Traveling Companions

Philippians 3:13-15 But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of things.

Many of our fears come from memories of our failures, those times and occasions that are writ large on the Imax screen of our minds, often running in endless looping replays until we are looking desperately for the controls to turn them off and regain some peace and calm.

Our minds are not the enclosed, self-contained, sealed vessels we sometimes think they are, encased in bone, no way in or out except for our sense of sight and hearing and speech. While that may be true for our brains, the truth is, our minds are capable of transporting us mentally to far-flung vistas and of receiving input from outside sources.

Both the Spirit of God and the spirit of this world have access to the "frequency" that our minds work on. Just as surely as God can drop a word of encouragement into our thoughts, so also can the powers of the air influence the path our thoughts take through the day. However, unlike the openness and transparency we find when the Father of light speaks, giving us revelation that is clearly beyond our understanding and can only come from His throne, the father of lies plays a masquerade that tries to camouflage his influence and make us believe that those thoughts are our own, in particular the subtly crafted ones that resemble something that happened to us but have special emphasis during replay that makes us squirm and feel shame when they are re-run.

The deadly cleverness of this is that when the enemy slinks up close to our side this way, we sometimes fail to recognize that these thoughts are not our own, and the cascading memories and feelings that follow will take us down paths, sometimes well-worn and familiar routes, that trigger such automatic internal responses that it may take us some considerable time to find an exit to pull off, turn around, and make it back to where we were before this entire side trip got started.

While God has a destination for us to reach, a goal that He is drawing us toward, a purpose in our lives for everything He reveals, all the enemy wants to do is run us in circles and park us on dead-end streets. Fear, anger, self-loathing, shame, regret, despair, are all travel companions when we get off the main road, and they are not after our best interests.

Fortunately, God has equipped us with armor and weapons that are suitable for the type of warfare which can defeat this enemy. It is all found in Scripture, and as we read it, learn it, know it, embrace it, then the Spirit of God brings it to life and helps us become proficient in living it, practicing it, knowing and experiencing the life-changing power of it. You can speak with the authority of the Word of God and claim His covering for your mind and your heart and your body, shielding yourself from attacks, shutting off those debilitating replays of events and conversations that distract us from God's voice which brings life and power and victory, not just for us but also for those God brings across our path and alongside us.

Father God, thank You for equipping us with all we have need of. Thank You for being there, patient, as we go through the process as many times as we need to, giving us a hand up when we ask, sharing the life of the Word when we allow, encouraging us each step as we strive to get closer to You by going deeper into the Word and walking in obedience to Your Spirit. Empower us today, imperfect as we are, to practice being a blessing to others and thereby being blessed in our walk. We love you, Lord, and we purpose to hold on to Your hand.

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