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Every time I sit down to write, I ask the Lord what He would like for me to say. Sometimes I have an idea and other times I don’t. Yesterday, I was reading a lot of people’s opinions (some not so nice) on what the Pittsburgh Steelers did — or should I say — didn’t do during the national anthem. Everyone has an opinion and that is okay. We live in America and people have the right to their opinions, but my mind immediately went to “What Would Jesus Do? You know that saying used to be very popular. There were wristbands, t-shirts, keychains, etc. with that written on it. It’s a shame that we have strayed from thinking those words. 

So, I started thinking about how people reacted to Jesus when He walked on the earth. There were those who loved Him. There were those who hated Him. There were those who were indifferent to Him. I am sure there were many who hadn’t decided yet what they thought of Him. His own people didn’t know what to think about Him. The Jewish leaders had their law and the way they did things and they didn’t want Jesus to tell them they were doing it wrong. They thought they were right.  They liked the way things were and they didn’t want Jesus to tell them they were wrong. (Doesn’t that ring true for all of us?)

But, here is the cool thing about Jesus. He knew how to handle difficult people. And the reason why He knew how to handle people and each situation was the fact that He prayed. Luke 5:16 He spent every morning with His Father praying. The words that came out of His mouth are written down in the Bible so we will know how to react to people in our lives. He tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Matt. 5:44 That is a foreign concept in our culture today because everyone wants their opinion to be heard. (Not saying that’s a bad thing) But the fact is our opinions don’t really matter. God’s word is what matters because He is the one who tells us how we are supposed to live our lives. When the emotions are high, how many of us can say that we stop and pray for those who are yelling at us or accusing us. (This is very hard to do!) But, what if we prayed in advance every morning for the Lord to help us react to the difficult situations that we come into contact with each day? What if we asked the Lord to help us react to those difficult people in our lives? We would probably see Him perform a change in us and maybe even in them.

Let me tell you right now, I am reminding myself of these truths while I am speaking them to you. We all need to be reminded of God’s truth. If you are a Christian and you love the Lord, then we must follow what He tells us to do. He made us and He knows what is best for us. He knows exactly how things need to be done. If we would just pause and ask Him to help us deal with the things that are coming at us in life, we would be so much better off. Let me quote what Priscilla Shirer says. “Prayer is the mechanism that brings down the power of heaven into your experience.” And then she states, “I believe I can say it as bluntly as this: Unless prayer is a vital and thriving part of your life, you will never achieve spiritual victory.” (OUCH and AMEN!) Lord, help us to come to you first before we start each day so we can have spiritual victory in our lives!

Everyone that we come into contact with in our lives is coming from their own set of issues and problems. So when people react, they are coming from a different place than we are. Now I am not making excuses for anyone that responds in an abusive manner, I am just saying that their heart and mind is in a different place than mine. I react differently to certain issues than my husband does because of my past. There have been times I have wanted to behave and have behaved in a very un-christlike manner. (I know that is hard to believe. Haha! My family can tell you that!) But the bottom line is, we are called to respond like Christ. “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3: 9 Friends, I don’t know about you, but I want to inherit a blessing. I also want to encourage you to go ahead and read all of 1 Peter 3. 

Whether we like it or not, we are commanded to love one another and we are also commanded to forgive one another. I know that there are people out there that are extremely hard to love and forgive. I know how hard it is to do this and I can’t do it in my own power. I have to have God’s help! There are many times I have prayed through gritted teeth and asked for divine intervention with certain people and situations. 

The bottom line is Satan is the enemy and he is doing everything he can to stir the pot! If we aren’t careful, we will fall into his scheming ways. There have been so many times in my life I didn’t even realize that I had allowed Satan to get a foothold on me. That is why it is so important that I pray and spend time with the Lord. Satan is after us and he will do what he can to stir up discord, strife and division within us and around us. He knows just where to attack us and we need to be ready to fight back. That is also why we need to know the word of God and we need friends and family praying for us. 

I know more than anyone how hard it is to hear things about myself that I don’t really want to hear. I have learned that I need to listen and then go to the Lord and figure out what the truth is. In order to be spiritually healthy, I need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and ask for wisdom. My heart needs to be right when I go to Him and I need to ask for forgiveness of my sins. I need to be willing to admit that I have been wrong. (That’s hard too!)

The only way we are going to overcome sin in our lives is to cooperate with God. He knows us better than anyone else does. He loves us more than anyone else does. He also is the only one who can truly change us. Whatever sin we are facing, we have the God of the Universe on our side. He can and will do whatever is necessary to help us, but we have to cooperate with Him. (Not always easy for me. There is usually some wrestling going on before I cry “Uncle!”) But, when I finally cooperate, He takes the sin and turns it into something beautiful and I am changed. 

There are certain things in my life that I never want to have anything to do with ever again! But there are other things, that I daily need God’s help with. I need to be willing to see them as sin and bring them before the Lord. I need to be willing to follow God’s instructions whether I like it or not!

We simply cannot allow our feelings, our own understanding or our past experiences be our truth because it is not accurate. For example, I have felt most of my life that I was worthless. Is that accurate? No! My father’s abuse left me feeling helpless. Am I helpless? No! You see what I am saying? Each thing that has happened to me or I have seen has been tainted by living in a sinful world. Satan knows this, so he has spent my whole life and yours trying to get us to believe his lies. We have been deceived friends! He is compelling us to react in ungodliness because He wants us to feel defeated. Am I defeated? No! I will never be defeated! Psalm 62:2

I am sick and tired of seeing Satan get his way! We need to stop allowing him any room in our lives. Just say “No!” to him. Tell him to get away from you. You have the God of the Universe on your side and He is way more powerful! God is actually for you not against you. We need to be willing to let God’s light shine on our perceptions. “What we need is a spotlight that pierces the darkness and lays bare all his evil schemes, systems, and illusions. The truth of God’s Word is that light!” Shirer

So, I am asking you (and me) to go before the Lord every morning and ask Him to help you live your day in His power and His truth. Go to Him and ask Him to help you with your words and help you deal with the difficult people in your life. Respond in a manner that brings Him glory! Ask Him to shine the light on your sin and confess it to Him. Ask Him to give you the courage you need to walk away from a bad relationship, or an addiction, or self-harm or yell at someone! Ask Him how you should be living your life. He will not fail you. I love you dear friends. Now, let’s go kick Satan’s butt!

Isaiah 30:20 “But your Teacher will not hide Himself any longer. Your eyes will see your Teacher, and whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” Until next time……

 

 

I have been painting furniture for several years. I actually started when I was in my twenties and still love to do it today. I love taking an old piece of furniture that looks like a hopeless cause and turn it into something beautiful. The other day while I was painting, I was praying about several things and I had a revelation. As much as I enjoy working on furniture, God also enjoys working on me and my problems. You see, a lot of times when I go to God with my issues, I feel like I am bothering Him—especially when it is the same thing over and over again. But, that just isn’t true! I have a God that is actually waiting for me to come to Him so He can help me because He wants to show me His glory!

I will even go a step further and say that the Lord is delighted when I come to Him. Psalm 149:4 (I like to picture a big smile on His face.) And, He actually takes pleasure in meeting my needs. I have also been learning that God can do so much more than I ask or imagine. He wants to do more than my brain can comprehend. I have had issues in my life that have just about killed me. My anxiety, depression, panic attacks, abuse from my father and others, brother’s suicide, etc. I could go on, but there is something I want to share with you that I am learning about God. I think Priscilla Shirer says it best. “Yes, God in His providence has ascribed deep value to you and to me. And yes, our lives do matter. Our concerns do affect Him. He has chosen by His great mercy to elevate us to a height of dignity and significance.” I don’t know about you, but I have struggled with feeling significant and having dignity. The fact that the God of the Universe thinks I am significant is sometimes hard for me to grasp.

She goes on to say, “But let’s be crystal clear about things—ultimately, our lives are all and completely about Him. We exist for His fame. We are examples of His patience and long-suffering. We bear witness to what His love is like and can do. We honor His name with our living, breathing presence. We’re here for Him. We’re here for His pleasure. For His praise and His glory.”

Here’s the deal. God is telling me and He is telling you that He wants to be involved in our lives. When I don’t ask Him to help me, I am missing out on actively participating in what He is doing for my good and for His glory. Of course He is God and He can help me anyway, but the thing is—He is a relational God and He wants me to come to Him and ask for His help. My first reaction needs to be to go to Him in prayer instead of calling or texting a friend. He wants to be the first one in my life that I turn to because He is able to help me. So, God first, then phone or text a friend. (I feel like I am on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”)

Now, this next part that I am going to share is the absolute best part of having a relationship with God. I love it when I read something and it makes me look at Him in a different light. Priscilla Shirer states, “But just imagine—little old us and our little old needs— being commissioned by Almighty God for the purpose of giving tribute to His power. That’s strong. It changes the whole color scheme. This problem that used to clash with everything, stick out like a sore thumb—it was all you could see. But when you turn your head a certain way now and change your perspective a bit, while it’s still very noticeable, it looks like it might hold some promise here. It’s a glory maker, not just a troublemaker.”

I don’t know about you but I am encouraged to change my perspective by that statement. My issues are glory makers not just troublemakers. When I look at them that way, it kind of calms me down. It makes me want to sit back and watch and wait on God instead of getting bent out of shape. You see, my brain has been conditioned to get upset at myself and at God when my troubles keep bothering me. But now, if I can just calm down and get the right perspective about those issues, then I can sit back and wait for God to work in me and in my issues.

It’s kind of like watching a super hero go to work. When God gets involved, He is going to get Him some glory! He is going to wield His sword and shield and go to battle for us. He is going to use His power to fight for us. The problems or issues we have are going to be dealt with by Him. He is on our side and He won’t quit until His job is done. He really is the only One who is equipped to fight the battle and He knows exactly what to do.

I have my own personal super hero. I just want to lay everything at His feet and say, “Go get ‘em God! You do what you need to do. I need to quit telling You what to do and let you do it your way because your way is far better than mine. Go way above and beyond what I can even imagine. I still have a hard time conceiving the fact that you love doing things for me. Thank you for your goodness, your patience, your love, your work and your forgiveness. Thank you that each day is a new day in your eyes. You don’t keep a record of my wrongs. You just want me to look to you for help. You want me to come to you with my issues. You are ready to work on my behalf so you can show me your glory!”

Life is not about me. I am not supposed to get the glory. I will take the compliment, but it is God who gets the glory in me. He gets the credit for telling a very frightened woman 18 years ago that He was going to take her on a journey to freedom. And when I began that journey, He told me He was going to use it for His glory. I had no idea what that meant at the time and I certainly had no idea that I would be writing a blog. He has taken me through some very dark times and He has loved me every step of the way. He has taught me so much! He has been working on my behalf every single day even when I didn’t ask Him to. There have been many days that I didn’t want to live, but He has gotten me through those days and I am so glad He has or I would have missed out on so much. He is truly everything to me.

Yesterday, I celebrated 58 years on this earth. I am a testimony to what God can do in a person. Honestly, all the horrible things that have happened in my life have drawn me closer to Him. Now, I am also going to admit that I have had several conversations with Him over what He has allowed. I have been angry, hurt, defiant, and I have had a ton of questions. (I am kind of a rebel, but in a good way!) But, I know deep down inside that He is God and I am not. He is also good. He is large and in charge and I need to trust Him. I also need to remind myself that my problems are going to bring Him glory! Hallelujah! (Or as Madea says, “Halleluyer!” I don’t really know how to spell that one!)

I would like to leave you with one more gem from Priscilla. “What a miracle that we can trust in God’s ability, that we can sit or stand in this place and be part of what He’s doing all over the place, that we can stretch out our faith, and even our need, and give Him the honor, the glory—the tribute—He deserves. Forever and ever. To all generations. Amen.” We praise you Lord! Until next time…….

A week ago I got to witness one of God’s majestic wonders. The eclipse was an amazing display of who God is and what He is capable of. I had so much fun watching people reacting on TV  as they saw the different stages of the eclipse and especially when it was in the “totality” phase. I was hoping that someone would mention God, but sadly I didn’t hear His name. But, as I was watching the eclipse through my special glasses, I began thinking about what I had been reading lately about the “totality” of God. What I have learned is so exciting to me that I just have to share it with you!

I have been reading God Is Able by Priscilla Shirer. She actually has a chapter in her book called “Totality”. Because I have always struggled with my self-image, there have been many times I didn’t want to bother God with my issues. I felt like they were stupid or insignificant, so I wouldn’t talk to Him about my troubles or ask for His help. Can anyone relate to that?? Now the funny thing is, He is God and He knows what those issues are, but He still wants us to tell Him and ask for His help. The truth is, “He looks to the ends of the earth and see everything under the heavens.” Job 28:24

Priscilla states, “What I’m saying is—and you will find this to be true, if you haven’t already—God knows about the little things. Your little things. Because when they concern you, they’re not little things anymore. The things that trouble you, no matter how unimportant or trivial they might be to your spouse, children, friends, or parents, are important to God.” After I read this, I just had to let it soak in my brain. My God cares about all the things that concern me. All means totally! He cares about everything that concerns me. I have to be reminded of this fact because it is so easy for me to think that my issues are trivial. It is so easy for me to dismiss my feelings and think that I am being stupid. God is telling me that He cares about everything that I care about. (I need to get this fact through my thick skull once and for all!)

When you see something like the eclipse, it is so easy to believe there is a God. When you look all around at creation it is easy to see that there is a God. When you see a baby being born you know there is a God. I have my issues seeing God in the day to day and in all the problems. Now, before you get too judgmental of me, I want to explain what I am learning. (It will make you feel better!) I am realizing that because I haven’t felt significant enough to involve God in everything, I haven’t asked Him or conversed with Him to help me in a lot of situations. That isn’t His fault. It is mine. He is ready and willing to help me, but I have to go to Him and talk to Him. I know He has intervened several times without me asking, but I am missing out on even more because I am not involving Him in my every day life.

Here is the deal. God can do it all. Nothing escapes His attention. He is completely and totally in charge. I think my problem and maybe your problem is believing that God cares about all the little things that matter to us. Priscilla has a way of making me realize some very important truths. She states, “Sometimes our problem is not that we won’t believe Him for the supernatural and amazing, but that we don’t believe He cares about the routine and everyday. He doesn’t exist only in the stratosphere of extravagant need. His ability comes all the way down to the ground. Where you are. Every day.”

He is right here with us. He is on the ground with us. He is with us every single second of every single day doing life with us. He wants to help us in the trivial things in life. He knows the number of hairs on my head. He knows how many freckles I have on my body. (and I have a lot!) He knows how much I love to watch old movies. He knows the music that makes me happy and one of them is “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. (I just had to play it on my phone) He knows how much I wish I could dance like the people in that video. He knows what makes me mad and brings me joy. He knows how much I love to laugh and have fun. He knows how much I care about people knowing Him. He is a personal God and loves all of us to pieces. I am reminding myself of these facts as I write. God wants me to remember these things as much as He wants you to remember them.

My problem has always been that I have limited my expectations of what God can do because of what I have experienced with people I have interacted with my whole life. Maybe you have done the same thing. I didn’t have the best interactions with my earthly father so it affected the way I have interacted with my heavenly Father. I have been trying to get over the way I view God most of my life. I need to quit comparing the two in my mind because there really is no comparison!

This next paragraph from Priscilla is probably one of the best things that I have read that helps me see how much God wants to be involved in our lives. I need to share it with you. “But as the Bible says, ‘God is not a man, that He should lie.’ Numbers 23:19 When He tells us to ask—as He does on multiple occasions in Scripture—He’s not just trying to sound neighborly. He’s trying to involve us in His blessing. He’s wanting us to experience the fullness of our inheritance in Christ. He’s using a prayer transaction to build trust and relationship. When we take Him up on His invitation to ask for what we need—both the big things and the small things—one of the greatest things He gives us is the opportunity to recognize exactly where our help is coming from. When we request and He answers, we are enabled to know beyond any doubt that He was the One working in our experience.”

Because of the conviction that I feel and the overwhelming fact that God wants to be involved in my life every single second of every single day, I have started a prayer journal for the hundredth time. (Not kidding!) I am writing down all my prayer requests. I am talking with God about everything. I am writing it down and looking for God to do a work in me and in others. I am taking God at His word. “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” Ephesians 3:20  And on top of that, after each prayer I am asking Him to go way beyond what I can think or imagine. I am asking Him to do more than my limited brain can even think of! I want to see God work! I want to see Him change me and change others. I want to witness His glory! I can’t wait to see what He does in me—how He changes others—how He works in the issues I bring to Him. 

When I ask Him to be involved in my day, He is completely and totally capable of handling everything that comes my way. He is there to give me the strength I need. He is there to give me the wisdom I need. He is there to give me the words I need. I can’t rely on myself to live my life because I am not capable of handling it. I have tried to handle it way too many times without asking God for help and it has been a disaster.

So, I would like to ask you if you are willing to believe that God is able and totally capable of handling you and your problems. I would like to challenge you to keep a prayer journal and ask Him to do mighty things in you, in others and in your situations. Let’s join together in doing life with Him–talking with Him–learning from Him–watching Him work. I know He’s been waiting for us to ask and turn to Him because our God is completely and totally able! So what are you waiting for??? Go ask and talk and learn and listen. Until next time…..

“The same God who’s is saving you from hell is also willing and able to save what’s left of your nerves and your workweek.” Shirer 

It seems like we live in a world that is very negative. Yes, we have a lot of things to be negative about, but there are also things in our lives that are good and positive. Why is it so easy to be dragged down by the negative comments of others? Why is it so easy to feel pretty good about your life and then within seconds someone will make a comment and all of the goodness goes out the window? It is so easy for me to be swayed in that direction. God can be so big to me and within seconds He will shrink down to be quite small. So, the next giant that I face on a continuous basis is called “Negativity.”

I have a very good friend who has gone through a lot of things and when she is talking she will say, “God’s got this. He knows what He is doing and He will take care of it.” For years I have envied her confidence in God. I am not saying that I don’t believe that He has it all in the palm of His hands because I know He does. But, it is her confidence that I want. I get so bogged down in negativity that I can’t see past the circumstances.  I allow all the comments or feelings that I have weigh me down instead of looking at God and who He is.

The fact of the matter is that God is able. No matter what I think or feel at the moment, God is always able to take care of my issues. My focus needs to be on that fact. He has the  ability to do far more than I can imagine. My problem is that I am looking for God to do for me like a genie in a bottle. “Oh please God, if you would just …….. (I can fill in the blanks with all sorts of things that I would like for Him to do.) Being like this has done nothing but bring me doubt, confusion, negativity, frustration and anger towards God. When I focus on what He isn’t doing, I am setting myself up for trouble. I need to kick it to the curb and focus on who He is and the fact that He is a good God who is so much more than a genie in a bottle.

Are you tracking with me here?? I have to quit looking at God as the answer man. He is so much more than that. I know that because I am a “doer” makes it even harder because I want God “to do” for me. I am not saying that asking God to do things for us is wrong, but I need to have the right attitude when I go to pray. Ephesians 3:20-21 says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.”

I struggle with, “But I want it now!” I struggle with God’s timing. I struggle in the wait. When I take my eyes off the fact that God’s timing is perfect, I get frustrated and angry. I am like a toddler stomping my feet wanting it now! My struggle is the fact that I am focusing on the problems. The problems are getting my worship instead of Jesus. I am wanting God to go and do what I want Him to do. After all, I think my solution is the best possible solution, right? (Oh brother!) I need to be the kind of believer that knows that God’s perfect timing is everything.

So, what I need to do is grab a hold of myself and calm down. I need to make a deliberate decision to focus on God and ask Him to change my perspective. I need to focus on Him and not the problems or the situation. Priscilla Shirer says, “A mind fixed on the right thing—the right person—can change everything. When was the last time you just told your stuff to shut up and go to sleep, and then gave your full attention—deliberately and intentionally—to the living Lord? Your Father. Your caregiver. Your provider.” (I can actually say shut-up and it is okay!)

I think these next words by Priscilla are so important. “Christianity was never meant to be so intrinsic. It is extrinsic. It is all about looking outward toward Jesus, not inward at ourselves. Our enemy is the one who wants us focused on ourselves—on our humanity, frailty and need. God, however, wants us focused on Him—on His deity, His ability and His boundless power.” Does this resonate with anyone else??? I have spent most of my life being intrinsic. My focus needs to be on the One who has the power to change me. He is the only One who can handle the situation.

So, I need to learn to turn to Him automatically instead of bog myself down in my problems. I need to make a conscious decision to look through the lens of God’s power and might. I need to tell the negative voices to shut up and go away because my God’s got this! I can’t look at the problems any more. I need to look at Jesus who is always there fighting for me. I just can’t let the problems bog me down. That is exactly what Satan wants me to do.

God is able to do anything—ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING—and I need to trust His ability and willingness to do it. When I look back and see all the things He has done for me, I am amazed at what He has done. I need to focus on those things and not the things that aren’t happening. God is sovereign and I need to trust His decisions. Priscilla states, “But whether or not God chooses to do something is a question of His sovereignty, not His ability. Whether or not He will do it is His business. But believing that He can—that’s our business.” So my job is to believe that He can and then realize that He is always working on my behalf.

You see, because of my Dad and others, I haven’t had the privilege of having many people working on my behalf. That has had a huge affect on me. Scripture has helped me tremendously in this area. If you struggle in this area, I would like to share some scripture with you.

Psalm 145:17 “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His does.”

Psalm 84:11 “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”

Zephaniah 3:17 “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

We are guaranteed that He is always working on our behalf. I might not understand His ways, but He is always doing what is best for us. I need to be reminded on a daily basis that my God is able. I need to focus on who God is instead of all the problems and issues. I need to remind myself that He is working on my behalf. He is able to do far more than I can even imagine.

I am going to leave you with some encouraging words by Priscilla Shirer. “But, listen, believing in Jesus—I mean really trusting Him on a practical, daily level—is supposed to be real. It’s supposed to work. It’s supposed to transform us and make us different than before. We’re supposed to “watch expectantly for the Lord,” to “wait for the God of my salvation,” fully confident with the biblical assurance of faith that “my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7

So, dear friends, I am choosing to look for Him every day as He works in my life. I am going to train my mind to focus on His words and worship Him for who He is. I am asking Him to change me into an extrinsic believer who is focused on who He is and not myself. I want to tell the giant of negativity to take a hike because my God is able and will do what is best for me.  I am praying that I can grasp how wide and long and high and deep His love is for me. Because when I can grasp it, I will have the confidence to say, “God’s got this!” Until next time……..

Photo by Rachel Mathew Photography

I have mentioned in the past how much I love movies. It is one of my favorite ways to relax. My daughter Leah and I recently watched the “Harry Potter” series. Last night as we were watching the “Order of the Phoenix,” there were great spiritual truths being given by Severus Snape. He is trying to help Harry to concentrate and focus his mind so that the dark Lord can’t get inside his head. Snape says, “Every memory you have he can use against you. Discipline your mind!” As I am sitting there watching and hearing this, I realize that this is great scriptural wisdom for us. I think our minds can be our biggest enemy. Our thoughts can control us. So, giant #4 is “The Mind.”

I have to tell you that I have had some great spiritual moments with movies. Because I am a visual person, it really helps me understand things better. I think this giant is the one that really gets to me. One of my biggest fears has been that I will lose my mind and go crazy. Watching a sibling struggle with mental illness for years and then take his life over it, has messed with my mind a lot! I have often wondered if I am going to end up the same way. When I am rational, I know that is not going to happen to me, but I have had my moments.

Watching someone you love struggle with mental illness, is not fun! You feel so helpless and there really isn’t a lot you can do. You can love them, support them, get them the help that they need and of course pray for them. I think watching David struggle with severe OCD has deeply affected me. His sickness woke the giant of fear inside me and I have been battling it ever since he committed suicide twenty years ago this month. So, if you will indulge me, I would like to talk about this issue, and hopefully help someone else out there who has struggled with wrong thinking or you love someone who struggles with it. I would like to pay tribute to my brother by enlightening and helping you. He would want that!

One of the first verses that I would like to share is 2 Corinthians 10:5. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” There is a battle going on in our thought lives. I know first hand that my brother battled it and so do I. I have been in a wrestling match with evil thoughts. And by evil, I mean anything that is against God and His principles. I have realized recently that I have allowed some thoughts to get into my mind that are causing me great anxiety. I get so out of balance sometimes and I just need to stop and renew my mind with God’s word. I need to stop and look at His character. I just need to stop and be with Him and listen to Him.

Priscilla Shirer has a study called the Armor of God which I highly recommend. She states, “Your real enemy—the devil—wants you to ignore the spiritual reality behind the physical one. Because as long as you’re focused on what you can see with your physical eyes, he can continue to run rampant underneath the surface. The more you disregard him, the more damage he is free to do. The enemy may be invisible, but he is not fictional. He is very real, and very persistent, waging war against us constantly.”

Whenever, I get out of sorts and my anxiety kicks into full gear, I get so caught up in the emotional aspects, that I simply can’t think straight. My mind is so full of fear that my knowledge of God and His word goes out the window. Satan knows that. He knows how to get to me. I have to be aware of what he is doing to me and fight back. Sometimes, it takes me awhile to use the armor that God has given me. But, what I want to emphasize to you is the fact that I need to be more aware of what is going on and realize that God is bigger and greater than anything I am facing. I have to immerse myself in His word and take every thought to the feet of Jesus and ask for help.

Priscilla says, “Being a believer doesn’t give you immunity from the assaults of the enemy, but  it does give you access to the power of the Father—His power to defend you as well as reverse what’s been done to you. If you want to win the fight—if you want to join me in flipping the script, pinning down the enemy, and crippling his impact in your life—the key is realizing you’re connected to more spiritual brawn than is coming against you.” Satan has had me doubting that God is bigger than my issues for way too long. Because my abuse started when I was a little girl and my Dad was a lot bigger than me, my view of God was so distorted. Because of what happened to me, it caused me to make God a lot smaller than He truly was. Does that make sense? It has taken me years to realize the spiritual brawn God has. I have to go to scripture and look for the verses that state how strong God is. He is so much bigger than I give Him credit for.

Because my view of God was diminished growing up, I believed lies about myself and about Him. My brain was trained to think that my problems and issues were so much bigger than God could handle. My brain was trained to not ask for help because I thought I was alone in this fight. I believed so many lies that were ingrained in me and I wasn’t aware of most of them. I watched a mentally ill brother become sicker and sicker and frankly it scared the crap out of me! So, add that to all my other issues and I became an emotional wreck. Satan had me where he wanted me. I was completely in a pit.

I have had to work hard at getting out of that pit and I have fallen back into it at times too. There have been days I just want to hide from the world especially when I am weary. I have to remember that I am in a battle and God will give me what I need to fight it. Priscilla has so much wisdom to share when it comes to fighting Satan. She tells us that taking our thoughts captive is a ongoing action. “So we must understand that being successful at this endeavor will be a lifestyle, not a one time event. Taking thoughts captive means controlling them instead of allowing them to control you. It means actively replacing the enemy’s thinking with God’s thinking at every opportunity. Resist the urge to agree with or rehearse the negative thought. Instead replace it—repeatedly, diligently, and verbally—until eventually that brick in our stronghold comes tumbling down.”

It has been twenty years since David died. He died in July of 1997. David struggled so much with his identity in Christ. He wasn’t able to comprehend the great love Christ had for him. He struggled so much in his thought life and it was hard to watch. I am writing on his behalf because I know from first hand experience how Satan can destroy our minds with his lies. l also know that he has been after my mind for as long as I can remember. It has been a battle, but I know that the Lord has given me His word to fight it. I need to rely on His word and stay focused on Him.

Priscilla tells us that there has actually been medical research done on how our toxic thinking can affect our overall well-being and how submitting our thinking patterns to Christ can have an amazing impact. Dr. Caroline Leaf says, “Our thoughts occupy mental real estate. Thoughts are active; they grow and change….Every time you have a thought, it is actively changing your brain and your body—for better or for worse.” This makes complete sense to me. Since my childhood was a war zone, my thought life started off on the wrong foot. I really didn’t realize how toxic it was until David got sick and my panic attacks started. I have to fight for truth in my life with God’s word. It is the only thing I have that will help me and heal me.

Dr. Leaf also says, “When we control our thought life, new neural connections and pathways are visibly and measurably formed in the brain—which affects the health and wellness of our physical bodies. In other words, when we ‘take our thoughts captive,’ we are quite literally renewing and restoring our minds from a state of unhealthiness and deterioration to a state of wholeness and strength in God. Tapping into our spiritual benefits package not only keeps us from falling prey to the enemy’s deception, but also restores previous damage that’s been done. When we apply our spiritual inheritance diligently and proactively, we literally change our minds—renewing and rewiring them through God’s Word.” Oh what a glorious hope this gives me! God’s word is living, active, and sharper than a two-edged sword!

This post is a lot longer than I normally write, but I feel like this is so important in our lives. My poor brain has hope for change! I want to kick Satan’s butt and change the way I think. God’s word is the answer. We have hope because of Him! Thank you God! Now, let’s go get that evil one and kick him out of our lives!!! Until next time……

“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Colossians 3:2-3