YOU'RE A TARGET - UNDERSTANDING THE BATTLE FOR YOUR LIFE

Influence 

During my high school days, I felt overwhelmed with anxiety about my future. The questions of who I wanted to be and what I wanted to do brought stress into me because I did not have the answers. People and the world all wanted to hear my plan. But even I did not know where I was going. I was aimless in the unknown and vulnerable to the lies of stress and depression. 

At the end of my high school years, God taught me that there is a battle for dominance over my mind. It is not about a bad report card, it is not about a failing relationship, it is not about my 10-year plan, it is about what I am allowing to influence me in the moment. The issue is the belief system I am giving permission to influence me. What is defining my identity? Our battle is not over a good grade, a group of friends, or even our destiny, our battle is against the thoughts coming into our head telling us who we are. Lies saying that we are worthless or stealing from us by planting doubt about relationships. There is a source to every fear, every lie, every anxiety, and that is the cheater, the liar, and the thief. 

Maybe you are experiencing this bombardment of lies. Is your sky darkened by the horde of arrows coming your way? Is comparison looking you in the mirror and stealing your influence? Are your bills running laps around your income? Are your grades falling under the bar of normal even though you try? Do you reject help? Are you scared because when you are real and honest with yourself, you may not even trust God? 

You are at war 

Where are all these thoughts coming from? A man named Paul wrote an amazing letter to a group of believers. He described a large enemy's military base made of huge stones. This stronghold is built layer by layer in your mind through the thought patterns you construct. Each stone is a thought building a pattern that is influenced by the devil. If you accept the thought then you are allowing one more stone to go into the wall. But the good news is that you are able to tear down those walls! (2 Corinthians 10)

Fear or Love 

Every response we have in life is either rooted in love or in fear. Love or fear is the source of our words, our responses, and our pursuits in life. Everything we do is influenced by one of these two things. 

God is love. If you are closed in on all sides by fear, then there is a good chance that you are living under the influence of a lie. Why? Because God does not operate out of fear. God only works in love. He has no fear to give away. Fear is not a tactic used by God because it is manipulative. Fear is demonic in nature. So my question to you is, "where did you lose sight of God's love?" If you can find the thought that stole your awareness of God's love for you then you will find the base that lie is living in. God wants us to tear down the house of cards posing as a stronghold compared to God's unstoppable love. The words "tear down" are a violent term. We have to break down the lies by force. We will not take no for an answer. 

The amazing news is that if we put or focus on God as our loving Father, then His perfect love will violently chase out all fear. The love of the Father wages war on our behalf. These are not just nice sounding words displayed on your kitchen counter top. It is the very power of God to bring a change, a transformation, a revival in your heart. You can live free from fear. It is possible.  

How to respond when trouble comes

Here is the complicated part. It is true that your situation may be dark. All the different situations coming against you are real. We are not pretending that these things are not real, but we are denying them the right to have the final say. Isn’t it crazy how in the presence of an unlimited God we will find a way to stay stuck? We give explanations to excuse us of our breakthrough. Yes, there is trouble, but faith has the ability to override the facts.

Are you going to let your troubles redefine God? Or are you going to choose to believe in His nature as a Father even in the storm? Are you going to be swayed by your situation or are you going to be ruled by the truth of God? Will you let your troubles redefine God, or will you let God redefine your troubles?

Now is the time for change! 

I believe God has a breakthrough in mind for your life! We cannot afford to sit back and watch. It is time for us to pick up our sword and join the fight. It is time for maturity! It is time for you to bring your own breakthrough. What do I mean by that? The only thing blocking you from the breakthrough God is wanting to do in you is your willingness to believe that it is possible. All things are possible with God – IF YOU BELIEVE!

Is it possible that while we are waiting for God to come down and work a miracle in our life, God is waiting for us to get up? Maybe breakthrough does not begin when your situation changes, but when you make a decision inside yourself, "I am not blaming anyone, I am not waiting on anyone to do it for me, I am going to get up!" We don’t need our situation to change. Our prayer must be, "God change me! Do a work in me. Living water spring up in my soul." Your heart is the place where breakthrough begins. How many of you are ready for revival?

Love you all! 

Laurel