Joyce Meyer once said: "The fact that you're struggling means you're fighting the good fight."
Now, she isn't the only one to have said this. Lately, this has been a re-occuring statement and I started to really think about what it meant.
I won't lie but at first I thought: "uhhhh what do you mean that the fact I'm struggling means I'm fighting the good fight! Maaaan this isn't a good fight, it's painful; a bad fight!!"
Let me tell you, when the meaning finally sunk in, I was relieved, and a huge smile started appearing on my face.
Let me encourage you today, like it did me.
Now, she isn't the only one to have said this. Lately, this has been a re-occuring statement and I started to really think about what it meant.
I won't lie but at first I thought: "uhhhh what do you mean that the fact I'm struggling means I'm fighting the good fight! Maaaan this isn't a good fight, it's painful; a bad fight!!"
Let me tell you, when the meaning finally sunk in, I was relieved, and a huge smile started appearing on my face.
Let me encourage you today, like it did me.
In my first blog I spoke about how at times I do what I do not want to do. I started noticing this when I desired to do something that I knew was right, but had a battle going on inside of me.
You see, the FACT that we are struggling and trying to resist these things in which we do, is the very REASON to smile because we would be confirming our salvation, and desiring more of what's of God.
Ok, let me rephrase.
Galations 5:17 says: "You are in a battle, and the sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions."
The moment you notice and are fully aware & conscious that you are doing things that you should not be doing, (or saying, or thinking, or watching etc), and you are beginning to fight that urge, and are turning to God for help because you know that He is the only One who has overcome the enemy and can help you overcome this battle, is the moment you are fighting the good fight.
It's called a good fight because you have now risen to a whole new level, a moment of no longer being in agreement with the will of Satan, and now desiring the will of God. You are now fighting in the same realm as the angels of Light, the same realm as God, the same realm as Jesus, and you are now battling and desiring to be identified with the army of light, ready to break the evil force that doesn't want the light to shine through.
I smiled when I finally got to understand this because there is a fine line between a reaction of saying: "Oh I'm just a sad ol woman, and I can't overcome this battle so I'll give in..." and the line of "Yes I'm struggling and it's hard, but I KNOW I can get through it because it means that there is Light living in me, and that Light wants to come out and be separated from the evil that already resides in me."
The fact that you even noticed that there is a battle means something. If you were still in darkness, you would be in agreement with what you were doing. The second thing is, the fact that you start to take action shows that you are growing and maturing. It shows that you know that success is possible, that God's Word is powerful, that prayer works, that His kingdom is worth it, and that after this battle there will be a breakthrough. We can smile at this because we are now stepping into a new area of resistance of the former things, and straining towards another area of becoming more like Christ. What joy! :) Amen!
The way we choose to view this good fight is important. At times this fight occurs because we would be in need of a moment of surrender because we'll be "fighting" with God, or at times it's a moment of surrender because we'll be "fighting" ourselves, or others, or the enemy. Either way, a fight means that two worlds are at odds, and one of them is destined to win.
Jentezen Franklin said, "Your destiny depends on who you agree with."
This battle can be won in one way: feeding the one you desire.
I'm encouraging us all to always pray that we may constantly be aware of what we agree with, that we may not give up, that we may stand strong, that we may surrender our fights to God, that we choose to feed the Spirit, and that we may realize that this really isn't about some random game, but about moments of transformation as Children of God, and for us to truly participate in the glory of fighting what we now call 'the good fight'. Amen!
Once again, keep the faith, and love like you've never loved before.
With love always,
FAITH by Promises
You see, the FACT that we are struggling and trying to resist these things in which we do, is the very REASON to smile because we would be confirming our salvation, and desiring more of what's of God.
Ok, let me rephrase.
Galations 5:17 says: "You are in a battle, and the sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions."
The moment you notice and are fully aware & conscious that you are doing things that you should not be doing, (or saying, or thinking, or watching etc), and you are beginning to fight that urge, and are turning to God for help because you know that He is the only One who has overcome the enemy and can help you overcome this battle, is the moment you are fighting the good fight.
It's called a good fight because you have now risen to a whole new level, a moment of no longer being in agreement with the will of Satan, and now desiring the will of God. You are now fighting in the same realm as the angels of Light, the same realm as God, the same realm as Jesus, and you are now battling and desiring to be identified with the army of light, ready to break the evil force that doesn't want the light to shine through.
I smiled when I finally got to understand this because there is a fine line between a reaction of saying: "Oh I'm just a sad ol woman, and I can't overcome this battle so I'll give in..." and the line of "Yes I'm struggling and it's hard, but I KNOW I can get through it because it means that there is Light living in me, and that Light wants to come out and be separated from the evil that already resides in me."
The fact that you even noticed that there is a battle means something. If you were still in darkness, you would be in agreement with what you were doing. The second thing is, the fact that you start to take action shows that you are growing and maturing. It shows that you know that success is possible, that God's Word is powerful, that prayer works, that His kingdom is worth it, and that after this battle there will be a breakthrough. We can smile at this because we are now stepping into a new area of resistance of the former things, and straining towards another area of becoming more like Christ. What joy! :) Amen!
The way we choose to view this good fight is important. At times this fight occurs because we would be in need of a moment of surrender because we'll be "fighting" with God, or at times it's a moment of surrender because we'll be "fighting" ourselves, or others, or the enemy. Either way, a fight means that two worlds are at odds, and one of them is destined to win.
Jentezen Franklin said, "Your destiny depends on who you agree with."
This battle can be won in one way: feeding the one you desire.
I'm encouraging us all to always pray that we may constantly be aware of what we agree with, that we may not give up, that we may stand strong, that we may surrender our fights to God, that we choose to feed the Spirit, and that we may realize that this really isn't about some random game, but about moments of transformation as Children of God, and for us to truly participate in the glory of fighting what we now call 'the good fight'. Amen!
Once again, keep the faith, and love like you've never loved before.
With love always,
FAITH by Promises
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