You've Got to Focus to Fight: A 5 Day Guide to Focusing Through Life’s Challenges for God’s GirlsSample

It really is going to be alright. When we are in the middle of what feels like an ocean of emotion, we lean towards the comforts of life. Sometimes, that learning takes us away from the God-factor. Other times, it leads us towards the reality of our humanity. Feeling frail, left out, overlooked, and even downright abandoned by God is not something we should be ashamed of. It’s the old adage that says, no pain, no gain. When we focus on the spots that we feel left out, we shine a light on the goodness of God. It’s when we avoid how we feel that we get caught up in feelings of shame, blame, guilt, and resentment. And this space, Beautiful, is exactly where the enemy of our souls wants us. He’d like nothing more for us to shove our feelings deep down inside and try to pretend that everything is alright. Here, in that space, he can plant seeds of doubt and confusion. He has a foothold to make us question God and His sovereignty.

Don’t give in to the temptation to run away from how you truly feel. Disappointed? Tell God. Ashamed, tell God. Angry? Tell God. He can deal with the humanity of life and meet us in the spaces of hurt. Focusing to fight means we must also embrace the pain that we feel. The disappointment, the letdown, the feelings of abandonment, or feeling like, really God? It’s okay. God can handle it. You’ve got to embrace the pain, lean into it, and keep going. Give your cares to God. He can handle it, and He cares about what you’re going through.

{SAY THIS} I will not give in to the trick of the enemy. I will acknowledge how I feel in this season of my life. Today, I know that God loves me and cares for me. I know that He sees what’s going on and will neither leave me nor forsake me. I understand that the enemy of my soul desires for me to question God. I will not give in. I will focus my heart and my mind, and today, I will declare the wonderful works of God. I will press into the pain. I will lean into the moment. Today, I choose to give God the glory for my life, for my health, for my mind, and for my moment. Yes, even this moment, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. My God is concerned about me, and I am grateful. I will not live in my head today. I choose to live out loud. Amen.