Misty Fitch | Fearfully Made

When I was in my early 20s, I began to really draw close to God in a way I had never done before.  I started noticing a trend.  With every new study I delved into, I was being attacked in the very area in which I was studying. 

Have you ever noticed something similar in your walk?

One thing I strive to do is be open and transparent with you, my reader.  I haven’t done that lately, though.  As I’ve written books and posts on certain subjects, I’ve found myself being hit hard in the same areas in which I’m trying to help you overcome.  Things I struggled with in my past have resurfaced.

Last night, I found myself in a place I hadn’t been in a long time, and I wanted to write about it.

As I have been writing about self-image and certain topics from my book that’s currently being reviewed by a publisher, I find that I’m beginning to struggle again with some of those exact same things.  In these moments, I have some choices to make:

• Allow myself to fall deeper into the trap, which would in turn, cause me to stop speaking the word to my readers
• Allow myself to hide what’s going on and continue being a mentor for young girls all the while pretending everything is perfect, which can cause me to lose credibility in the long run
• Open up to let you, the reader, see that I’m clearly not perfect and struggle with the same things as you do

So I’m choosing the last choice.  I struggle too, and I’m going to claim Romans 8:28 as mine today:  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.  I’m also claiming Genesis 50:20 as mine today, too: You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.

The enemy can try to cause us to stumble while we are getting closer to God and follow his calling, but it’s up to you and me to decide what to do with the stuff he throws our way.

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that coming clean and letting others know what’s going on is a great way to push the enemy’s scheming ways farther out of the picture.  His plan is for us to keep everything inside and hidden so that it can eat away at us and we begin to move away from our purpose.  We start feeling like we can’t fulfill the purpose because of the things we struggle with, which was the enemy’s intent in the first place.

The best thing to do when you are following your call and getting hit by the enemy is to be open with those around you.  As Dominic Russo said at our youth retreat, “Let your purpose be your accountability partner.”  You, sweet friend, are my purpose.  You are why I write almost daily.  You are who I’m speaking to each day.  You are my accountability partner!

So, as I’ve rambled today, I’ll let you know that you and I both are absolutely, positively fearfully and wonderfully made by the one and only true God, and nothing about us was created imperfectly.  If you’re in the store, as I was yesterday, and someone doesn’t realize that you’re already struggling with self-image craziness and says, “It looks like you’ve gained a little weight,” then brush it off.  Those words are not of God.  Maybe you didn’t look healthy when she saw you before, but you’re healthy now.  Maybe you have put on a couple of pounds, but it’s not necessary for it to be pointed out.  It’s a means by which the enemy chooses to knock you down when you’re already weak.

The point of this whole post today is that there will be attacks when you’re following your call and fulfilling your purpose.  Let people know you’re in the midst of attack so they can pray for you.  Don’t stay in them.  God gave you the tools to fight it.  He has already overcome them, so just utilize what he’s given you to walk through them.

Are there attacks you’ve been dealing with lately that you’ve kept inside?  Get them out in the open!  Whether it’s here or with someone you love, voice it so prayer warriors can cover you in prayer.  You are a warrior princess equipped with everything you need to get past it.

Read through Romans 8:28 and Genesis 50:20 today.  What do they mean to you?

If you feel you have no one to vocalize your struggles with, but you aren’t comfortable placing them here for the world to see, then feel free to email me mistygatlin@ymail.com.  I would love to pray for you.

Check out a related article by author, Amanda Beth.  We must have been on the same wavelength today. 

Thank you, Erica Payne at Artspeak Images for the picture above.