Strongholds

Sunday afternoon I had a talk with my wife, a talk that I had been dreading for a long time. I needed to share with her that I would never be moving back to our home in Cle Elum, Washington. We moved there in 1991, and God made it possible for us to build a house and an art gallery debt free, after we had lost my dream house a few years earlier. Our daughter's family have been living in our house this past year, while we have been living in an apartment in Vancouver, Washington. God had led me to Vancouver over a year ago for some intensive training to prepare me for a faith mission that I am about to embark on. I've been taking more small steps of faith recently, but this was a big one for me because of the fears of how my wife might feel or react over me not ever planning to move back to Cle Elum. To my surprise, she took it very well.

Satan tries to plant false impressions or fears so that we won't move in the direction God wants us to go. And the longer we wait in dealing with those fears the bigger they get, until it all becomes a stronghold. (Spiritual strongholds are walls that protect a thought or an idea that can be either good or bad.) When those walls protect our fears, it's not good. We become petrified in dealing with those issues or problems that we sometimes try to ignore; or we forget, or put them off into the future. However, we should not allow the enemy or our flesh to control or cripple our minds like that. Those strongholds of fear must be dealt with if we are going to move forward; and the sooner the better.

By renewing our minds in the Word of God, listening to God's voice and believing in his will for us, we begin taking steps by faith. We must cast out satan's lies and not allow ourselves to give in to such fears, regardless of what others might say or do. Circumstances will bow when we take steps of obedience, because God is in control of everything and everyone. The Bible gives numerous examples of this truth (from Abraham's sacrifice, to the crossing of the Red Sea and the Jordan River, walking around the walls of Jericho, to the poor widows giving their all, or Jesus Christ dying on the cross for us, also the apostles spreading the Gospel). We can place our trust in Him, knowing how much he loves us, regardless of the outcome.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. But in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

It is not my desire to hurt or offend anyone, especially my wife. However, in my walk with God I have done some strange things—living by faith is one of them, changing my name was another, but leaving our house and dreams seemed nuts—that is, unless you know God. I will obey God regardless of the sacrifices I need to make. This world has nothing of value to me compared to The Pearl of Great Price, or of doing what He asks for the Kingdom of God. How does a few more years—even ten or twenty more years—of comfort or a nice home compare with reaching the lost, restoring lives, seeing people set free, walking with Jesus or seeing God face to face—for eternity?

To me it's no contest; but many others have different opinions, ambitions and/or goals as they get older, such as retirement, or sitting back and enjoying all they have accomplished or acquired, watching more TV, going to church, traveling some and maybe experiencing what the rest of the world is enjoying, that is, before going to heaven. As a Christian and a son of God, I don't find those scenarios anywhere in the Bible, do you? Yet, for many people those kinds of mindsets have become a stronghold, strongholds that need to be repented from. Wouldn't you agree?