“I can do all things through him who strengthens me" Philippians 4:13 NKJV
Today, March 25th, marks exactly one year since my baptism. As cliché as it may sound, I anticipated an immediate transformation in my life. However, reality proved otherwise. Over the past year, God has done tremendous things in my life that I am and will forever be grateful to. Yet, there remain challenges I struggle with, constantly asking God for his guidance. Perhaps you can empathize with my journey. As you read this, I pray you find comfort and courage to turn to God in prayer. Here are the ongoing struggles I face, even one year after my baptism:
- Lack of Discipline
- Have you ever set out to achieve something, only to find yourself falling short? Or perhaps maintaining a routine feels like an uphill battle? If so, it’s likely a discipline issue—a struggle I’m intimately familiar with. I can be a woman full of determination, however, I often find it challenging to translate those goals into accomplishments. Unfortunately, this lack of discipline is not healthy.
- In this walk with God, discipline is crucial since it is attached to obedience. Imagine God waking you up every day at 5 am to spend time with him, but your love for sleep prevents that. It requires self-discipline to say no to your flesh. Proverbs 25:28 perfectly illustrates this: “A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.”
- Let’s go deeper: imagine you are struggling with a persistent sin. Whenever temptation strikes, you keep falling due to a lack of discipline and self-control. Therefore, you let the enemy have authority over your body by giving him access through these open doors. One way or another, there will be discipline in our lives. If we do not discipline ourselves, God Himself will discipline us (Hebrews. 12:5–11). Self-control is also a fruit of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:22-23, so let’s strive to cultivate that discipline in our lives.
- Surrendering control
- While we’ve discussed the importance of self-control, let’s learn to give up control. 1 Peter 5:7 reminds us to “Cast your cares unto the Lord because he cares for you.” To be honest, I hate the feeling of being useless in a situation. In such moments, we’re called to let go and let God. I struggle with that a lot. Despite praying that I will surrender everything to God, I often find myself attempting to reclaim control.
- Wanting control is a terrible trait to have especially when you serve a powerful God who knows your needs, your past, your present, and your future. One thing I know for sure is that no matter what you do, God’s plan will always prevail as Proverbs 16:9 affirms: “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.” Let’s exercise patience (another fruit of the Spirit) to let God accomplish his plans in our lives. Perhaps, we can have the self-control to give up our constant desire for control. As Philippians 4:6 instructs, we will be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, we will let our requests be made known to God.
- Dealing with doubt
- Doubt comes hand in hand with fear, leading to uncertainty in our faith. Personally, I often question whether I’m truly hearing God’s voice, fearing that my discernment might be clouded by my own thoughts or influenced by the enemy’s whispers. If you’re grappling with discerning God’s voice, I invite you to check out my recent YouTube video titled “4 Signs That God is Speaking To You.”
- Another area where doubt creeps in is questioning my qualifications for certain positions. Despite knowing that if God has placed me somewhere, I am surely equipped for the task, fear sometimes convinces me otherwise. Take, for instance, my role in spreading the gospel through platforms like this Christian blog, Inked by Christ, and its associated social media pages, along with my YouTube channel. For some reason, I feel that I am not well-equipped to lead people to God. And that my friend is a lie straight from hell. The devil is a liar!
- The enemy wants to bring confusion in your life, confusion does not originate from God. As 2 Timothy 1:7 reassures us, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, we must reject the lies of the enemy and embrace the truth of God’s Word. Let us not be double-minded. James 1:6-8 warns us “But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Either, you let doubt, fear, and worry overtake you, or you can have the peace of God (which is another fruit of the Spirit). Have faith that you are fulfilling the Lord’s work faithfully, and if you stumble, trust in His mercy to guide and instruct you along the way.
- Participate in gossip
- I will be the first to acknowledge that I’m completely guilty of gossiping about others. This one is going to ruffle some feathers but it’s crucial to acknowledge that gossiping is detrimental. While we typically associate gossip with being a backstabber and all of the negative connotations attached to it, however, it can also manifest in something as simple as not minding your own business. Gossiping can be a silent killer. The desire to know and to share information is so strong that it can burn the lips. Hence why the Bible is so against gossiping and encourages us to tame the tongue as highlighted in James 3:1-12. Verses 5-6 illustrate “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a would of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
- God hates gossip so much. Did you know that you will give an account in front of God for every gossip you’ve told? Matthew 12:36-37 affirms this “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words, you will be.” Shouldn’t this passage alone increase the fear of God within you enough to stop? Let us repent for our participation in gossip, recognizing it as a sin that delays our spiritual growth and hinders the manifestation of our gifts. Instead of spreading gossip, just spread the gospel. By doing so, we align ourselves with God’s will and contribute positively to the edification of others.
- Speaking in tongues
- After witnessing my pastor speaking in tongues for the first time, I was intrigued. Immediately, I desired that gift and earnestly prayed for it. I am convinced that God activated this gift within me, as I’ve experienced moments where I’ve uttered words and phrases unknown to mankind. However, doubt hindered me, fearing that I might have said the wrong thing or done it wrong.
- Speaking in tongues is controversial within the church community, yet all I care about is doing what the Bible says. As Paul clarifies in 1 Corinthians 14:2, “For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit.” This signifies that tongues serve as a form of prayer, as further emphasized in 1 Corinthians 14:14. Moreover, tongues serve as a mode of praise (1 Corinthians 14:15) and a means of expressing gratitude to God (1 Corinthians 14:16-17). Additionally, speaking in tongues enables self-edification, as Paul explains: “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4).
- Why should I deprive myself of gaining my heavenly language? The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14: 39 “Therefore, my brothers, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues.” I yearn for this spiritual gift and I trust and believe that God will answer this prayer in due time.
I recognize that some of my struggles stem from the weakness of my current relationship with Christ. My spiritual foundation is not as sturdy as I desire, but I’m grateful for this awareness as it illuminates areas for growth. In the Parable of the Two Builders (Matthew 7:24-27), Jesus teaches the importance of building our lives upon solid ground. Each of us is building our metaphorical house on some foundation, whether weak or solid. My soul truly thirsts for a deeper relationship with God yet I acknowledge the need to strengthen my prayer life, delve deeper into scripture, and cultivate a more fervent worship. Therefore when disaster comes, if not worked on, my spiritual house will collapse. Spending that quality time with Christ and edifying my spirit is crucial.
I want my life to reflect a foundation rooted in the Word of God. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” Christ is my firm foundation, the rock on which I stand. When everything around me is shaken, I’ve never been more glad that I put my faith in Jesus. I want to be able to sing this song with full confidence knowing that it is true that Christ is my firm foundation.
As I enter my first year of baptism, I am setting bold goals. By my second anniversary, I aim to build a solid foundation that will propel me into the places that God and I talked about. It’s disheartening to witness individuals disqualifying themselves from their next season due to mismanagement of their current one. I truly do not want that for myself. The enemy seeks to hinder our progress, initiating delays and distractions to keep us stagnant.
Regardless of the season you find yourself in, let’s collectively challenge ourselves to cultivate discipline and invite the Holy Spirit to accompany us on our journey. Let’s approach God with a fervent prayer, “God, I am doing this with you and for you. Help me see this season the way you see it, Lord, and help me walk in alignment with your will.”
As we establish these goals for the next year, let’s pray with the authority that he has graced us with:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you, Lord, for continuing to reveal yourself and your mysteries to me. Thank you for being faithful, thank you for blessing me, thank you for never letting me go. I am so in awe of how much you have been so good to me. Lord, I want to be faithful to you, I want to prioritize my time with you, and I want to build my foundation firmly on you. I shall not be shaken when trials strike because you hold me strongly. Please help me Lord, I can’t do this on my own. Please strengthen me for my spirit is weak. Thank you for being my father and my friend. Thank you for loving me so strongly, I truly want to know you better and make you proud. Thank you Jesus.
Amen
With love,
Carmaïssa
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