Saved, Not Soft
Ever since I opened registration in January for The Retreat 2021, I’ve been at war. Every week, it’s been something.
Don’t get me wrong, after almost four years of leading the Church Girls Movement, I expect the enemy to interfere any time I’m preparing for ministry. And because he’s cunning, and not creative, I’m never surprised about if he’ll appear, just how he appears. But when he appears, I know his objective is to distract me from purpose and stop me altogether. My objective? Win.
After years of losing to the enemy, in marriage, at work, and in my thoughts, I’ve learned that war requires strategy. If I intend to win, I have to be strategic about how I fight. Here are three essentials to keep in mind if you want the victory:
Recognize your opponent. The enemy may appear as spirits, trends, statistics, triggers, reactions, etc. Even if the enemy uses facts when he speaks, it doesn’t mean that he’s not still a liar. He is. When you know the enemy and you know who you are, you don’t have to be anxious about the result of the battle.
Learn when to fight and when not to fight. It’s better to be wise than strong. One of the most important weapons in war is your energy. The enemy will design situations, people, conversations, etc. to deplete your energy and steal your peace. Protect both.
Stay ready. Make the decision to stay prepared by continuing to grow. Continue to evolve because the enemy will appear, in any form, to see if something still hurts. And instead of being triggered to respond negatively, you want him to discover that you’ve been healed in that area and the wound has closed.
Unfortunately, we can’t live in this world without experiencing war. However, we can determine our response to war.
I’m not looking for a fight, but I’m not running from one either!