Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9 ESV).
There is much work to be done in God’s kingdom, but he needs brave, bold soldiers who are willing to persevere, no matter the trials and the struggles.
In order to be a survivor on the battlefield for the Lord, you cannot be fearful because you will immediately become a “casualty.” When you witness for the Lord, there are those who are going to come against you with doubt and disbelief. You have to be ready to face these weapons head on so that you will not lose ground in your witnessing. Therefore, you must step out of your comfort zone because God cannot use you if you remain there.
Genesis 12:1-3 (ESV) declares, “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’”
What if Abram had turned a deaf ear to God and had chosen to settle in a comfort zone instead?
When you are on the battlefield for the Lord, there are places you will have to go and people to whom you will have to talk that may give you an unsettling presence. That is when you will have to pull out one of the greatest weapons of warfare that you will need — prayer. Focus your mind then on what the psalmist said in Psalm 23:4-5 (KJV), “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.”
Then exercise your war tool of faith: “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21:22 ESV) The key words in this verse are “if you have faith.” As you continue to make the effort to move forward on this battlefield for the Lord, you must have the tool of love in your war chest. One of the reasons our world is going through so much turmoil right now is because of a lack of genuine love for one another. People know when you sincerely love them or if you are perpetrating phoniness. I John 4:8 (ESV) says, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
Now, you should be ready to step out of your comfort zone.
God needs bold Christians on His battlefield. It is no place for the timid, the weak, the unloving and the unprepared. Before an officer takes his troops into a war zone, they must be prepared so that they will not get ambushed and can press forward to complete their mission. So it is in the army of the Lord. God equips His people, but you have to be ready to learn and accept it.
God cannot use us if we remain in our comfort zones. We must get in “God’s zone” if we are going to be effective soldiers on His battlefield.
Have a wonderfully blessed week, stay safe, and never leave home without Him!
(Anna Bright is a minister and educator in Walterboro. She can be reached at abrightcolumn@lowcountry.com)
