Hey! Where's my coffee?

It's been a WHILE since I posted anything, but I wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten about the 2014 blog challenge. No really....I didn't!

Wait, did I leave my coffee mug in the microwave again? (I am prone to do that more often than I'd like to admit. LOL)

This challenge has still been on my mind and I've been learning so much about who I am in Christ. This year, it has become painfully obvious that part of my identity is that I am an enemy of Satan. In March, I was hospitalized for asthma and bronchitis. I've never been diagnosed with asthma before and never really had a major issue with it...until March. For a while, my family wondered if I'd even survive. I wondered that myself for a little bit, but then God reminded me who likes to steal, kill, and destroy.

Ah, yes. Him.

Then something strange happened. I remembered that Scripture tells us to count it all joy when we face trials and persecution. Those trials and that persecution don't always come through people and this year I have experienced my fair share of attacks. I had a soft, gentle reminder that it is an HONOR to be under attack from the enemy and I suddenly felt humbled and unworthy of my attack. I know that I am far from perfect and I don't always get it right (ok, I rarely get it right), so I couldn't understand what Satan saw in me that was worth assaulting.

It wasn't me. He saw JESUS! He saw my new identity. My frustration and fear turned into joy and peace! My lips began to praise the Father at every chance I got.

{insert Rocky theme song here}

I began to fight, not in my own human strength, but with the strength of a child of the King. Spiritual battles are way different when you remember and walk in your new identity in Christ! Praise Jesus!

So that battle was over and others began. It's not like he's going to give up, but neither does God. My most recent battle was financial. Someone got access to my husband's bank account card and used every last cent we had in there. I've never seen my husband so crushed, broken, and violated. It was heartbreaking to watch, but then again....something strange happened.

Normally, I am the one to fall apart when finances aren't feeling very safe (you know women and their need for security), but that Divine strength flowed through me again and whispered, "It's OK. It's all going to be fine. I've got this."  Boy was that true! We shared our prayer request with a few friends and family members and God got straight to work. So many sacrificial gifts were given to us to help us through this rough time. From gas and toilet paper to funds and prayer support, God took care of every single need and then some! We have been so blessed and emotionally overwhelmed at the goodness of God and the generosity of his people who were walking in THEIR identity.

Realizing and walking in our identity as Christ followers is a beautiful thing! It blesses others, glorifies God, and puts the devil in his place. So here is my charge:

1. Be fierce in the way you follow and chase after God!
2. Be fierce in the way you walk in your NEW identity in Christ!
3. Be fierce in battle with your enemy!
4. Be fierce in your trust of and obedience to the Father!

{insert your own Rocky theme music here}

GOD IS GOOD!

You Can't Handle the Truth!

I can't tell you how many times this topic comes up in my conversations with others. People are always asking me how to deal with fear and anxiety. I have dealt with my fair share of both of these pesky, little troublemakers in my life and have been blessed to have people in my life who were able to teach me some profound truths that helped me through. As I prayed about how to share this with you, I thought of a few scriptures to help, but I was also reminded of a previous blog that I wrote in 2012. It explains the battle we face with fear so well that I decided to include a link to it below as a part of this blog (Be sure to check it out!).

 

Here is the basic truth that pulverizes fear (and the resulting anxiety): Fear is based on LIES from Satan.

 

Now, as a disclaimer, I am not delving into uncontrollable psychological phobias (ie. fear of spiders) or danger-based fears (i.e. falling from an airplane with no parachute). I am talking about how the enemy of God attacks our character, hope, joy, and peace. He may tell us, "You're stupid. You will never amount to anything. You have no talent. You'll never get anywhere in life. You're not even a good person. You have no worth." The list goes on and on. So how do you combat a lie?

 

Source: Public Domain

 

Truth is what sets you free!

 

I don't know about you, but that makes me want to look Satan in the face and shout, "You can't HANDLE the truth!" with my best Jack Nicholson impression.  

 

As a child of God, you have access to all Truth because the Spirit of Truth lives inside of you! If you are afraid, ask yourself, "What lie did Satan tell me to make me think I needed to be afraid (or anxious)?" When you find the answer to that question, replace that lie with TRUTH from the Word of God! Here is some Truths to get you started: 

 

Hebrews 13:5-6

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money. Be happy with what you have. God has said, “I will never leave you or let you be alone.” 6 So we can say for sure, “The Lord is my Helper. I am not afraid of anything man can do to me.”

Proverbs 14:26

Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children.

 

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

Matthew 10:28

“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

 

Romans 8:15

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”

 

We don't have to cower to Satan's fear-inducing lies. We can choose Truth and disarm our enemy. It is a war that will forever be waged until Satan is one day put in his place, but this is who we are:

We are warriors equipped to destroy lies with the Truth.

So get ready, Warrior, this is one battle you can win, but the great news is that you'll never have to fight it alone!

Here's the blog entry I mentioned earlier: The Warrior Child. Enjoy!

 

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