1 Timothy 6:11-13 (New International Version)
Paul's Charge to Timothy
... 11But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you..Psalm 126:5-6 (New International Version)
5 Those who sow in tears
will reap with songs of joy.
6 He who goes out weeping,
carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
carrying sheaves with him.
I've been wanting to blog for weeks but there has been something stopping me. Anytime I get in the blogging mood I talk myself out of it. I convince myself this could be dangerous...don't go there. And so I've continued to procrastinate and put it off for several reason. And heck, maybe by the end of this I may delete it and no one will see it :)
Very rarely do I hit a...um...well let's say, a funk--A time of deep discouragement, a dark cloud, and many questions. I am in a very different "season" of life. One I've struggled with because I've never walked through it and so I begin to question why.
It's been several months of wresting, fighting, tears, ups and downs. And where am I right now? Walking. A very slow walk, but I am walking out of pure obedience. Where am I headed? Towards Jesus. Period. And I think I still have some big detours to work through...but I am starting to get back in the right direction. Over the past several weeks God has revealed to me what has been going on--and it was with many tears of joy and overwhelming thankfulness I accepted his truth. But just because I know why,doesn't mean a light switch is flipped and life was giddy and perfect.
Why do I share this? Because I live a transparent life and want to share how God is moving in my life. If it encourages one person, praise God.
I believe it all began last summer. A life-changing trip to Africa. (you can read about it HERE )Serving others, sharing the Gospel, and being apart of advancing the Kingdom. One week after I returned we left for summer camp, where God moved in some powerful ways and I saw students come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior for the first time. I had the opportunity to baptize some of them and built some very special relationships. I was on a God "high" Life was perfect. God was moving, I was seeing God move in powerful ways, and I was connected to God in a new way. My eyes and heart were glazed over, all because of how mighty God was working in people's lives.
Summer quickly ended, I quit my job at Starbucks, began my photography business, and jumped right into the chaotic youth church schedule :) Church...church...meetings, youth, etc. On top of being a youth leader on Wed. nights I was discipling 5 girls one-on-one. Life was grand. I was living the dream...doing what I loved and investing in young girls lives.
Then I believe the enemy had his eye on me and I wasn't prepared. Not one bit. A big target was on my back and I didn't know it. And so I continued moving through life at a pretty insane schedule. And then slowly things started to unravel. And looking at them individually, they aren't horrible but they began weighing me down bit by bit.
I did not study the enemy or his tactics, thus my painful journey.
1 Peter 5: 8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Jame 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
It would take me hours to document all the ways Satan got me....but he did.
There is the reality. I fell prey to the enemy.
I will share just one part that I was so challenged on in my life. I allowed Satan (the Father of Lies) to tell my many lies, and I believed them. I traded in truth for lies...many, many lies. It breaks my heart to write this, but my faith was challenged. For the first time in my life. Yes. The first. And because I've never walked in this, it scared me. Scared me so badly, that it crippled me. And I became ineffective. Ineffective for the kingdom.
Yes, Satan tried, but I am not down for the count.
God is bringing my back, slowly but surely.
Sometimes I sit back and think how dumb am I? I've read it a hundred times in scripture.
Satan doesn't like effective believers.
Hello, Katie Campbell? :) What happened?
Friends, it started with one thing. And I didn't ....." take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. " 2 Cor. 10:5
I urge you, from a healing soul to another--study the tactics of your enemy, know scripture--I mean bury it in your soul, and slow down to do this. I let a non-stop schedule get the best of me, took for granted scripture, and didn't look at the warnings of the enemy. Ephesians 6:12 "12For 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."
When I awake in the morning I have one thought...we are in war...I urge you to wake up and see the battle.
I love you brothers and sisters in Christ.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 (New International Version)
6For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
A sermon that I love on this is Mark Driscoll.....check it out here.http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/luke/jesus-casts-out-demons
