I have often wondered why I never felt as if I were growing in the Lord, I always felt my failures were much more apparent than my victories.
Recently it has been brought to my attention through the current book and bible study I am doing, as well as some quotes that I have appeared on my Facebook, that it’s because I have focused my thoughts on the wrong things. Introspection is rarely productive, thinking on your failures and not the goodness of God, to teach you in those moments, is counterproductive to growth. We can’t see growth if we are focused on our failures.
The enemy wants us to focus on our shortcomings, while God is begging us to see what He is doing in spite of them. Graham Cooke says it this way, “God doesn’t worry about any mistakes you make. He’s got it all covered. All He’s really asking of you is that you love the learning.”
What a difference that would make in our lives, in my life. I would actually start to see the growth, the bigger picture.
I am doing a daily bible reading on YouVersion that is excerpts from the Joyce Meyer book, “Battlefield of the Mind”. I chose this study because of something my mom-in-law said and because it seemed to coincide with the other book I am reading “The Supernatural Ways of Royalty” by Bill Johnson and Kris Vallatton. I have to say that there are some days that I feel absolutely overwhelmed by what God is showing me. Yesterday I read only a short part and had my thoughts wrapped up in pondering for the remains of the day.
I was never taught about the spirits that we can be held in bondage by. Fear is a spirit. Worry is a spirit. In Philippians God tells us this,
Philippians 4:8 (AMP)
For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
Why would God tell us this if He didn’t want us to focus on this instead of that other thing. Our glory is held captive by all the negative spirits that we are unknowingly agreeing with. My goodness, why aren’t we teaching these things in our churches? Why isn’t this mainstream teaching? I’ll tell you why. Our enemy wants to kill and destroy us, if he can keep us from learning these things and realizing our true selves, keep us from God’s glory, he will do it and if you think he hasn’t infiltrated good Christian men and women to fulfill his purposes, you are wrong. See, he’s being held back from physically hurting God’s children, but he can still attack our minds. He’ll whisper the lies in our ears and we will focus on them and believe them and in doing that, we are agreeing to them. This can all manifest in physical ways like sickness and depression. But God tells us something different.
Isaiah 43:1b-2 (AMP)
Fear not, for I have redeemed you [ransomed you by paying a price instead of leaving you captives]; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
While our minds our focused on our past sins, our current failures, and our future fears, our enemy has won. When we are focused on what God is creating, molding us into and focused on our good hearts, the blood of Jesus that is covering that past, God is winning us, healing us, and He is so proud of us!
God encourages us to keep going.
Galatians 6:9 (AMP)
And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
This life takes courage and God will give us what we need. Just remember that our focus needs to be on Him. Let go of your failures. He has!
