Everyone has a passion, a life’s work, a mission. We all have things that are important for us to accomplish, things that are worth our work our toil, sweat and sacrifice. Often, these things, even though they are “ours”, benefit others as well. They are lofty goals and worthy targets, both large and small that fuel our lives.
When these life passions align with the gifts God has given you and the plans God has for your life, you are really onto something special. This is when Satan steps in. When you are climbing toward the pinnacle of your dreams, Satan will do all he can to force you off the path, or even push you off the edge. He wants nothing more than for you to fall, fail or turn back. No methods or tactics are off the table. Satan will use anything and everything against you. Ironically, his most powerful weapon is your own mind. He knows your fears and your weaknesses and will use these against you. The Bible refers to Satan as the deceiver and the liar. He will go to any lengths to capitalize on your fears and doubts. He will fill your mind with lies – “you’re not good enough, you’ll never reach your goals and nobody will care anyway. You are worthless, you are dirty, you deserve to fail, you’re too far gone for God to care about you.
I was recently planning Vacation Bible School for my church in Erin. I was working with some great people and we had a good event planned, but a few days before the start Satan had me thoroughly convinced that no one would come. I was discouraged, embarrassed and defeated. I wasn’t sleeping well and having back spasms from the stress. I tried my best to push these feelings aside, we had our VBS and it was an awesome experience for the staff, our church and the 8 children who attended.
We all will face these times of struggle. Believe in your goals, don’t give up, keep climbing toward the pinnacle no matter what. Sometimes you’ll make great strides, sometimes you will crawl, but keep moving ahead. Remember, you’re not travelling alone. Lean on the people who love you and trust in God. Cling to these words from Ephesians 6:10-17, “ 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.”
PastorKevinAustin 