Wake Up!

I was reading a book this morning and something that has weighed on my heart lately made me put down the book and write this. I have come to the realization, that for me, I am in the midst of a great battle but at times acting in such a way as if it didn’t exist.

Ephesians 6:12 – For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

We dismiss distractions and disappointments as, “that’s just life.” Most of us have been raised to believe that life isn’t fair, and in all honesty, it isn’t. This is more than the fairness of life. We cannot fight an enemy we cannot see. There is nothing more frightening to Satan than someone who is truly living a life for Christ. He runs in fear at the very mention of God’s name. The devil will stop at nothing to attempt to derail your God-given mission. He will attack from every conceivable angle. There will be attacks at your job and school, from your friends and family, and in your self-worth. The people and things you most deeply care about are fertile grounds for seeds of self-doubt and disappointment to be planted. I bring this to your attention not to scare you, but to make sure you are not living in ignorance of the fight surrounding you.

Jesus spoke of “turning the other cheek,” but the Bible also tells us of fighting.

1 Timothy 6:11-12 – Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith.

Yes, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and they need to be upheld, but we seem to be missing the point. I believe God’s greatest commandment that we in large part ignore is, Enjoy your God (I can write a whole entry about this and will eventually).

We quietly sit on the sidelines while inwardly we are being beaten down by the world around us. We idly watch as we are defeated and become a shell of the man or woman God created us to be. We turn a blind eye to the suffering around us and write it off as bad luck.

We take so much time to feel sorry for ourselves. Disappointment, sadness, and fear, causes our hearts to become hardened. We build walls around our hearts in order to protect them. The fear keeps us from letting God’s joy in, or our true selves out.

Fighting is not a defensive strategy, but an offensive one.

It is time to get off the bench, stop straddling the fence and stand up and fight for our life.

It is time to start ENJOYING YOUR GOD!