Warrior or Worrier

I was recently reminded that I cannot be a worrier and warrior. I cannot be a victor and be a victim. I cannot live in both fear and faith. 

It is like being in two places at once. I saw this happen portrayed in the movie, "A Walk to Remember."  But normally we cannot be in two places at once.

Along those lines, I have to either walk in victory or sulk in my victimization, but I cannot do both any more than I can be in two places simultaneously. We all have been victimized in some way or another. How we frame it determines if we will allow it to conquer us. I am not trying to minimize anyone’s experiences. I am only saying that the frame in which we choose to highlight the trauma, and difficulty truly determines how we stand in its aftermath. 

I have experienced suffering through traumatic experiences, emotional wounds at the hands of well-intended friends and family, and even church family, and I have experienced physical trauma at the hands of perpetrators. How I chose to move forward with those pains determined how I walked from that point forward.

I have not been shielded from the difficulties of this life. I have had many trials, hurts, offenses, and painful experiences. Each one was an opportunity to sit in the hurt and difficulty. It was also an opportunity to turn to my Lord or angrily turn away from Him. The latter will always end up hurting me more than the original pain ever could be. So, with each hardship, when I turned to the Lord, He grew me up and drew me closer to Himself. He used that which someone else intended to harm me for my good and His glory.

Out of all of these experiences, I either worry and fret, or walk in faith and trust in God. I know He has a plan. I know He has a purpose. He is in the process of carving me into the image of His Son. He can use any instrument He chooses to perfect this image He is refining. I choose to stand in that victory as a victor even before the battle is won because I choose to trust His handiwork in me and walk in faith, believing He is completing the work He started in me. 

Therefore, if I stand in these choices, I no longer have to worry, be upset, or be anxious about "many things" as Jesus said to Martha in Luke 10:41. I am a warrior, a fighter, a victor. I am an overcomer because I know the One who holds my life in His hands.

So today, let's walk in faith, stand in our victory as we see His hand, set aside those worries and anxieties, and embrace our warrior status. The victory is already determined ahead of time. It may not look the way we choose, but if we are in Christ, we already won the victory. Nothing and no one can take us from His hand. Now that is something to get excited about, actually, it is everything. 

I hope you have a wonderful day today. Stand a bit taller in your confidence of whose you are. Walk a bit more confidently in the One with whom you put your trust. Run the race He has laid out for you for you are in the Lord's army. The battles are so hard, but the overall victory is already determined. Read about the battle gear that is available for us to put on according to Paul.

The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:10-20