It's time to get on the offense...

Well, it’s football season. I don’t think only men get into the spirit of football. There’s something exciting about football season. I prefer going to games and being a part of the atmosphere. Some of my fondest memories at UNC involved dousing myself in Carolina blue, putting on my pearls to add a bit of class, meeting up with my friends at the student gate, and blazing off toward the midfield section, grabbing a few pompoms on the way. The air is overwhelmingly dense with the ensuing battle that is waiting to take place on the field in front of us: a battle of good (Carolina) verses evil (everyone else).

Life is a constant struggle between good and evil. There is so much pain and suffering in the world that most people have to live their lives day to day. Some people are so hurt that they are too afraid to hope for anything because the past has taught them to always expect to get hit. Life is about defense versus offense. The defense on a football team is imperative to the team’s success. Its sole job is to protect the home goal from the offense’s attempts at crossing the line of scrimmage or the goal line. However, if the defense has to continually play in the game because the team has a weak offense, the game has a good chance at being lost. Unfortunately, even UNC has had this situation in a game. The offense could never get past the other team’s defense, and our defense could not last 45 minutes of continual play.

I see so many Christians, myself included, always on the defense. There have been so many days where I’ve expected the enemy to try to come into my territory. After a while, the other team knows your weaknesses and even anticipates your next move. The enemy strategically hits you where it hurts the most. For me, it’s my self-esteem. All it takes is for me to have one negative thought about myself that can turn into a downward spiral of worthlessness.

In the same way that the offense knows how to attack the weaknesses of the defense, at some point it’s time for the defense to see that the offense is attacking them in the same way every time. If the defense always leaves a hole up the middle, all the quarterback has to do is hand the ball to the running back and there goes the first down and or touchdown. After so many times, the defense better close up that hole, forcing the offense to either try another route or force them into a turnover on downs.

It’s time to get on the offense. The defense has finally closed up the holes. Practically for me, it’s learning how to automatically speak truth over myself. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” This is your WAR CRY!!!!! God has equipped us with the necessary tools to not only affectively defend ourselves but strategically fight against the attacks of the enemy. He has given us His word, truth trumps lies. He has given us worship, praise trumps pain. He has given us His spirit, life trumps death.

The Christian life promises persecution, yet the Christian life promises victory. Romans 8:14-17 says, “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” Hillsong’s song “Desert Song” says, “I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ.” Praise the Lord that we are indeed victorious over our current situations, victorious over the impeding attacks of the enemy and victorious over anything that sets itself up against the truth that is in Jesus Christ. We have strong offense and strong defense. We will have a winning season. We are victorious in Christ Jesus!

Delight yourself in the Lord...

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (NIV). Some people see this and believe that if they just pray some here, or read their bible there, or sing this worship song, etc, that God will give them whatever they want. If that is you, I’m sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but that’s not how it works. You can’t trick God into giving you those things that you think will make you happy. Having a relationship with God is unveiling a mystery that will never be completely solved during this lifetime, it is infinitely renewable, and is as full of surprises as the first time you felt His truth. Let’s take a closer look at this scripture:

• To delight oneself means to take or seek pleasure in; to enjoy (http://www.dictionary.com)
• Lord is more than just another name for God. The title Lord means that person has lordship over your life and over what you do. They reign in supremacy in your decisions, actions, and emotions.
• “He will give you…” If God says He will do something, He will do it. There is no hesitation or doubt.
• “The desires of your heart.” This is what is the most important. Notice our desires come last in this sequence. Our desires cannot come into fruition until we have first made the vertical connection with God. There are many other examples of this in the bible. Judges 20:18 shows how the Israelites were about to fight the Benjamites and they asked God before doing anything who should they send first. God says “Judah shall go first.” Not only is it significant that the Israelites asked God before moving, but God said Judah was to go first. Judah means praise. Look what happens when you establish a relationship with God first. Verse 35 of that same chapter in Judges says, “the LORD defeated Benjamin before Israel…”

When you delight yourself in the Lord, you become closer to Him. You begin to understand His personality, see His Characteristics, and know His heart. When you are close to God, you become more and more like Him. He is light and there is no darkness in the light (John 1:5-7). As you become more and more like Him, His desires become your desires. Therefore, God will not have any problem giving you the desires of your heart because they are what He desires you to have.

It is one thing to read and study this scripture and another to live it. My challenge to you is to discover the joy of being in the presence of the Lord. Become captivated by His presence. Be satisfied in Him first. Then you will see your life and heart change. Then you will see your Benjamin defeated. Then you will see your desires being met. Then you will see His heart to love you.