Let me start by saying this: I’ve believed lies for much of my life, but I’m becoming more intentional about learning and rehearsing the truth. One of the biggest lies I believed was: “If something gets difficult, God doesn’t want me to continue doing it.”
Y’all, I can’t tell you how many times I knew I heard God tell me to move forward and I’d start strong- only to begin crafting my exit strategy at the first sign of adversity. I missed many opportunities because I was operating from a lie instead of the truth. I neither had a correct perception of adversity nor understood the importance of filtering my thoughts and decisions through God’s Word.
In recent years, I’ve chosen to live the life God has for me. I knew I had to study the Word of God and apply it to my everyday life to stay aligned. Because when you know God’s Word, you develop a filter. When thoughts come to mind or you’re consuming information, you can quickly identify whether it aligns with the truth and filter out the lies.
Back to the lie I believed about adversity: “If something gets difficult, God doesn’t want me to continue doing it.” I held onto this lie because I didn’t know the truth, and I didn’t seek it. My real enemy was counting on my ignorance; as long as I stayed in the dark, I wouldn’t fulfill my purpose.
Here’s the truth: Some assignments will be difficult. We will experience adversity. But we must keep going.
I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 (NIV).
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9 (NIV).
Let Nehemiah’s Story Encourage You
Nehemiah’s story encourages me to stay committed, even in the face of difficulties:
He had a heart for God’s people. He cared about their condition (Nehemiah 1:1-4).
He knew his assignment was God-given and he had a clear purpose (Nehemiah 2:4-5, 12).
He faced constant challenges- if it wasn’t one thing, it was another (Nehemiah 4:1-3; 5:1-13; 6:1-7). But he kept going. He refused to be stopped (Nehemiah 4:6; 5:16; 6:8-9).
In the end? The wall was completed.
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NIV).
You Can Do It! If God has placed something on your heart, do it. Don’t let difficulty stop you. Stand firm on the truth of God’s Word. Get started. Keep going. Finish strong. I’m rooting for you!
I’d love to hear from you: Has there been a lie you once believed that held you back from moving forward? How did you overcome it?
Oooo! This was too good to me! Counting on my ignorance, such a hard hitting yet beautiful realization so that truth can be pursued. I have lived the same way — if it gets difficult I’m out/God isn’t in it but reading this gives me a needed reminder and push that will carry me life long! Love what you all do with these blog posts ❤️