We’ve all heard the cliche, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.” As God’s powerful creation you too have an enemy (The Devil) who is aware and intimidated by your God-given power — therefore, he’s gone the extra mile to study you and gather the ammunition he needs to bring you down.
“The thief comes only to take the sheep and to put them to death: he comes for their destruction”- John 10:10
Nothing scares the enemy more than when he sees us living up to our potential (i.e navigating through life with Christ’s mindset and walking in rhythm with God). Don’t be surprised when he starts working overtime just as you begin to really feel God doing a marvelous work in your life. Take it as a compliment! As the cliche goes… “If you have haters, you must be doing something right!”
I had to remember this a few weeks ago when my laptop stopped working out of nowhere. It’s no coincidence this happened the same week I agreed to take on a leadership position within my online Bible Study group. The enemy knows my computer is the resource I use to share the work God’s doing in my life with others, and I know he chose to tamper with it.
I wish I could tell you I recognized the attack immediately, rebuked it, and continued on joyfully… but no.
It led me to entertain self-defeating thoughts, such as:
- Maybe I am not “Holy” enough to be calling myself a faith blogger yet..
- Maybe this is God’s way of telling me I need to use this season to grow closer to Him and “work” on myself before publishing more posts
Then I listened to this podcast from Pastor Steve Furtick and I heard God tell me that those self-defeating thoughts were nothing but the enemy’s lies. God’s TRUTH tells me:
- I am already complete in Him (James 1:4).
- I don’t need to be a “better Woman of God” because when I gave my heart to God He took away all my striving (to be more) and shame (of not being good enough) and replaced it with His peace (in knowing I am His Beloved- never lacking) and confidence (in knowing I am created by the same hand that created the stars, the moon, and the galaxy).
- I’m coming to understand that the best way to be firm in who you are in Christ and decipher God’s word above all else is by engraving His truth (written in The Bible) on my heart.
If you want God’s peace…
If you want God to speak to you…
If you want to know who you are in Christ…
If you want answers to your doubts etc..
Open up your Bible, study, and meditate on it.. CONSISTENTLY!
You’ll find all the answers, assurance, and motivation your spirit needs to remain joyful and content throughout whatever LIFE throws at you!
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Maybe you’ve been really going through it lately. Don’t fall into the trap the enemy has set for you by being discouraged. Take heart by changing your mindset and using what the enemy meant to bring you down as fuel to strengthen your spirit! Like Pastor Steve Furtick said,
“Is it possible that the trial that you’re going through is actually a testament to the power that lives within you! The devil doesn’t waste bullets! God used their enemy to show them who they were!” (at 20 minutes and 44 seconds in the podcast)
Take a minute to get honest with yourself and dissect the demon that keeps reappearing in your life — no shame here, we all have them! Ask God to show you how to overcome it and use this lesson for a greater purpose. Chances are it’s connected to a larger part of your testimony. Change your mindset from that of victim to rejoicer! Reflect on instances in your past when God has shown up and spend at least five minutes being grateful.
“To embrace God’s point of view, however briefly, is to be joyful” – Molly Huffman
I am a 24 year old girl just trying to go through this simply complicated life with my gaze focused entirely on God. I also want to encourage other twenty-somethings like me to do the same!
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