As I prepared to write this blog post, I saw a picture in my head.
Here is what that picture looks like:
There’s this person that was getting ready to do whatsoever it takes to make a field look better and greener. The field was the person’s portion. The person was so fed up with just not doing anything and yet admiring other people’s field and just wishing to have something like others.
This person gets to understand that in other to achieve the better and greener goal; a lot has to go in. The right tools have to be available. The determination must be all time high. Most importantly, the strength and energy that need to get the job done can’t be overlooked or overemphasized.
So, the person is self-motivated. The person gets the right tools. The person gets to work, refusing to allow little challenges get in the way of the job. The person understands that while the work is still on…sleep has to be controlled…energy has to be intentionally gained and properly wasted on the right things, which of course, are things that are directed towards the better and greener goal. The person has to stretch the strength of each day’s work, so hard, in other to achieve so much in a day.
In all, the person gets to realize that…in the process of trying to achieve the better and greener goal…things that would normal cause tears seem to be very insignificant…pain and hurt didn’t have to hang around for long anymore…fears are still frightening, but confronting them is the only option there is.
The assignment of this blog post is very simple: to tell or remind you that you have to be STRONG and that you have to keep getting STRONGER.
Being Strong isn’t an option you pick and add to your life, as a Christian it is an integral part of you
Have you seen how the scriptures describe your heavenly Father? Maybe we should check the scriptures and see how that is done. In trying to understand the greatness of God, one of my favourite (if not my favorite) scripture is Job 38-39. We definitely can’t quote all of these, so let’s just quote a few. Here is how God tried to describe Himself to Job:
“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare it, if you have and know understanding. Who determines the measures of the earth, if you know? …or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth and issued out of the womb? …by what is the light distributed, or the east wind spread over the earth? Who has prepared a channel for the torrents of rain, or a path for the thunderbolt, to cause it to rain on the uninhabited land, and on the desert where no man lives, to satisfy the waste and desolate ground, and to cause the tender grass to spring forth? Has the rain a father? Or who has begotten the drops of dew? Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who has given it birth? …Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule upon the earth? …can you send lightning, that they may go, and say to you, here we are? Who put wisdom in the inward parts [or in the dark clouds]? Or who has given understanding to the mind…? Can you hunt the prey for the lion? Or satisfy the appetite of the young lions, when they couch in their dens or lie in wait in their hiding place? Who provides for the raven its prey, when it’s young ones cry to God and wander about for lack of food…?” (AMPC)
It is only God…your heavenly Father…that has answers to all these questions…and more. Do go back and read the entire chapters for yourself. Reading it for yourself will do a whole lot for you.
“Great and mighty is our Lord…” Psalms 147:5 (GNB)
Now you’re an adopted child of your heavenly Father. The ultimate goal is to make you like His first son—Jesus…and Jesus is exactly like Him. God wants the Holy Spirit to “untrain” and retrain you. One of the major qualities that come with this process is the quality of strength. Now, when we accepted the offering of Jesus given to us by God, we were already transformed into the fullness of God. Therefore, when the Holy Spirit is training us, He isn’t trying to put things that aren’t already in us. He is developing our flesh to match who we already are in the spirit…in Christ…as we submit to Him. We don’t try to get strength on our own, we allow the Holy Spirit to develop the strength we already have on the inside.
Why do we need to be STRONG?
Because, it takes strength to build character…godly character. Because whatever it is we’re called to do on earth will require strength…a lot of it. The devil isn’t just going to let us do whatever it is we’re here to do. The devil works tirelessly with our flesh to make sure we don’t get to achieve ALL we’re supposed to achieve. And if the devil knows he can’t stop us entirely…he tries to reduce the degree at which we get things done…and one of the many ways the devil achieves this is…to cripple our strength.
“Be Strong and Courageous” (Joshua 1:9), those were God’s words to Joshua. God knew he’ll need it. God knew the walls of Jericho were in Joshua’s future. God knew He wouldn’t want Joshua to do the normal kind of fight with Jericho. God knew He was going to tell Joshua to do the unthinkable. God knew it might get Joshua scared. God knew leading the Israelites wouldn’t be easy. So, God had to admonishes Joshua beforehand…saying… “Be Strong and Courageous.” These are God’s words to us too.
Unlike Joshua and the rest of the Old Testament Heroes of Faith, we’re under a better covenant, and I like to believe that the devil is angrier with us. Fortunately, that also means we have better access into the Kingdom of our heavenly Father. Praise Jesus! Yes, the devil will come, full force, against us. Of course, we’ll still have our heavenly assignments to focus on even when the devil attacks. That is why we need the Holy Spirit to develop our strength, so much so, we feel it in the physical realm.
No more pity parties!
Every little thing can’t keep getting at you, and whatsoever the devil throws at you should be considered little. Why? Because as a child of God, the devil is beneath you (Ephesians 2:6).
You have to stop listening to the gossips, the lies, the shaming, the hurt, the anger, the anything negative that the devil throws at you. You have to stop complaining about everything. You have to stop acting all weird, when people correct you with insults. You have to stop being all defensive. You have to stop responding to all the things people do that get you hurt. You have to understand that anger isn’t powerful enough to control your tone and mood. You have to learn how to stop controlling things you can’t really control. You have to learn to still feel good even when people that are supposed to appreciate you don’t see why they should and hence don’t. You have to learn that God is your only source, for everything you’ll ever need or want. You have to learn to ignore negative energies you can’t run away from. You have to really learn to mind your business. You have to understand that you’re in control of your life, but God wants you to control it according to His standards, precepts and personal instructions. You have to learn to be grateful. You have to learn to love…starting with yourself. You have to learn to begin again, even if that mistake was just a second ago. You have to learn to boldly wield the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word)…to fervently pray in the Spirit and just shut the devil up. You have to learn to be comfortable with things that are very uncomfortable, yet God approved. You have to learn how to hold onto your Joy and Peace, no matter “what” or “where” and just learn to smile and laugh harder. You have to understand that sometimes strength means letting go and just rest. You have to stop telling everybody how bad you feel, how hurt you feel, how sad you are…and learn to talk to the Holy Spirit instead…Him and Him alone. You have to stop letting things that should make you strong make you weak. Ask God for the wisdom you need, and trust him to provide the wisdom (James 1:2-8). You have to be strong and you have to keep getting stronger!
Again, No more pity parties!
When you throw pity parties, you unknowingly invite the devil and his demons to your domain, and just learn to hang-out with them and just chill. And when you chill with the devil and his demons, they’ll have “lounge discussions” with you. They’ll tell you how nobody cares, how even God don’t really seem to care, how everything is not working. They’ll bring back to memory, mistakes you’ve already bounced back from, and make you feel guilty yet again. They’ll bring in the negative thoughts and ideas…and unknowingly to you, your life will begin to follow their direction. And the devil will yell, “Bingo!” because that’s exactly where he wants you…his goal is to distract Christians from Jesus.
You can do it…you have to do it
God doesn’t have power and strength as an attribute. He is power and strength, and then He gives things and persons the attributes of power and strength. Now, again, I have to remind you that you are His child. So, that means you have same fierceness on your inside.
The same God that protects the birds of the air is the same God that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. We can all agree that there were little children in that land, and several other lands that God asked His children to destroy. But God still destroyed the cities. Thank God for Grace! What am I trying to say? I’m just saying all of these to tell you know that you have the strength to rise tall and strong and to just refuse to let the devil make you a softy.
We can’t keep admiring other peoples greener grasses. We can’t keep wishing we made the right choices. We can’t keep feeling and looking like life isn’t fair to us. We have all it takes to get up and get to work. Make the bold steps. Make better choices. Feel good…look good…and make our own portions of the field look better and greener. Everyone you so admire did so many things to get to where they are…and the process required strength and courage…a lot of strength and courage. Plus, unlike some persons you admire, you have the Holy Spirit advantage. What else can ever beat that advantage? You can do it too…and as a child of God you just need to get pass the point of just knowing you can, and move to the point where you really, really…really just have to do it…and just do it.
“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord— be empowered through your union with Him; draw your strength from Him— that strength which His [boundless] might provides.” Ephesians 6:10 (AMPC)
Heaven needs you to be STRONG…and to keep getting STRONGER.
My prayer for you:
I pray you see and hear beyond these words. I pray what you see and hear bring a new beginning to you. I pray when the new beginning comes, may listening to and obeying God dwarf everything else…every person else in your life.
Amen.
Live FREE and STRONG…strong one!
Now, get in the gym and do
Stay Spiritually Fit.
