Being an athlete, when I hear the word battle I first think of competitions. Let the mighty team win! Who is more prepared to fight? But, I also think of battles within the mind such as insecurities and depression. I think of battles we face daily within the world around us such as financial battles, marital battles, relationship battles,family battles, and spiritual battles. I think of battles against Satan! What happens when we are not prepared for these battles? What happens when we are blind sided and attacked when we are least expecting it? How about when we are not even aware that we are being attacked? Defeat engulfs us....that is what happens! We become overwhelmed, weary, frustrated, and defeated! Sometimes we can't see a way out because we are so weighed down and can't find the strength to fight back! Sometimes, we don't even know what hit us! This is why we need to be PREPARED before the battle begins!
So what does this look like in the eyes of a Christian who is in a battle? One of the first scriptures Beth Moore had us look up was in Judges 6:2 "The Midianites were so cruel that the Israelites made hiding places for themselves in the mountains, caves, and strongholds." As I looked back at my notes, I thought "once in a battle....go hide!" I can do that! I can go for protection and hide and hope that the battle goes away! I got it! Check...next statement!
Pull back the reins! We are not done yet! Let's look up 1 Corinthians 9: 24-27 " Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified."
We all have an enemy...or two! We are all in battles. Don't look in my trunk of junk! I have many enemies and battles...many that are my own! We all have them! While we are in our battle fighting our enemy, our focus needs to be on Christ first and foremost! We need to prepare with His Word in our minds and in our hearts. Meditate and renew your mind with His words of truth so that you can fight the enemy! His word is like a mighty sword! If we are not in the Word and are not in tuned with the Spirit, then we cannot SEE where to fight! It is like the scripture says, "I am not just shadowboxing"! We cannot fight against the unknown! Do you want to be swinging at air day in and day out and become exhausted with the battle still lingering right in your face? Part of our preparation is seeing what the Battle is! Sometimes, this means that we need to bow before the MIGHTY ONE and lay before him all our junk whether it is our sins, our insecurities, our fears, our weaknesses.....we need to open ourselves up to HIM and SURRENDER and ask for Him to show us the battle, equip us with the Word, and then we need to admit that we can't do it on our own! Fight for us Lord!
Our next step is to run with a purpose! Don't run aimlessly! In the race, everyone runs....what are you running towards? What is your goal? The scripture says to "Run with a purpose in every step"!If we run aimlessly, we are lost! Make goals for yourself. Are your goals heavenward? Is the race you are running going to matter when life is over? Are you running a race that will bring GLORY to our Lord? I am constantly telling myself that the Lord knows the plans He has for me! Plans for a future! Plans with Hope! We need to stay focused on the path that God has for us and stop running in multiple directions all the time. When our plates are too full, we end up like floundering fish! We need to narrow our paths and focus on the few things that God has prepared for us. Take a look at what makes you "tick" and where your passions are! Focus on these aspects and set goals for yourself so that you are not running around aimlessly or stressed out because you are going in too many directions.
Lastly, I think that we need to take a look at prayer! If we are not connected in prayer with our Heavenly father then we are not going to be on His path. Prayer has to be a part of our preparation! Spend time in quiet, focused prayer asking the Lord to show you His path for your life so that you can be PREPARED each day! It begins with prayer and an open heart to follow His leading!
No comments:
Post a Comment