Contending

Have you ever been in a season of contending – an extended time of prayerfully fighting for something that just doesn’t seem to want to break loose? If I may be completely transparent, I have been in a season of contending for peace. Fighting against discord, malice, rumors, and discouragement. It seems the more I try to walk in love with encouragement to those around me, the more push-back I get spiritually.

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

If we are in the midst of doing good, we can expect opposition. So the Lord addresses the gorilla in the room and encourages us to keep up our strength – don’t become weary. We must learn to train for the fight and rest when we are tired, so that we don’t quit. Training includes prayer, spending time in the word, and awareness of the spiritual atmosphere. Contending for something in the spiritual is prayerful fighting. So prayer overlaps training and rest.…actual rest. Resting is not something our culture does very well, so it takes practice and intentionality to quiet our bodies, minds, and spirits to welcome the Lord’s holy refreshing.

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God;
for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works,
just as God did from his.
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest,
so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11

Galatians continues with a promise that we WILL see a harvest. Our perseverance will pay off. So it makes sense that the enemy of our souls will do all he can to get our eyes off God, turn them to the mountain we face, throw our hands in the air and cry, “I give up!” But we can’t!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible,
but not with God;
all things are possible with God.”
Mark 10:27

Friends, what are you contending for? Spoken truth to silence rumors? A prodigal child’s heart to be opened to God? Joy for a discontented spouse? Fruition of a promise that God spoke to you? Realization of a dream? Peace? Don’t give up! Take a deep breath and keep going. You are not alone – you have a Helper.

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper,
so that He may be with you forever;
John 14:16 (NASB)

Our Father is a good and loving God. He has invited us into this work of his, in part, to grow us into the people he designed us to be. Not to frustrate us. Not to set us up for failure. But to strengthen us so that we can share that strength with others. To prepare us so that we are ready for whatever we face. To keep our eyes on him – our ears tuned to him – our hearts set on him – as we celebrate AND as we contend in doing good. He loves you. He has such good plans for you. He is always whispering…

You are adored.