Tonight I'm refocusing my definition of what my role is here in Kensington and as a woman of God. I don't think you can live here and deny that we are in a spiritual battle. I look at my life and I see sin and the enemy seeking to devour me from the inside out. He is looking at our marriage and looking for ways to divide. I look at our streets and I see addiction and violence calling after people. There are a lot of physical and tangible battles going on in our world but we can see deeper:
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the ruler, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph 6:12)
The more I observe this culture, the more I read/learn about what lies the enemy is spreading here the more my eyes are opened to what we are facing. And I'm sure I am only seeing the tip of the iceberg. A while back I felt God leading me to declare war on sin. It was not ok anymore to sit back and let sin pull me this way and that, it wasn't ok to allow small arguments to leave me angry and unresolved, it wasn't ok anymore to watch sin around me and feel helpless. And so war was declared. Prayer became central. This is not a physically violent war, this is a war of heart and soul. The Word of God also became central because I realized that I didn't know enough. I haven't gone deep enough. The words were valuable to me but they weren't a priority to read and live out.
The verse that I am clinging to right now is found in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6:
"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ..."
On my own I have no power. I am a weak, young woman who is useless is breaking strongholds in my life or anyone else's. But I'm not fighting alone. I am fighting with the Creator of the universe who has already won this war. I am no longer a slave to sin and I don't have to obey anxiety and worry like it is my master...it is not! (Romans 6)
So what does it look like to wage war? For me, right now, it means prayer, reading the word. Being prepared to give an answer for my faith. It means constant surrender of my worry and to refocus my thoughts and my actions on who God is and what that means for my circumstances.
I think the average stereotype of a pastor's wife is weak and I think it needs to be redefined. Scripture tells us that we are to submit to our husbands (Eph. 5:22) and have the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit (1 Peter 3:4). That is truth. Period.
Scripture also tells us women and men alike are to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6) and to wage war (2 Cor. 10:3-6). We are daughters of the King of kings. And we are warriors. And in this time and culture it is time to take up arms and step up to the challenge. Tired? Worn out? Overwhelmed? Take it to Jesus. Rest. Refresh. Talk to a godly woman who can encourage you. We are not alone in the fight. Let's step up together.
Feel like sin is in your way? Rebuke it. You are not a slave to sin. Will you be perfect? No. We now serve a God who is gracious and has covered your sins with His Son's blood. Sin is part of the fight. Take it to Jesus.
We recently saw Tedashii in concert with our teens (along with several other artists) and this song helps me stay focused and encouraged to fight.
"I hear so many Christians murmuring about their imperfections, and their failure, and their addiction, and their shortcomings. And I see so little war! Murmur, murmur, murmur. Why am I this way? MAKE WAR!"
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