• Lack of Knowledge

The largest obstacle to restoration may be only that one just doesn't know how to go about it. God says my people perish for lack of knowledge and educating yourself may be where you need to start.

The Solution: Educate yourself about how to accomplish your goals. Then write down how and the steps that you will need to move ahead.

• Fear of Failure or Success

Without realizing it, many have a subconscious fear of either failure or succeeding. And fears are debilitating if not conquered. A fear of failure can be a trait of a perfectionist personality. If you can't be perfect in the solution then it can be less painfully never to begin. A fear of success can mean that a person has then to begin taking on new responsibilities.

The Solution: First admit your fear and then develop a will and desire not to remain where you are.

• Fear of Change

We can become very comfortable in our cocoon. Even if the cocoon is a prison. Unhealthy can be comforting if that is all we have experienced.

The Solution: Venture out of the comfort zone you have created. Take it in increments, small steps. Change can be most invigorating especially if you are conquering a fear.

• Pride

This is the most frustrating for me to watch. A person having made bad choices continues to try to justify them, denying that they made a mistake. Even when they are faced with overwhelming evidence, a prideful person will continue in their own destruction rather than admit they need to change.

The Solution: It takes courage for a prideful person, which we all are to some degree, to confront themselves with the truth. Ask God for help and He promises to lend His hand to anyone sincere in their desire.

• Lack of Motivation or Skills

Procrastination, depression, and lack of motivation can be somewhat harder to identify. And one may need professional help to discover whether it is psychological or physiological or both.

The Solution: Exercise can be one of the best quick solutions. Also make sure that you are not deficient in vitamin D, which leads to depression. Give yourself 20 minutes a day in the sun or take a good D3 supplement.

• Weak or No Relationship with God

God needs to be apart of your plan. With God all things are possible without God little if anything gets accomplished or lasts. What does a relationship with God look like? I believe that it is a custom job for each individual. God will respond in a number of different ways. In your spirit, through others, through His Word, etc.

The Solution: Seek a closer connection with God. Be open and it may surprise you how He will respond. Take meditative time with God, which can involved praying, reading scripture, and don't forget listening for God to respond.

• Short on Resources

Being short or having a lack of resources will be only temporary if you have a sincere desire to reconcile. Seek out the resources which often may come through friends and family. Do not let pride get in the way of accepting help even from strangers.

The Solution: After making a list of the resources that you lack, pray over it and then start another column where you can go to acquire the resource. Do not become impatient for God does things at the right time. Be aware and ready for help from unexpected sources.

• Sin

You may ask what has sin got to do with it. Or ask what is sin anyway. For me sin is any disobedience that takes me further away from God. God is not an overseer that wants to limit our fun or gets pleasure wrecking havoc on our lives. God is a benevolent father who wants to keep us from bad decisions and the consequences that always result. Just as a father makes a rule for a child not to touch a hot stove, the rule is not for the father's benefit but there to protect the child. So our God father has given us parameters that are there to protect us and when we disobey (sin) there are consequences.

The Solution: Start looking at sin in a new way. Not how God's rules are going to restrict us but how obedience will protect us.

• Evil Interference

There are unseen demonic forces and entities that attempt at times to disrupt and block our efforts to restoration. I am not one to say every obstacles is demonic but I also believe that there is more interference than we may be aware.

The Solution: Seek God's assistance to dispel demonic interference. I pray regularly for God to assign angels to stand in the way of demons for my protection and for those I love.

• Lack of Faith

Lack of Faith may look like insecurity. You may not have full faith in yourself, in your resources, in your support system and ultimately in God.

Be patient. Be satisfied with small increments. As long as you are moving forward toward your goal, you can maintain a degree of confidence and satisfaction.

The Solution: Pray for God's help, believe in yourself with His assistance. Believe in God to provide all you need in conquering all.

Then after Accomplishing
Your Restoration...

Parrrty and celebrate with family, friends, and even strangers. Anyone who will rejoice with you! Also consider adding your story to the blog on the Restoration Song web site.

• Note to Know

It also must be noted that even if you are able to remove all of your blocks to restoration that does not mean it is automatic that restoration will take place. Sometimes restoration never comes even if you do everything right! A question to always ask of God is, What are you trying to teach me in my circumstances? Sometimes the celebration story may simple be how we manage and survive and grow from our difficult situations.