Are You Hindering Others?

Описание: I want to speak plainly to you about something serious—the sin of hindering others. You see, I think about how, in races—whether it's the Olympics or NASCAR—athletes sometimes jostle one another. A bump here, a stumble there, and suddenly someone’s stride is broken. Momentum is lost. The race is affected. That’s exactly the kind of image Paul paints in Galatians 5, where he talks about those being hindered in their spiritual race. And the word "hindered" there? It means to beat back, to slow down, to obstruct. That’s serious business.

I’m asking you—and I’m asking myself—am I helping others run, or am I the reason they’re falling behind?

In Galatia, Paul was warning the church about false teachers—Jews who were telling Gentile Christians they had to be circumcised to be saved. It wasn’t just wrong; it was spiritually dangerous. Paul wasn’t the only one warning about this—Peter also said in 2 Peter 3:17 that being led away by error can cause people to fall from their steadfastness. And friend, if you're paying attention to the world today, you know the same thing is happening. Different teachings, different doctrines, confusion. False teaching hinders people—it gets in the way of the truth.

And I’m here to tell you today, Jesus never called anyone to confusion. That’s why Paul was so clear in Galatians 5:8—it’s not Christ who brings in this kind of disruption. It's someone else. And whoever that someone is, Paul said, they will bear their judgment. Let me say it directly: if I am misleading you, or if you are misleading someone else, God will not overlook that.

But false teaching isn’t the only way we hinder others. Sinful conduct does it too. You know, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: Evil company corrupts good habits.” That’s a warning I taught my own children—don’t follow those who are walking in darkness, because they’ll lead you there too. And if I live in such a way that my example draws others away from God, I’ve become a stumbling block.

The same principle applies when I am lazy in my walk, careless with my words, or inconsistent in my attendance. Solomon said in Proverbs 18:9 that slothfulness is as destructive as outright sin. Whether I mean to or not, I might be hurting someone’s faith just by the choices I make in my daily life.

Paul didn’t hold back. In Galatians 5:9, he said, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” That’s his way of saying even a small negative influence can spread, corrupting the whole group. Just like yeast works through dough, a bad example can work through a congregation.

And Paul wasn’t just offering casual advice. In verse 12, he made a strong statement: “I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off.” Whether Paul meant cutting themselves off from the church or something more extreme, one thing is clear—hindering others is no small matter to God.

But don't just take Paul’s word for it. Jesus Himself said in Luke 17:1-2, Offenses will come, yes, but 'woe to him through whom they come.” It would be better for that person to have a millstone tied around their neck and be thrown into the sea than to cause one of His little ones to stumble.

Friend, do you realize what that means? When I mistreat or mislead a disciple of Jesus, He takes it personally. In Matthew 25:41-46, Jesus said that when we ignore or mistreat His followers, we’re doing it to Him. And those who did so? He says they’ll go away into everlasting punishment.

So I must ask: Am I being a help or a hindrance? Am I encouraging others, or am I slowing them down in their race?

To avoid becoming a hindrance, I need to do what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12—be an example in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. I need to watch how I live, how I love, how I speak, and how I believe. People are watching. Some are looking for reasons to draw near to God, and others are looking for excuses to walk away. I don’t want to be that excuse.

Am I faithful in attending? My example matters. Am I involved in teaching the truth, not opinion? Paul told Timothy in verse 16 to take heed to yourself and to the doctrine, because in doing so, you save yourself and those who hear you.

Let me ask you directly: Is your life encouraging others to grow, or giving them a reason to doubt?

I want you to think hard about the race you're running and how you're affecting others around you who are running too. Some may be stumbling because of you. Some may be falling behind. And if that’s the case, there’s no better time than now to make it right.

But maybe you’ve already started the race, and someone hindered you. Maybe you lost your stride. Maybe you fell. You can get back up. The Lord will restore you. 

So let me leave you with this question again: Are you helping others toward heaven… or are you getting in the way?

The choice is yours.