“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10 NIV
Does something feel stolen from you?
You used to feel more confident, capable, and sure in your walk with the Lord, but now uncertainty, fear, and confusion block your path.
You may not even understand why you struggle to move forward and gain traction in what God has called you to. You just feel stuck. I get it. This is where I have been for months.
Our enemy is a thief; sly, vague, and tenacious. We may have won a battle, but he leaves behind the aroma of doubt in our souls. The stink of the lie that we have disappointed God and he no longer desires to, or can, use us in His story. The odor slinks into the deepest recesses of our souls and hides there.
When the Lord calls us to step out in obedience to His call on our life, or we’ve been walking in obedience but challenges weaken and drain us, those tendrils of deception drift up to twist around in our hearts and minds.
“Who do you think you are?” he whispers.
“You don’t know what you are doing.”
“Why would God want to use you after you…?”
“Look at so and so, they are more talented and godlier than you.”
And on it goes, miring us deeper and deeper in the sulfurous swamp of lies that poison our hearts and minds until we feel unable to move forward. Then the enemy snarls, “You might as well give up!”
And, oh, how tempting the lure is to give in and turn back to the distorted perception of freedom. We can do whatever we want with our time, our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. Like Eve in the garden, the fruit looks delicious and satisfying, along with the lie of independence to live life however we want and still please God. It wasn’t until after she had enticed Adam to sin that she realized how costly that choice was. Separation from the only true source of freedom and joy in life, an intimate relationship with our Creator.
If you’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good, you know in the depths of your soul there is no going back. As Peter said in John 6:68, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” There is nothing else in all of creation that can satisfy the longing in your heart and soul except Jesus.
So, we can’t give up, but how do we move on?
Pray! Ask the Holy Spirit, your soulmate, to show you what is standing in your path. Pray fervently, not half-heartedly. Sit and have a conversation with the Lord, verbally even, and expect him to respond (not necessarily verbally ????). He longs to spend time with us.
“For God will never give you the spirit of fear, but the Holy Spirit who gives you mighty power, love, and self-control.”
2 Timothy 1:7 TPT
Surrounding ourselves with godly, kindred spirits is vital for seasons such as these. Our part is to turn to them for help and not rely on our own reasoning. These friends and colleagues act as beacons of hope shining through the putrid fog, pointing us to the truth and back onto the path God prepared for us before the beginning of time.
Get away to be alone WITH God. Take a walk in a park or on a trail, go away for a couple of days by yourself if possible, grab a lawn chair and go sit by a lake, or go to your favourite restaurant or café and have a Jesus date. Take a journal wherever you go to record what God speaks to you, so you can remind yourself of it later.
Trust. The. Lord. Look back and remember his faithfulness to you in the past. Recall the moment he made clear what he had called you to. Obedience to his call isn’t out of fear, or for reward, but out of a deep love for the One who loves you deepest of all. And if he has asked you, he will keep you, and see it to completion.
I am also speaking to myself here, Sisters. The battle is real! But we know who the conqueror is, we know the end of the story. And if we stand firm in him, joy and freedom will overtake us.
Be well!
Patricia