3 Powerful Reminders that you Need in your Life Right Now!

1. Embrace your struggle: It is completely inevitable; every single one of us will struggle with something in our lives at one time or another. Whether you are a Christian or not you are not exempt from life’s trials and tribulations they are going to come, Matthew 5:45.

When you are facing adversity in your life ask yourself the question why:

·         What lesson is the Lord trying to teach me in this season?

·         Is my Faith where it needs to be?

·         Is my relationship with the Lord where it needs to be?

·         Have I opened any doorways for the enemy to have legal right to create chaos?

These are some of the questions that you can answer that will help you understand the reason why you might be going through your current situation. Most of the time the Lord will allow you to experience a storm in your life to: get your attention, to help increase your faith, to strengthen your relationship with Him, or to teach you a life lesson. Remember we are all a work in progress and there will always be something within us that needs to be sifted out so that He can replace it with characteristics that reflect Who He is. So when you are faced with adversity don’t let it overwhelm you, discourage you, or weaken your Faith but instead ask the Lord to reveal to you the purpose for the trial that you are in. When you can understand the why behind the struggle it will help you embrace the lesson needing to be learned at that particular time in your life.

In fact the Word of God tells us to be joyous when it comes to the trials of life. James 1:2-3 states,” My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” We can determine by these verses of Scripture that the afflictions that we face help strengthen our beliefs and develop tolerance. They test our faith and as believers faith is something that is absolutely necessary if we want to live victorious lives for Jesus Christ, Hebrews 11:6. Be so confident with the fact that no matter what you go through, you are not going through it alone His promise to us is that He will never leave us nor forsake us, Deuteronomy 31:6. Embrace your struggle knowing that it is only for a season and when you persevere through, you will come out of it that much stronger!

2. Learn how to fight back (spiritually): Understand that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Ephesians 6:12. What the Apostle Paul is trying to stress to us in this bible verse is the importance of knowing who your enemy is.

The person that you are at odds with is not:

·         Your spouse giving you attitude

·         The family member that stabbed you in the back

·         Your friend spreading rumors about you

·         The clerk at the grocery store greeting you with nothing but rudeness

No, in fact it isn’t even a person coming against you but it is the spirit behind that person trying to get under your skin which in turn will provoke harmful retaliation. The devil is a liar! You have the authority to bind every demonic spirit that comes against you trying to hinder you spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally, Luke 10:19! Keep your guard up knowing that once you have decided to become a warrior for Christ you are now in opposition with Satan and his kingdom. He will do anything in his power to try to hinder you from progressing as a Christian and that includes using those that are the closest to you, if you let him!

The main thing that you want to master is how to fight back spiritually. So let’s use the Lord Jesus Christ as our example, how did He fight the devil back when he came at him with the temptations of the world? He used the Word of God as His ultimate Weaponry. We have to learn how to do the same because the bottom line is if the Lord had to use Scripture to fight the enemy and He was absolutely sinless, how much more do we need the Word of God for Power and Strength? Hebrews 4:12 states “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” We can definitively see that God’s Word is a Sword and will give you the Power to cut through even the most deceptive schemes that the devil tries to throw your way.  The more Truth (bible) that you know and allow into your heart the more freedom that you have, John 8:31-32. Don’t let the enemy wreak havoc in your life because of your lack of knowledge, you have the authority to trample over the devil, Luke 10:19!

I go more in depth about spiritual warfare in my blog: 7 Steps to Fighting Spiritual Oppression-Real Talk!

3. Know your circle: As the saying goes “you are who you surround yourself with.” That could not be any truer! You have to be extremely careful about who you allow into your circle because they are going to have an effect on you in one way or the other. If you are around people that are consistently negative, that negativity is bound to rub off on you. If the person that you spend most of your time with has a spirit of gossip, eventually you will find it comfortable to talk about others. Contrarily if the friends and family that you keep close to you are positive, they give the best advice, and they have your back no matter what; you will begin to see those favorable traits manifest in your life. The question that you want to ask yourself when it comes to who you welcome into your space is: Do they add to my life or take away from it? Answering that question honestly will give you some clarity on the people that you are surrounding yourself with.

The Word of God states in 1 Corinthians 15:33, “Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” This verse of Scripture clarifies the fact that you have to be vigilant about the company that you keep. Be mindful of your actions around the people that you are spending your time with. Are there any adverse character changes? Do you find yourself compromising your integrity? Is there a nudge from the Holy Spirit letting you know that something isn’t right? As a child of God you have the Lord’s Spirit living in you and He will never steer you in the wrong direction but it is our job to listen.

One of the main things to remember is if there are people in your circle that are genuine, authentic, trustworthy, and loving make it a point to let them know how much you appreciate and love them. It is a complete blessing to have them be a part of your life because individuals with those type of relationship qualities are hard to come by. Take a moment to evaluate yourself; what kind of a friend, partner, mother, or father are you to others? Remember it works both ways; you want to exhibit the same kind of positive character traits that you want displayed towards you!

Reciprocate that relationship:

·         Be there for them when they need you

·         Pray for them when they can’t pray for themselves

·         Have their back when nobody else does

If you are a well-rounded person associating yourself with other trustworthy individuals it is inevitable that you will push each other to the next level! Make sure that you keep that circle small and sweet!