WATCH WORD – Cast Not Away Your Confidence!
Do you ever struggle?
I am sometimes surprised by the heaviness that casts its shadow across my mind. I wonder if I am somehow too weak or inadequate for the calling on my life. I linger long, recalling my failures and missed opportunities of the past and wonder, frankly, if I am actually going to live long on this earth. I wonder if I have enough of a prayer shield. I can almost hear the words of the accuser against me.
Then somewhere, as my soul descends down this dark shaft of despair, my descent is stopped and a ray of light breaks forth with this thought…”Where does this dark voice come from?” Is it me, simply seeing the truth? No. This is a distortion of the truth! I groan under a heavy burden. But I am not usually depressed. Is it God? No. It is not His nature to depress.
And then THIS thought comes with liberating force… “The voice that is telling you to quit, stop, give up, admit failure, you're too weak, it's too late…” THAT Voice is a harassing devil assigned to you to hinder and block you. It is assigned BECAUSE THE ENEMY FEARS THAT SHOULD YOU PERSIST… YOU WILL SUCCEED. YOU MUST BE DOING DAMAGE TO THE ENEMY or he would not assault your mind so aggressively to discourage you.
Carry on. That voice of doubt and uncertainty is why you know you are on the right track!
You can't out-argue each critic but you can bury him under a pile of evidence as you “out-fruit” him.
What do you say? Am I alone in my private wrestling?
–stay strong
Lance
Yes i hear you clearly. but to add to this, I do feel a heavy call on my life. and we know satin knows these things. but the other thing i find is that when i talk to God about bringing others along side in the work i find satin starts giving them problems and i feel bad for them because they don’t have any idea whats going on.
Beautifully written. This past year I developed a strategy for coping with this–the enemy’s assault on our minds. As you’ve described it may start with a heaviness prior to descending the shaft of despair. I now see that heaviness as the initial phase of “temptation,” so when I sense that, without further analysis, I pray “Lord I’m being tempted into despair. Please deliver me from this temptation.”
Doing this has helped immensely.
Lance did you read my mind this week. Thanks for sharing your true thoughts. I am surprised how much I have put up with these type of thoughts before recognizing the voice they are coming from.
Lance, once again you have hit the nail right on the hand. Those voices have been taunting me all week. Your honesty is liberating! I do know that the pressure is a tip off that we must press towards the fulfillment of purpose. The enemy would not work so hard to dissuade and discourage if he was not threatened…
You are not alone in your wrestling. Thank you for the very much needed encouragement.
Yes, confirmation that I am on the right track. Right where God wants me. Loved your coaching video and watching the breakthrough your audience member had as she saw her value but most of all the switch from her judging her choice to be a journalist. Your words at the end about who she was and what she could do were spot on!
You are not alone, Lance!! Thank you for sharing. We will take down the enemy, subdue his advances and claim our victory, through our Lord Jesus. I have found my self in the same situation, but then I try and stop, and start praising God. The enemy is tricky and sneaky, but we will be on the look out.
No Lance your not alone. What a great way to share the enemies effort to t assail us in our daily lives. When that begins in my own life I began to find something to thank the Lord for. Something that happened to me or someone close. It turns the tide around. but also when that happens, I stop what I am doing and ask what is it I am not seeing in this? Many times I see an area in me that I need to repent for or deal with. I deal with it and move on. No more getting stuck for me. Thanks for sharing your world with us. Vickie
You are not alone my friend. Timely word. A “due season” word. Your willingness to be transparent about your own struggles is both encouraging and edifying.
“He who (is faithful) began a good work in you will (be faithful to) complete it into the day of Jesus Christ.” ~ Philippians 1:6.
Good morning dear Lance
Isn’t it good to know that we are not alone in the battle – as ONE we fight and therefore as ONE we are attacked.
Which means that you are not alone, we stand together in the final battle of our minds.
I am in the building of my business and just can’t get it of the ground and the last weeks I am in the same struggle.
This morning while sitting with the Lord I felt HIM saying to me:
if you look at you – you will be depressed
if you look at the world – you will be distressed
look at ME and you will be at REST!
Shalom shalom
Keren