Between Bitter and Better

We know that all things work together for good.

We know that God guides us through circumstances.

We know that there is a bigger picture, and that God is working to make us more like Him and more for Him.

We know He is making us better.

…But sometimes, it’s the details that make us bitter.

If we’re not careful, we can focus on the “all things” part, instead of the “for good” part.  We can accept in our mind that God is working, but in our hearts, resent His hand.

If we’re not careful, we will let the Devil get into the details.

Believing Satan’s Lies

God calls Satan’s lies “fiery darts,” not “booming cannons.” The most dangerous lies are not the ones shouted at us from the television, but the ones that are whispered in our hearts…the ones that are so easy to believe because they curl down into our souls and resonate to the strum of our deepest fears.

Lies like:

“You’re not good enough.”

“No one cares…about you…about your problem…about your burden.”

“God couldn’t possibly love you…forgive you…bless you.”

“You are worthless.”

These are the lies that do the most damage. These are the lies that make us the walking wounded – that cause us to lash out at the people in our lives. These are the lies that paralyze us in the work of Christ.

And we listen.

We believe.

We allow ourselves to be mesmerized by the haunting whistle of arrows, believing Satan’s lies, not realizing we are being pierced through with many sorrows.

The Fiery Darts

“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6:16)

The fiery darts are obviously the weapons of Satan. Jesus called Satan a liar and the father of lies. As you look at Satan’s attacks in Scripture, all the way back to Eve, you can see that his weapon is always lies.

The fiery darts of Satan are the lies he whispers to us that are so easy to believe.

But for every lie that Satan throws at us, God has a truth to combat it…that’s where the Shield of Faith comes in.

FAITH is “an inward belief that results in an outward action.”

We can define that further by saying that BELIEVE means “to accept, affirm, or determine something to be true.”

Therefore, when we have faith in something, we are inwardly believing – accepting, affirming, or determining – that something is true, and that belief will reveal itself in our actions.

Wielding the Shield of Faith means that instead of listening to Satan’s lies and acting on them, I instead choose to believe the truth of God’s Word and act on that.

That’s all well and good, but how on earth does that apply to us?

I began to study.

At first, I just studied the fiery darts that I was believing in my life, or the ones that my students were believing, and the truth to combat them, but the more I got into it, the more I realized that the danger is not in just believing the lies – it goes far deeper than that…

Preparing for the Journey

continued from… How It All Started

I love war.

Not starting it, or fighting it, but I love studying about it, reading about it, teaching it.

Some of my favorite books are military histories: the Norman Conquest, the Napoleonic Wars, the Civil War.

I love reading about their strategies.

Before there were submarines and airplanes and atomic bombs, there was some really great military strategy. In fact, until the 19th Century, war was pretty much fought the same since the beginning of time.

Of course, you would have small advances that would change the way certain things were done – The Canaanites were the first to use iron chariots that were much stronger than bronze; Philip of Macedonia was the first general to effectively use foot soldiers in a phalanx when he conquered most of Greece; then you had the Chinese doing their own thing in Asia, and the introduction of firearms in warfare about the 1400s; but the concept was all pretty much the same – you had to be either stronger or smarter than the enemy, or have a secret weapon…or you were going to lose.

Spiritually, we’re in a war.

Ephesians tells us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

We are in a battle against Satan and his evil forces.

We are not stronger.

We are certainly not smarter.

But we are not doomed because we have a secret weapon.

Ephesians 6:13-16 says: “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”

Satan has set his army in array. He is ready for war.

But God has given us all the protection we need to combat his advances and keep his forces at bay.

to be continued…

How It All Started…

It was a dark and stormy night…Ok, not really – I have no idea what the weather was, but in rather Poe-esque fashion, I was “nod[ding], nearly napping” over the Pauline epistles in an attempt to squeeze some sort of Spirituality into the last few moments of my day.

I had reached the passage in Ephesians 6 that deals with the “whole armor of God,” and since I’m pretty sure I memorized that in the womb, I wasn’t really paying attention.

Then, a verse slipped past my slumbering subconscious and smacked me right in the frontal cortex (or…wherever it is that you think about things. I teach history, not anatomy.): “And take the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Wicked.” …what on earth?!

Although, I had known that verse since birth, I had never seriously considered what it meant. What are the “fiery darts of the Wicked,” and what’s with this magical shield that is supposed to quench them?

Right there in my pajamas, I began the journey that changed my life.

to be continued…

What’s the Big Deal?

So, I’m chatting with my cousin over at Message in a Mason Jar. (As in, right this minute. Right now. I’m being totally rude and ignoring her in order to write this post. Sorry, Darcy.) She is veteran blogger – or at least, more veteran than I am – and we’re FB chatting about the ins and outs of the blog world. Lots of useful advice about themes and readership and posting schedules…fascinating stuff actually. (I’m serious. I love nitty-gritty nuts and bolts convos. It’s the teacher in me.)

Amidst the rambles and rabbit trails that have made up our conversation, she asked me what I was aiming for. …or maybe she didn’t really ask me…I think I just volunteered the information…either way, she got me to put into words what I wanted for Wielding the Shield:

That’s tough to define. And that’s kinda the point of what I’m trying to share with Wielding the Shield. For a long time, I let who I am (or who I’m not) define me. Being single vs. being married or a mother. But I’m not defined by who I am, but by Who I serve.

But at the same time, I have a unique ministry opportunity because I AM single.

…if that makes any sense.

When my blog gets its voice, I want it to shout: “Fight back. Wield the Shield of Faith – which is the Truth of God’s Word – and fight back against the lies that Satan whispers to you: the lies about yourself, about other women, and about your God. Wield the Shield of Faith and listen to Truth instead of to Lies.”

So, there you have it, in all its raw imperfect glory. That’s what the big deal is. Thank you, Darcy, for forcing me (lovingly and sweetly) to get it into words. And thank you for the incredible amount of time you have surrendered for this conversation.

Under Construction

My name is Crystal. And I am not perfect.

I am more sinner than saint. I have more struggles than successes. I make mistakes and I make messes. I fall and I fail. I tell lies and I share rumors. I forget deadlines and I find excuses. I am impatient and inconsistent. I have doubts and I have dreams. I cry and I complain. I am stubborn. I am opinionated. I am far, far from perfect.

I am a person under construction.

This blog is also under construction. Please bear with me as I learn the ropes and get things rolling. Feel free to comment and to follow!