Friday, March 21

Steven Furtick, Lead Pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC and one of my favorite communicators, wrote an awesome article on the power of resistance. It really spoke to me and I wanted to share it here.

Although we’ve got to be aware of Satan’s schemes (2 Cor. 2:11), some Christians are obsessed with them to the point where it’s counterproductive. They blame everything on the devil and give him far too much credit and power. Don’t ever become so focused on the enemy that’s against you that you forget about the God who’s for you.

Still, our enemy is smart. And there’s one strategy I’ve seen him use in the lives of countless Christians to hold them back from God’s purposes for them and dislocate their potential:

Not only does he offer resistance, he convinces you that the resistance itself is a sign that you’re not in God’s will.

Your job is tough and demanding. It’s a challenge for your faith. So it must mean you’re not supposed to be there. It must be time to quit.

Marriage has to be easier than this. You must have married the wrong person. So divorce is now acceptable.
You planted a church and it’s not growing like you thought it would. You must have misheard God. Time to go to plan B.

I think we need to alter our framework. Resistance isn’t a sign that you’re out of God’s will. It might actually be a sign that you’ve never been more in it. That the devil is fighting you so hard because you’re so close to what God wants.

Don’t use The Resistance as an excuse to quit. Use it as motivation to push through.

It’s not: “I’m facing a lot of resistance. I guess it isn’t meant to be. I quit.”
But: “I’m facing a lot of resistance. I guess this is really meant to be. I can’t quit”

Now I’m not saying that just because something is hard that it means it’s the will of God. Sometimes it’s absolutely wise to abandon something because it’s just not worth the effort.

Nevertheless, I think we wrongly assume that if God is in something, it has to be easy. That God’s will and plan for you is marked by the path of least resistance. Tell that to Joseph, Moses, David, Nehemiah, Paul, and Jesus.

If you’re encountering resistance right now, don’t back down or sell out. And don’t blame the Resistance for resisting you. Acknowledge it for what it is. Take it as a sign that you’re heading in the right direction because the devil is running at you and not in the same direction as you.

And then push through to what God has for you.

My 27 Thanks:

1. Unfortunately, Judah woke up not feeling well and we had to cancel our Zoo plans. But, we ended up having a wonderful time relaxing at home.

2. We spent the entire day at home.

3. We got to enjoy tons of couch time and snuggling.

4. My home is a relaxing, comfortable place.

5. My brother, Kyle,  bought a cow. We got to go in on some of the meat. It is an organic, grain fed cow. I cooked some of the meat and it was super lean and very tasty. I am so thankful that we got to be a part of this blessing. I love eating clean.

6. My other brother, Jake, drove to the City today to pick up his meat. We enjoyed a nice visit. I miss my family, so every opportunity to see them is a blessing.

7. Jake is a great dad and husband. I am so proud of him.

8. Even though my family is scattered in Oklahoma, we all live in the same state and can drive within a few hours to see one another.

9. I got to spend some time outside working in my flower beds.

10. My yard is landscaped. It is one of my favorite things to do.

11. Both Gary and I have a “green thumb.” We love to work in the yard. I find it to be very relaxing.

12. I was blessed with my grandma’s garage refrigerator. I am so glad I have it because my freezer is so tiny and I wouldn’t have been able to get the beef in it.

13. Once Judah started feeling better, we got to play with bubbles and balls outside.

14. My neighborhood is so quiet.

15. I have great neighbors. We all help each other with different small tasks. Every Friday, we have an unspoken competition to see who can out up each other’s trash cans first. I lost today.

16. I love living on a cul-de-sac. Judah and I love the extra concrete space.

17. Judah and I watched Frozen together. The songs are so catchy, even Judah was singing them.

18. Love can melt the coldest heart.

19. Love wins. Love always wins. Love, Love, Love.

20. Resistance is a motivator. It is not a sign that you should quit.

21. When things, events, circumstances, resistance, comes against you, it doesn’t mean that you are out of the will of God. Instead, it could mean that you are in the very center of His will and the devil is working overtime to make you quit.

22. Persistance.

23. The devil may be against me, BUT my God is for me.

24. If God is for me, than it doesn’t really matter who is against me.

25. I enjoyed a very relaxing day after a MOST BUSY week.

26. I got to share the vision of Crossroads Jr. Academy with more families today. They were really excited about the school. One by one, we are signing up kids to be the beginning class of an awesome preschool!

27. My heart is hopeful.