Those words were common words that I heard growing up. Whether it was me annoying my brother (which hardly ever happened), getting in the way of a job being done due to my nosiness, or simply clogging up the lane in a basketball play. They seem so offensive at first when you hear them, because you want to be there. It may be innocent enough in that you want to help, or you may be selfish because you just want to be in the middle of the drama.
Quite often I find myself saying those very same words. I do not always mean them in a nice way (like when I honk my horn at that driver who is going so slow I could crawl past them) or I could mean it in a good way like this is a super heavy box and if I hit you with it you will be in pain.
My goal is to apply this phrase in a way that impacts me spiritually.
How do I get in the Way!
Spiritually I find myself getting in the way of doing things in a God honoring fashion when I exalt my own value and worth above God’s plan. 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” The purpose of my life is to bring glory to God. This ranges from preaching a sermon to eat a bowl of Special K. So the second I start doing anything for the praise I could receive and not for the glory of God, I begin to elevate myself and ultimately GET IN THE WAY.
Whose Way Am I Getting In?
If the entire goal of life is to bring Glory to God then ultimately I am getting in way of God’s glory when I exalt myself. John 3:30 says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” I have decided that with my entire life I need to decrease in order for His glory to increase. This results in me Getting Out Of The Way.
Staying Out of the Way Brings a Whole New Perspective!
When my life is suddenly less about me succeeding and more about the glory of God then my perspective changes drastically. Now when a huge snow storm comes the week before the biggest conference of the year it is not about me needing to get stuff done but about how can I serve God through this situation. When trials and tragedies come and life gets crazy it is easier to not take a “Woe is Me” attitude and focus on God’s plan in it all. Paul got it right in Philippians 1:21 when he said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” His whole life was about serving Christ and when that ends then that is a promotion to glory.
When I stay out of the way things work better. When I stop being annoying and get out of my brother’s way then he does not have to hurt me. When I move away from being nosey others can finish their task. When I get out of the lane on the play it could open things up for the guard to score on the drive. Ultimately, when I get out of the way of God’s glory then He is Exalted and the purpose of my life is accomplished.
