How to Win the What-If Game

The What-If Bully

There are moments when we all struggle with the "what ifs" in life. We wrestle with them like bad WWE characters and wonder will I ever truly defeat this doubt? 

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That is what the "what ifs" are: workout sessions with doubt. Doubt comes down to this one thing: a lack of faith. Rather than building our faith "muscles" we are letting doubt grow larger: like a body builder on steroids. 

"What if I got that job, would I then be able to pay all my bills?" 

"What if he loved me? Would that make me happy?"

"What if I write a blog, or a book and no one reads it? Will that mean I am a failure?" 

See, we all play the what if game. 

We let doubt pull us into a wrestling match, and soon we are pinned to the mat wondering why our lives never seem to go anywhere? Sometimes the pin comes so fast we are left dazed and wondering "what just happened?" 

STAND UP! 

We have to stand up. If we can't stand on our own right away, we have to tag team. Call a friend who will listen to you just long enough to get angry at the enemy, then let them pray for you and encourage you. Don't have a friend like that? Then call pastor or get into see a Christian counselor. Better yet, go to the Counselor, the Holy Spirit and let Him tap in. 

When God goes to work on your behalf, watch out! 

Now it is ON! 

We are made to be conquerors and the Bible is clear: 

"Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."   Ephesians 6:11-13 

We need to learn to put on the armor, piece by piece so we can begin to understand who we really are. We are the righteousness of God in Christ. We are saved by grace through faith and we know the truth- that most freeing truth- that once we are bought by the blood of the Lamb of God, there is nothing that could rip us out of the hand of our Redeemer unless we let it. 

So when you feel the "what ifs" begin to crowd in, circling like a big bald guy with a bad tattoo, then you need to remind him who he is facing. 

Like David you tell your enemy what lies in store for him. Come in the name of the Lord, in faith believing, 

"that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s" 

and He will deliver you out of your enemies clutches. 

I will be sharing in the coming week more on the Armor of God and I hope you will begin to recognize that the enemy of doubt is a defeated foe and you are more than the sum of your parts when you belong to God!  

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Do you need someone to encourage you? Let us know by leaving a comment below, or email me at ayearinthespirituallife@hotmail.com and I will do my best to help you face your foe equipped so you can get ready to win your battle. 

Victim or Victor?

For the last few days I have been in the hospital with my youngest child while she got surgery and recovered. We have been home since Wednesday, and she has experienced a lot of pain since then. It has me thinking, pain without purpose is torture and pain with purpose is like exercise: for our benefit. 

Try telling that to my 14 year old as she struggles through post op recovery: she does not want to hear it. It is true none the less. 

Spiritual and emotional pain is often harder to deal with than physical pain, but the premise is the same: deal with your pain because it has purpose. Heartache and pain can make us into one of two things: a victim or a victor. 

Jesus said that our sorrows will turn to joy and that our pain will be like a woman in labor. It will hurt for a while, but soon our joy will be complete and we will forget the severity of the pain in our rejoicing. 

The victim says “why does all this happen to me?” and “Why can’t I ever catch a break?” 

The victor says “Even if I never learn the “why” I will continue to move forward” and “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way”. 

Look, I have been a victim and I have been a victor. I know the difference. I choose to walk in victory every time! It is not easy. We are human after all. We fall down, scrap our knee, and we cry. There is no shame in that! 

It is when we stay down; because we fear falling again so much that we rather live from a position of flight rather than fight that we become the victim. 

STAND UP! 

How can you fight the battle if you have laid down in surrender? How can you stand in faith believing that God is fighting with and for you if you are crouched in fear? 

So, you stand up, now what? 

Do not think, that because you changed your stance that all the wrongs and injustices that have happened to you will suddenly be righted. Standing is a change in heart and attitude. God will see it. He will meet you where your faith is. Eventually though, He will want you to exercise your faith muscles and develop a strategy to defeat the enemy yourself. 

Ephesians 6:10-18 says: 

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” 

No battle can be won without standing, watching, being mindful of who our enemy is, of who our leader is, and knowing that if God says we are more than conquerors than it is true. 

So when you are hurt, and it will happen, stand up and proclaim whose child you are, who has the victory, and when all else seems to fail: stand! God will see and fight alongside you! 

Refuse to be a victim and you will begin to learn how to stand in victory!