Fight to Remember
GIVING UP IS NOT AN OPTION
Imagine that you are walking through the woods close to dusk on a winding, wooded trail, when up ahead you notice a stray dog. You proceed with caution, but you step on a twig and the dog starts sprinting towards you. In seconds, the dog is upon you. It’s relentless, but if you quit now, you won’t be alive in five minutes. Fighting is the best chance you have. This is what spiritual warfare is like. Your mind and heart are at constant odds with sinful thoughts, and as Ephesians 6:12 puts it, “against the rulers of the darkness of this world (Satan).” You are in a daily battle; will you fight or flee? This is a struggle that mankind has been faced with since, well, forever.
For example, Job was a prosperous and godly man who had a bunch of livestock according to the Book of Job in the Bible. This is significant because livestock and land back then were comparable to basically being a millionaire; that’s how good Job had it at the time. Then Satan entered the picture and suggested to God that Job was not as faithful as he seemed, so God allowed Satan to take everything from Job, except his life. His house was destroyed, he endured a terrible sickness, and all of his children and livestock were killed. Job was left with absolutely nothing, but here’s where the story takes a turn away from the cliché. Job did not just say, “It’s okay, God, I trust your plan.” He wrestled with a ton of fear and doubt about whether God still loved him. He held on, however, and fought to turn back toward God, not against Him.
When I forget that life isn’t great all the time, and I end up feeling knocked down and lost, I tend to point my finger at God. It’s funny, but I never seem to point my finger at God when things are going great. How come I get to go to college and have friends who love me? Why, God? Yeah, it doesn’t work like that. Instead, if you’re like me, you selfishly say, “I did that,” when in reality, God was behind it all.
When you’re struggling with difficult circumstances in your life, remember that God said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5, ESV). One of the greatest promises in the whole Bible says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, ESV). Throughout the Bible, God is so patient and gracious to His people. He knows that we forget what He has done for us, but He gives us what we need so we can fight against that: Himself.
“Remembering how God has been with you helps you to trust that He is still there, even when it doesn’t feel that way or seem that way. ”
THINK
Think back to the last time you remember God directing your steps and guiding you. In the book of Psalms, the psalmist says, “I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds” (Psalm 77:12, ESV). Remembering how God has been with you helps you to trust that He is still there, even when it doesn’t feel that way or seem that way.
REPENT
Remembering that God is with you is important, but keep in mind that this is also a fight. You need to actively turn away from your sinful deeds, thoughts, and desires, and turn to God. Run to Him! Remember that Jesus died for your past, present, and future sins, and that He welcomes you with open arms: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28, ESV).
GIVE THANKS
The Bible tells us to “give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 9:1, ESV). Thanking God for forgiving you of your sins lifts such a huge weight off your shoulders. True rest is surrendering to Jesus, so cry out to Him and thank Him because He created you and sustains you.
TELL
Living your life in such a way where others get to know Him because they know you is a joy. But even here, Satan is fighting against you to silence this. But the thing is, if you are truly a new creature, nothing will be able to shut you up because you can’t forget what God has done for you.
God is so good to us. It’s true that we can forget that and lose focus when we experience hardships, but don’t stay knocked down. It’s a lie to keep believing that God ever promised our lives would be perfect or go according to our plans. What God did promise us was that nothing “…in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39, ESV). So, keep fighting against your thoughts, desires, and feelings, and pursue God. There may be days where you lose the battle, but God is right there to pick you back up, if you let Him. “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord” (Lamentations 3:40, ESV)!