Sad.. Downtrodden...Lost... Feeling helpless... Worry... Doubt... Fear...
All weapons of defeat...
Enemies in the BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND...
I have been reading the book, "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer and have been completely blessed by its contents. I have taken the time to reflect on myself and my ways of thinking really seeing how my thoughts have become strongholds in my life. Those "enemies" or "weapons of defeat" have caused a whirlwind of pain and a plateau. I know there are others who may be in the same situation, but it is so important to remember why we are here on this Earth. Reasons are to be a testimony and witness to the blessings God has in store and what he has already done. Tell me what successful, seasoned, and wise Christian has never gone through turmoil and feelings of defeat??
None! They would be lying if they said they never have.. So this is really God's way of preparing his soldier. Preparing him or her to fight the good fight. With that being said, any soldier knows it's essential to be protected with the Full Armor of God.
Ephesians 6:14 says,
"...to STAND FIRM with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness..."
This simple verse is way deeper and can be broken down further. Number one thing is to stand firm...be unwavering and hold on! So when you get to the point of telling yourself you can't go any further or questioning God, "Why this is happening?" His Word says to stand firm. Don't give up (insert name)! The belt of truth is considering what makes a soldier of Christ...He or she does not conform to the things of the world (Romans 12:2) but delights in truth (Proverbs 12:22)--"The Lord detests lying lips but delights in those who tell the truth."
Alllrrreeaaaddy, I can see where we may need to prepare ourselves better. Those little "white lies" are just as it states...LIES. Plus all the self-help, psychologists, therapists, and life coaches will tell you that it's easier to tell the truth than lie. Better said than done right? Especially if you have been s t r e t c h i n g the truth for some time now.
Next, there's the Breastplate of Righteousness. The ever so powerful/fragile muscle called the heart needs to be armored with goodness. Personally, I know how evil or bitter thoughts can creep into the mind and really affect how you feel about people/situations. And I will tell you that my go-to strategy was to leave those things alone. People and situations that could have been easily solved by putting down my pride and talking it through.. Nooooo. Instead, I chose to do nothing and ignore it. My passiveness caused me to lose some great friendships. Not to beat myself up, but I am learning about who I am and seeing things I wish to change. God knows the goodness of my heart, but I have to know how to let others see that. So basically, to be righteous is to do what you know is right. That little voice on the inside telling you to turn in the lost money you found on the church lawn or admit to leaving work a few minutes early because you have a girls' night scheduled, Listen to it! It really may seem small, but could be the decision that saves your life. The thought always comes to my mind about the traffic on the highways. Me, myself, I can have a small, tiny bit of...um...road rage. So when I'm in the fast lane and that one car wishes to go way below the speed limit. I have to remind myself to be patient. Wait. Because my decision to speed ahead could be the cause of a terrible accident whether it involves myself or someone else. Moral of the story: Wear.a.seat.belt. But really, what I'm trying to say is do what you know is right so you won't block your blessing and favor from God.
All weapons of defeat...
Enemies in the BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND...
I have been reading the book, "Battlefield of the Mind" by Joyce Meyer and have been completely blessed by its contents. I have taken the time to reflect on myself and my ways of thinking really seeing how my thoughts have become strongholds in my life. Those "enemies" or "weapons of defeat" have caused a whirlwind of pain and a plateau. I know there are others who may be in the same situation, but it is so important to remember why we are here on this Earth. Reasons are to be a testimony and witness to the blessings God has in store and what he has already done. Tell me what successful, seasoned, and wise Christian has never gone through turmoil and feelings of defeat??
None! They would be lying if they said they never have.. So this is really God's way of preparing his soldier. Preparing him or her to fight the good fight. With that being said, any soldier knows it's essential to be protected with the Full Armor of God.
Ephesians 6:14 says,
"...to STAND FIRM with the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness..."
This simple verse is way deeper and can be broken down further. Number one thing is to stand firm...be unwavering and hold on! So when you get to the point of telling yourself you can't go any further or questioning God, "Why this is happening?" His Word says to stand firm. Don't give up (insert name)! The belt of truth is considering what makes a soldier of Christ...He or she does not conform to the things of the world (Romans 12:2) but delights in truth (Proverbs 12:22)--"The Lord detests lying lips but delights in those who tell the truth."
Alllrrreeaaaddy, I can see where we may need to prepare ourselves better. Those little "white lies" are just as it states...LIES. Plus all the self-help, psychologists, therapists, and life coaches will tell you that it's easier to tell the truth than lie. Better said than done right? Especially if you have been s t r e t c h i n g the truth for some time now.
Keyword: Integrity
Next, there's the Breastplate of Righteousness. The ever so powerful/fragile muscle called the heart needs to be armored with goodness. Personally, I know how evil or bitter thoughts can creep into the mind and really affect how you feel about people/situations. And I will tell you that my go-to strategy was to leave those things alone. People and situations that could have been easily solved by putting down my pride and talking it through.. Nooooo. Instead, I chose to do nothing and ignore it. My passiveness caused me to lose some great friendships. Not to beat myself up, but I am learning about who I am and seeing things I wish to change. God knows the goodness of my heart, but I have to know how to let others see that. So basically, to be righteous is to do what you know is right. That little voice on the inside telling you to turn in the lost money you found on the church lawn or admit to leaving work a few minutes early because you have a girls' night scheduled, Listen to it! It really may seem small, but could be the decision that saves your life. The thought always comes to my mind about the traffic on the highways. Me, myself, I can have a small, tiny bit of...um...road rage. So when I'm in the fast lane and that one car wishes to go way below the speed limit. I have to remind myself to be patient. Wait. Because my decision to speed ahead could be the cause of a terrible accident whether it involves myself or someone else. Moral of the story: Wear.a.seat.belt. But really, what I'm trying to say is do what you know is right so you won't block your blessing and favor from God.
Keyword: Morality
To Be Continued...
Please comment your thoughts, testimonies, experiences, etc. :)
Let the writing begin...once again. Sidenote: I almost titled this blog post "Souljah: and then remembered the too close reference to the rapper/producer, "Soulja Boy" and then I didn't care...Hence the name still stands. Until the next post people...
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