Push Through, these words have been strong on my heart, mind, and soul the past few days. Sometimes it is hard to discern whether the trials and tribulations you are going through are a test of Faith or an attack from the enemy. Either way, God has shown me that we have to Push Through, but how do we do that when all hope seems lost, and we are only focusing on the carnal things.
Romans 8:5-6 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
We wrestle with our flesh on a daily basis, and our flesh has an easy way of allowing us to focus on the wrong things in our lives, that is why we must die to our flesh on a daily basis. For example, let’s say you get fired from your job, your first thought may be “how will I pay my bills” or even anger towards your supervisor for firing you. Those are carnal thoughts, whereas if in that moment you instead focus on the Holy Spirit you would say “Lord, I do not know why this is happening, but I trust your will”.
Currently, I am going through one of the most difficult seasons of our marriage. God has restored my husband back into our home, I know this is not another false start. Within the last week he has not been present in the home and is avoiding me and the children. God has shown me that my husband has to make a choice, He has shown me that the enemy does not want to let go of my husband, and He has revealed to me to stand.
Even through all of that God given revelation, I still struggled with my flesh. I still was attacked by the enemy with thoughts of carnal things. I ALMOST attacked my husband verbally the way I used to years ago. I ALMOST attacked the other woman verbally out of anger. I ALMOST let rage and anger take over me. But God!!! See, because of the work God has done in me through this journey I knew I was being attacked, but “I” allowed my emotions to take control and I knew that was not of God. I even got to a point I was mad at God saying, “God why are you doing this to me.” But I knew He wasn’t “doing” this to me.
I cried to God, I yelled at God, I even was giving everything to God in my emotions. I was even praising God. But the one element that was missing was “love”. For two days I forced myself to get out of the house and sit in the sun. Both days God worked in me, but that second day I cried to God in public and I said, “God help me.” I felt so much rage at that moment that I wanted to call my husband every bad name in the book and demean him, but I KNEW that was what the enemy wanted me to do. The enemy wanted me to turn my back on God.
The conviction that came over me once I cried out to God released the spirit of Love over my heart, mind, and soul for my husband. And instead of begging my husband to come back home via text, I started to speak in love to him. I started to tell him that no matter what God is in control, and that I still stand with God.
If I spoke bad words over my husband, or acted bad towards him, I would be operating in the life of darkness, and God has been too good to me to turn my back to Him.
God reminded me that my words and actions had power over my husband as me being his covenant wife, that I held the power to help bring him back to God, to show Him and EVERYBODY else the light of God through me and my actions, He reminded me I held the power within me. 1 Peter 3:1-4 3 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the [a]incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
When I tell you that I came back home feeling energized, but I went hard in prayer, I went hard in praise, and the Holy Spirit refilled me and everything not of God came out of me. For those that understand, I started to foam at the mouth which I knew meant that I allowed something to take over me.
I wrote this to say that every day and especially during difficult trials and tribulations that we must PUSH THROUGH with prayer, reading the Word, speaking over the situation and ourselves with our God given authority through the Holy Spirit that lives within us. One of the enemy’s tactics is to separate us from God, but God reminds us that He has a plan outside of what we are going through. And that we must fight this battle in the spirit and not carnally. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
As scary as it may sound, satan is real, but our God is real, and He has power and authority over everyone and everything. Once we realize we are not only in the flesh, but we are also part of a spiritual realm, then we will learn to fight in the spiritual realm instead of in the flesh. God is able to move in ways we cannot, and He is able to open and close doors in ways we could never imagine. Let Go and Let God! Amen!