I'm Okay!

It starts with a fall....... We get tripped up, or we slip, or get hit with something and down we go.


Then comes the pain....... "Oh it hurts so bad, I don't know if I can get up again! I'm never going to feel the same. Will this wound ever heal?! I just know I'm going to die!"


Then comes the pride......"Did anyone see? Does anyone know? What if they find out? How can I face anyone now?"


Then comes the cover up......."I think I'll just stay away. I'll change my circle of friends. If I don't see anyone, they can't sense that something is wrong. Maybe if I can draw attention to someone else or something else, they won't focus on me."


Then comes the lies. "No one cares about me. I'll fix it myself and then get back in touch with people. This is to big, it can't be fixed. No one else would understand this."

It becomes a vicious cyle. Sin, get hurt, run and hide, over and over until something happens to break that cycle. Here's the problem. The only one that can break that cyle is us. But we're to busy running and hiding and licking our wounds. That's exactly where Satan wants to keep you! Over in a corner somewhere licking your wounds! It's very hard to look up from this position. And sometimes it hurts so bad that we're just trying to barely hold it together and we can't see past the end of our problem.

1Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Your enemy is not your friend, or family member, or boss, or whomever has caused this pain in you. It is Satan, the enemy of your soul, the roaring lion in 1 Peter 5:8. In order for a lion to devour its prey, it must be wounded and incapable of fighting back. The lion has to inflict enough pain and injury to slow his victim down so he can finish the kill. First he gets his victim seperated from the flock. Then he takes a stab at him to cause injury. While his next meal is limping along unable to fight back, he comes in for the kill and devours him.

In the jungle it's "survival of the fittest". In our Christian walk, it is the same. If you are going to fight off the devil and his attacks, you must be fit! Several keys to spiritual fitness are;

1. Stay with the flock! A lone ranger is easy to pick off. Especially if you are hurting in some way. It's the flock that will provide the distraction and protection from the enemy.
2. Nutrition is a key to having the strength to fight back. If you are not in the Word and if you are not being fed properly on a regular basis, then you become weak. You are unable to wage a fight, thus, a hit from the enemy that might be easily fended off, could be the very thing that brings you down.
3. Learn from your fellow flockers. Surely there are others around you that have encountered the enemy in different ways. They have come through and are still standing as a living testimony that you can overcome. Find out how they did it. Watch how others fight off the enemy in their lives and overcome the temptation to just lie down and die.
4. Develop a strategy for the next attack. You must be aware that you will be attacked again, and again, and again. It is wise to have an out, a strategy to get away. The best thing to do is stay away from situations that will require you to shed blood in an attack. Just as they teach in a self defense class, the key is to avoid situations in which you can be attacked. Be sure you are hanging with the right crowd. Be sure you are aware of your surroundings.

I'm sure I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. If you are in a situation that you are wounded, and always seem to be defeated, do an inventory and ask yourself if you are following some of these steps above. If not, now is the time to start! Now is the time to get close to the Shepherd (Jesus) and stay with the flock (your brothers and sisters in Christ). Now is the time to feed on the Word and gain strength for your time of crisis.

Be strong, be blessed!

stormie