Our next step of faith could be the turning point we are looking for and it could break the chains that have held us in bondage for far too long.  I find it very interesting that Paul never prayed for anyone to be delivered from their problems.  He would pray that God would give them the strength needed to persevere with a good attitude.  I think if that happened today, some of us might be inclined to go to the next person in line and have them pray for us…

When we can learn to be happy where we are, God will take us places we could never imagine we would go.  This begins by knowing who we are in Christ, not by listening to what the world or the enemy says about us.  Satan strategically attacks us through a spirit of diminishment.  He wants us to feel as small as possible, so at the precise time he can strike and inflict the most damage.  Because of his strategy, he delights when we indulge in our sinful desires as he just sits by as a meticulous note taker.  He waits and calculates the most opportune time to expose our sin to the world.  As humans, we too use this strategy of diminishment, due to our own insecurity and intimidation.  We try to make others feel small, so that we may feel bigger.  Oftentimes, we feel pressured by the world to fit into a mold of who they want us to be.  We must never let this happen, because when we do, we lose our uniqueness and identity.  God made us different for a reason and the world will always hate or try to change what it does not understand.

I believe some of Satan’s most powerful weapons are our guilt and condemnation; he uses them to drain our strength, energy, enthusiasm, and our closeness to God.  In Isaiah 43:25, we read, “He remembers our sins no more.”  He chooses not to remember our sins, so if God chooses not to remember our sins, then the accusing voice we hear reminding us of all our past failures is most assuredly not God.  Knowing this, we have two choices: we can believe Satan’s lies and allow guilt to keep us from God’s best or we can trust the word of God and believe if God does not condemn me, I am not going to allow Satan’s accusations or my guilt to hinder me from fulfilling my God-given destiny.  Satan desperately wants us to go through life feeling condemned and unworthy, but when we become followers of Christ, God’s mercy trumps any mistakes from our past.  Living in the past will get you nowhere quick, but living your life focused on the bright future you have with Christ will secure your victory over any attack.  Your past is just that: your past, but your future can be whatever you want it to be, when you live to bring glory to the Father.  Don’t let a past failure keep you from the great things God is calling you to accomplish.  Learn from your mistakes and help others not repeat them.  We all have a role in the body of Christ and the sooner we stop listening to the lies of the enemy, the sooner we can become a biblically functioning family dedicated to winning souls for Christ.