Friday Fight 128 - Our Choice: Foot Hold or Faith Hold?
Every Friday, when I wake and pray, God places something on my heart to help me fight darkness beginning in our minds. Today is FF128.
In many past posts, we have learned about places where we may have unintentionally opened the door to darkness, giving it a foothold. Perhaps it's an unhealthy habit, a seed of greed, or following our desires rather than trusting God's perfect will. The definition of foothold is any initial action that opens the way for further development. For the reflection of this post, let's reflect on where we are exposed to Satan's tricks of developing a further separation between us and God.
Our Choice: Foot Hold or Faith Hold?
Answering this question takes time to process and is best done through reflection in prayer. With a humble heart, we can prayerfully look at our exposure to darkness, which may feel judgmental at first. But looking at areas left exposed to darkness is essential to our spiritual lives. Gaining a foothold is not a wide-open door but a minor crack representing unprotected areas we have yet to surrender. It may be a sin slowly contaminating us or something we must hide to commit. Either way, we are doing Satan's work for him.
Rather than countless areas of sinful concern, let's look at something difficult to recognize within ourselves: the sin of pride. Proverbs offers many warnings regarding pride, including Proverbs 18:12, which warns, "Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.” Even the most devoted Christian opens themselves to darkness in their arrogant claims to knowing everything about God. It creeps into the smallest crevice of our soul to slowly destroy. There is pride that stems from trying to combat insecurities or full-blown pride that demands its insatiable appetite for recognition be continuously fed. This will gradually replace the desire and importance of a relationship with God.
Without humility, pride and arrogance become an all-consuming fire that sucks the life out of even the healthiest relationships or churches. Humility, which precedes honor, will allow us to see others how God sees them, looking for the character of Christ in each person. Think back to a past "bad day." Instead of reacting in a divisive, angry tone, we pray. We are given momentary choices throughout our day of a faith hold or foothold. In this case, instead of spewing words in anger, we begin to claim thankfulness for all we have. We can hold onto our faith when given these choices, knowing that tomorrow will bring God's new grace and mercy. We repent and know that even in the darkest part of the night, the sun is already beginning to rise. In our faith, we repent for craving man's recognition and humble ourselves requisitioning with God. Haughtiness says, "Look what I have done," taking credit for what God enabled. Humility says, "Look what God has done," revealing only God as the source of what He enabled. For this week let’s focus on trying and take back our faith and shut out the footholds.
Pastor Shannon
New Life Calvert