was a summer evening, and I was driving my truck across the Afsluitdijk (Netherlands). The bugs were so thick that my wipers couldn’t clear them, and instead of cleaning the windshield, they just smeared the mess, making visibility even worse.

What does this have to do with the Bible?

As Christians, we often look through a spiritual windshield that’s cluttered with obstacles. These hindrances can be different for everyone. For one person, it might be worry; for another, an addiction; perhaps you’re overly attached to your work, or even religion itself might hold you back. In short, anything that hinders or negatively impacts your relationship with God becomes an obstacle. Some obstacles are obvious to you (and others), while others are subtle yet no less dangerous to your spiritual health. They obscure your view of the Way—Jesus—and can cause delays.

Thankfully, God sovereignly provides solutions to keep us on His path, but it’s unfortunate to waste time that could have been spent bringing glory to Him.

That’s why I urge you: Clean the windshield of your life! Repair the stone chips. Replace the windshield if there’s a large crack. In other words: repent! Confess your sins to God, continue on the Way with a clear view, and return to your first love.

You haven’t simply "lost" your first love as if it could slip away on its own, nor has it abandoned you. Rather, it is a result of your own carelessness or lack of attention—it’s your responsibility to nurture and maintain it.

Revelation 2 reminds us of this truth. Among the obstacles we face, "religion" can be one of the most deceptive. That’s because religion is a way of living, not the Way of Life.

What else should you do? Follow the greatest commandment from Matthew 22:37: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

From personal experience, I know that temptations and attacks often come after you make this commitment. However, you can prevent many of these obstacles by taking care of your physical windshield: keep your distance from the car ahead, refill your washer fluid, and turn your wipers to a higher setting during heavy rain. Similarly, in your spiritual life, you can withstand temptations and attacks by putting on the full armor of God daily, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18.

Thankfully, we’re not fighting this battle alone (often against our own flesh). We have a Helper we can trust: Psalm 63:8, Hebrews 13:6. So repent, pray, sing, join forces with your fellow soldiers in Christ and face the battle together, and journey together toward the final destination!

Wishing you a safe and blessed journey. May God guide and protect you!