We are experiencing a global pandemic. This event is showing the world its own vulnerability. We aren’t invincible. Everything you care about can change in an instant. Yesterday you were worried about having enough time to get to work. Today you don’t have a job because your workplace is not considered an “essential” business.
An invisible virus has impacted everyone. It silently travels and spreads from person to person, no discrimination whatsoever. Cunning and calculated, attacking in just the right conditions. But sometimes it doesn’t, then travels onward. No rhyme or reason, which overwhelms you with fear.
Your thoughts are stuttering. Your hands are clammy. Constant worry is scrambling in your mind. You weren’t expecting it… Your heart starts racing. I’m crazy, but am I? What if I can’t handle this? I have no control. I’m not strong enough. What about my family? How am I going to protect them? Too many questions and not enough answers.
Does that sound familiar to you?
Any time in your life that you feel this way, it brings your world to a screeching halt. It doesn’t necessarily take a pandemic, sometimes it doesn’t take anything. The clever ways of anxiety don’t need a catalyst. It’s an enemy that silently attacks and makes you think it’s all your fault. Its root is fear and it conquers you.
The prince of the power of the air is the one who facilitates these enemies. Fear and anxiety lead to doubt because a spirit of fear is not from God. Any doubt placed in your mind is like a festering mold. It continues to grow slowly and infect.
Uncertainty keeps you broken. You’re in limbo, not understanding the promises God has made for you. It causes aimless wandering in your life, leading to desperate searching. Your vulnerability is a perfect situation for you to be attacked again … and again.
God is your protection
Jesus Christ defeated those enemies the moment He gave up His Spirit on the cross, died, and rose again. He fought your battle. He has already mastered your struggle right now with fear. Even He was tempted by Satan, who used scripture to try and make Jesus doubt God. It didn’t work because Jesus is the living Word of God. He is your Savior, who defeated sin and death.
Satan has no power over Him.
When you are covered with the blood of Jesus Christ by confessing He is the Son of God who paid your sin debt in full, Satan has no power over you either. These silent enemies have no weight in your life. You can overcome it in Jesus Christ. No matter what kind of fiery arrow is launched your way, the armor of God is your protection.
How do you overcome your fear?
Trust in God
Rely on Jesus
Submit to God
Let go of your fear
Each of these will guarantee strength. Just because they are simple answers doesn’t mean they are easy. You will have to fight yourself because you will want to take the path of least resistance. That’s where you are the most vulnerable. But when you do each of those things, it’s no longer your fight. You’ve given it up to God. And His power is insurmountable.
It doesn’t take away the merit of why you are afraid or diminish the reason to fear. Fear is real and so is the anxiety you feel.
But so is God.
His power surpasses all understanding. He has given us power through His Son Jesus Christ. Once you have Jesus within you, you no longer are fighting alone.
Your spirit and flesh battle each other constantly in this world. When you let go and let Jesus step in for you, He will do amazing things. You are not tagging in an equal. You are choosing a superior, One who has defeated what you are going through right now. Your power comes through Him.
Whenever you are afraid, His peace overcomes it.
He gives you comfort and joy even in the terrifying times of your life.
You have to trust Him.
You have to let go.
Stop trying to deal with everything on your own.
You don’t have the strength to battle without the armor of God.
You may find relief for a short time in medication, hobbies, or other substitutes that pass the time. But there is no replacement for Jesus. He is the prince of peace. He is the only One that defeated death and rose again, vanquishing the sin of the world and all that comes with it.
I pray you will find His peace in this difficult time. If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, I pray that you open the door when He knocks. He will not give up on you. You do not have to be afraid, He is always with you.
The state of emergency to stop the spread of the coronavirus prompted the evaluation of places to be “essential” and “non-essential.” I understand this concept well as a nurse because it’s similar to the triage of what’s important and urgent against what is non-urgent. But how are you supposed to grasp that a place where you’ve come to know God, joyfully worship Him, and fellowship with His children is non-essential?
You may feel like a wandering sheep looking for your shepherd now that many churches have closed. It’s disheartening to think of you and your fellow Christians to be without a place to meet God.
The moment you set foot in the building, you know you are in a special place. You immediately feel at home. You know there are people you can trust all around you and feel invigorated by the Holy Spirit. It’s a time to sing praise and have fellowship in the good news of Jesus Christ. Your kids are safe and happy when learning in the daycare during the service. It’s a place you can truly be filled with joy.
But church isn’t the building, it’s the people.
You are part of the church led by Jesus Christ. He is the High Priest and King of Kings. He said where two or more are gathered, I am there (Matt 18:20, NKJV). There’s no instruction saying you have to go to a building to worship Him. The most important part of being a Christian is having a relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s an intimate, daily walk with Him. Submissive and humble to His instruction in your life. The Holy Spirit comes into your life as a gift when you receive Jesus as your Savior, not because you entered a specific building. Your body is your temple.
The relationship you have with Jesus Christ is an unbreakable bond that no man can destroy. It doesn’t matter what is going on in your life, your connection with Him is entirely yours. You don’t need a church building to foster it. You just need to give Him the time.
We are all part of His church. We are essential.
In America, we see mega-churches becoming a popular trend. When I see thousands of people gathering to celebrate Jesus it absolutely warms my heart. All those people reaching out to Him is glorious! But sometimes the church is more simple than that.
It’s you with your friend who desperately needs to talk. Your friend is going through a difficult time and needs to be encouraged by your faith and comfort. She needs you to pray for her, so hold her hand and pray together.
Jesus is there.
Those moments won’t always occur in the church, but rather in your everyday life. Your heart needs to be centered on Jesus, so you can be ready to provide the faith gift He needs you to use to minister to His people. We are all part of His church. There is no shortage of people who need the encouragement that you can provide through your faith and love in Him.
3 essential attributes of the church
1. God-Centered
Jesus said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matt 7:15, NKJV). The truth is God’s word. False teachings that involve self-centered concepts are rampant throughout the world. Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God who came to earth, fully man and fully God, to sacrifice Himself for the salvation of the world. He died and rose again after He defeated death. This is the truth from the word of God. You know the truth when you test the spirits and whether they confess Jesus is the Son of God. “By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:2-3, NKJV).
God’s word has to be the center of the church, or it’s not of God. Jesus is His living Word, who became flesh (John 1:14, NKJV). Wolves in sheep’s clothing are those that twist and turn God’s word to be for their own benefit. When Satan tried to tempt Jesus, He used God’s word but manipulated it to try and make Him falter. These ways, whether intentional or not, are not of God and have serious repercussions.
2. Relationship with Jesus
The way you meet Him and learn with Him does not have to be within a church building. You can meet Him every morning in your room when praying. You can be part of mission trips that reach out to people desperately(new word) in need of Him. Maybe on your way to work, you listen to a bible study or podcast. Or even late at night when everyone in your house is asleep, you like to read and pray. The way you spend time with Jesus is between you and Him. Therefore, the most important thing is that it occurs.
3. The People
One of the best parts of the church is the fellowship. Fellowship with other people who have a love for Jesus like you is indescribable. It gives you hope. You see other people trying to live a life just like you. They struggle, they’re not perfect, and they don’t judge you for your mistakes. A church of people filled with humility is truly sharing the mission of Jesus. You can find comfort in their grace. You celebrate the life of Jesus together in a way that fosters the purpose in your heart for God. These people help you in your difficult times and celebrate your joyous moments.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
People thirsty for the truth, but can’t find it, are like wandering sheep. They need a shepherd to care for them and lead them. The shepherd nurtures the sheep and does whatever it takes to make sure they are safe. Anyone who doesn’t care for the sheep leaves them to face the wolves alone. Jesus is the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd knows His sheep, and they know Him. They hear His voice and see the way. “I am the good shepherd and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10: 14-15, NKJV).
The bond of Christ to His church is like the marriage bond between a husband and wife. The wife is submissive to her husband as she is to God. The husband honors and loves his wife. He gives himself for her, and loves her as he loves himself. “For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church” (Eph 5:29, NKJV).
Christ is the Husband and we are the wife. “For we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones” (Eph 5:30, NKJV). We submit to Him out of love and He cleanses us through Himself.
Christ wants you to walk in wisdom and understanding. Spend time with Him to realize His will for your life so you can grow in your knowledge. You can trust in Him. He will never separate Himself from you.
In this world, people are driven by their own needs. It is purely human nature. Our flesh is a relentless beast who continuously needs to eat. When it goes hungry, it throws a tantrum to get its way RIGHT NOW! It doesn’t care about anything and anyone else. Its only goal is to eat! The more food it gets, the more it wants. It is never satisfied.
What kind of food do you ask?
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21, NKJV).
… Beware of people who do not have good intentions
Paul explains all the works of the flesh, which are the “food” for the beast. The only person who’s ever walked this earth that is innocent is Jesus Christ. Every single human being has fallen victim to the flesh beast in some way with one of these acts. Not one person is better than the next because we all have this flesh desire within us through the nature of sin. It’s not our place to judge others. However, Jesus wants us to be aware of people who do not have good intentions.
As a Christian person, I know that I am guilty of those sinful ways Paul describes. I have accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, and I rely on His Holy Spirit to guide me. Once I accepted Jesus, it didn’t remove the ways of my flesh from me. I learned the truth about my habits and the grace God gave me. I still struggle with them because I am weak in my flesh.
How many times has that happened to you?
As soon as I have an outburst of anger, or there is dissension in my heart, I’m convicted. I have to continuously step aside and let the Holy Spirit work, so I don’t feed the flesh beast. It’s really hard not to react to certain things in my flesh.
Stressors occur in my life, and no matter how short-lived it puts me in a raw state. I’m running on adrenaline and not thinking as clearly as I would otherwise.
Jesus knows all of this because He searches my heart, just as He searches yours.
We have a pillar of strength in Jesus to help us, convict us, and correct us through His love and salvation.
People who have not accepted Jesus as their Savior don’t have the same outlook. They don’t have the pull of the Holy Spirit within them to guide them with the fruits of the Spirit. When Jesus taught about false prophets, He wanted His disciples (and us) to be aware of people who will try to deceive them, use them, and devour their spirit.
He wanted you to know how to spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They can use kindness to shield their true intentions. They want something and they’ll trick you until they get it. You won’t even know until it seems like it’s too late.
Jesus says, “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?”
Someone can tell you one thing, but you will know their priorities by what they do. Really study how they spend their time and how they treat other people. You will see if they are a sheep or a wolf. We are all sinners; however, people who are far from God will not have the kind of loving fear of Him that you do.
The fruits of the spirit are love, kindness, gentleness, long-suffering, joy, peace, faithfulness, and self-control. Remember this when selecting those whom you spend time. Those who are sharing bad fruit may surprise you. In these situations, it’s essential to remain humble but aware.
You know how to spot the wolf in sheep’s clothing, now what?
Let it go. Don’t try to figure it out or analyze everything until you can’t think anymore. It’s wasted time to try and understand why. It just doesn’t have to do with you. It’s not about you. People like this will choose themselves over you every time.
Jesus warns against this because He wants you to put on the armor of God. He doesn’t want you to be deceived by them and pulled away from His purpose in your life. He is your personal Savior and wants to have a relationship with you. The Holy Spirit will help you have discernment about people around you.
Once you know how to spot the wolf in sheep’s clothing, here are five ways to arm yourself:
1. Pray every day
Building a relationship with Jesus will bring you closer to Him. The closer you are, the more you are filled with the Holy Spirit. You start to live your life for Him and not yourself. You begin to see His purpose for you and have an overwhelming peace
2. Read
Get in the word of God. The farther you are from it, the less you will remember. Know the truth by going right to the source. You may be surprised at how you can read the same verse many times, but on a particular day, it will have a different meaning to you.
3. Trust God to guide you through it
There are always tough times in life. Often at these times, certain people may show up to provide a seemingly effortless way out. Trust God and ask for understanding. He’ll show you the way.
4. Seek Counsel
If there is someone near you that has a strong love for God, seek them out. Jesus says you will “know them by their fruits” (Matt 7:16). You will know the faithful members of Jesus’ church because they will share the truth from God’s word. They are the people who are honest with you when others simply tell you what you want to hear. It may not always be the “leaders” in the church. Remember, know them by their fruits.
5. Obedience
The most important thing you can do is to listen to God. It’s so simple, yet so hard for us to do in our flesh. Listening to God’s voice and not your own when making choices in your life will help you have a greater awareness. The more you submit, the more He will guide you toward people and situations for His purpose. It takes practice every single day.
I hope you feel encouraged by this, and choose to spend time with God to have a good sense of discernment in your life. Please feel free to comment on the struggle to spot the wolves in your own life.
We have parts of ourselves that we wish didn’t exist. It could be a perceived flaw in our character or mistakes we’ve made in the past.
Those mistakes are often the ones we don’t tell anyone about.
We want to silence the regret to make it easier to move forward. Forget about it until it goes away. Sometimes you don’t even realize how much your past affected your choices because it’s buried so deep in your heart. It just burns inside of you until the smoke wakes you up one day and clouds your mind with grief.
Don’t let your regret bind you up any longer.
Trying to start over with a clean slate without facing it doesn’t remove the hurt. Accountability for what you have done helps you confess it to God. You can ask Jesus to forgive you. He’ll set you free.
Jesus is the rock in which you can stand, and no longer be enslaved by guilt. Not one person on this Earth is perfect and every one of us has made sinful mistakes.
Your purpose is not your pain
Your purpose is your heart, rebuilt from that pain through Jesus Christ.
You are the walking testimony of the work in your heart. If your heart is filled with hate or sorrow, you can’t share the goodness that is inside of you. Once you accept Jesus into your life as your personal Savior the Holy Spirit fills you with the fruits of His Spirit. You no longer have to be bonded to your sin because He has already removed it from you.
Letting go of the guilt that binds you is a choice you have.
But it’s not what saves you. Jesus has already paid the price for you. It’s not about you being worthy to accept His gift, it’s about Him being worthy to sacrifice. Take the focus off your sin and focus it on His grace. If you don’t know how to do that start by talking to Him. Ask Him to search your heart and remove the thorns within it.
You are the witness to what God is doing in your life.
You are the tablet He uses to share His love. That time when you were kind to someone for no other reason but because it was “the right thing to do” is a page in that book. The time you showed mercy to someone who’s hurt you or cried with someone who’s needed encouragement is your heart sharing that love with others.
What’s important is moving forward from the mistakes. Once you believe in Jesus as the Son of God you are a new creation.
You can embrace God’s purpose for you once your surrender
That doesn’t mean that you must forget about your past, it just means you don’t let it dictate your future. Many people around you may not see the change inside you or have an opinion about it. Even if that happens that doesn’t mean you aren’t different. Change in any person starts from the inside, with your heart, mind, and your spirit.
You believe but maybe those closest to you don’t. You know that He is the Son of God who chose to die and rise again so you could have eternal life through Him. You are a new creation, but your family remembers what you’ve done. They will be more skeptical than any new person you meet because they witnessed your sins and mistakes. They knew you as the person you once were. Until their heart is filled with the love and acceptance that Christ brings, they won’t be able to accept the change as a true transformation. This brings division into your household.
This is why it’s so important to be humble and kind.
You can impact those very people that question you by witnessing every single day in your life simply being who Christ called you to be. Sharing the fruits of the Spirit, which are love, peace, joy, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, long-suffering, goodness, and self-control.
You are not going to change their heart, only God/Christ can do that. You are the branch; He is the vine that provides you the nourishment you need to share the fruit.
Remember you are not the rule, you’re the exception.
There will be many people you encounter in your life that won’t understand nor want to be a part of the love you have inside for God and Jesus. You can’t change their heart, but you can exhibit the change on your own. You are the vessel for the living word of God inside you. Your heart is His tablet. Your life is His legacy.
You have a story just like your patients. You hurt, you feel, you grieve, you break … but you are resilient. You aren’t defined by the situations you’ve experienced, but by the compassion and desire in your heart. God is with you while you heal and support your patients. He is there when you need it too.
Today, one of them is in trouble.
She is young but experienced in hospital years. She wants a normal life, but can’t breathe easy on her own. She has become dependent on the medicine that is supposed to help, not hurt. Her family is tired and doesn’t come around as much as they used to. She is stuck in the gown that never ends.
You stop by her room because her monitor is off and you want to see if she’s ok. She is lying on the bed. You immediately know something is wrong. You hope she’s sleeping because she hasn’t in two days.
You run to the bedside and see she’s lying on her side, barely breathing. She isn’t wearing the oxygen she needs. All of her attachments were ripped off like they were suffocating her.
You put the oxygen on her face and notice her lips are partially blue. You scream for help. You check for a pulse.
Is that a pulse? I barely feel it … wait … is that it?
You roll her on her back. You try to get the monitor and pulse ox attached to her afraid of what it will say. You work quickly but time stands still. You check for a pulse. Is it there? Faintly I feel it. Yes!!! I feel it … barely… but it’s there.
You yell at her … then talk to her … then yell again.
Help shows up … finally! Another person checking for a pulse. Barely convinced. A team starts working together on pieces of her like she’s a puzzle on a timer. IV lines, pads on her chest, lift the bed, prepare for intubation, run the blood pressure cuff, get the medications ready …
It’s time for you to speak to the team about what happened, but it’s still happening.
It was so long ago when you first walked in the room. You look at the clock. It’s been 9 minutes?! You need to be beside her. She knows you. She’ll listen to you. You just talked to her yesterday about things she wanted to do in her life. She just said how she was going “to start writing again and do something” with her life.
Wait, don’t call her that, she won’t respond to that name.
You feel a ball of hurt rise in your chest but you stuff it down and stay calm. You tell the team about her history and what happened when you walked in. Her doctor is there to back you up, but doesn’t know what you know.
What’s happening? You see people huddled around her head trying to do something.
They’re trying to help her sit up. Is she awake? No wait, they’re turning her. The respiratory therapist is at the head of the bed about to assist the doctor with the breathing tube.
She’s sedated … or was she already?
You feel like you should be next to her talking to her, but you’re a bystander. You don’t want to get in the way but you’re the only real support she has. Is she breathing yet? Is she dying? She’s dying … But I thought she would get the antibiotics and get better. She just did so well yesterday. We talked yesterday.
The tube is in.
Ok, now what. What’s the plan? Should I ask? No, I’ll just listen … ICU, but do they know her? Did anyone call her family? Even though they haven’t been here in a month …
“I’ll help you take her over there … Karen can you watch my patients?”
“It’s ok, we got it” The ICU nurse says to you, approvingly but confirming that your work here is done.
Now what? Saying a prayer for her is the best intervention you can offer.
A couple days afterward you still see her name on your patient list in the medical record just in the different location. Her name immediately reminds you of what happened.
You move on.
You have other patients. You can’t think about her because you get so worried it makes you feel sick. You want to know how she is, but can’t bear to look.
Two weeks later you see one of the respiratory therapists in the hall on your way to the cafeteria. You know he knows about her. Should you ask? He beats you to it.
“Hey did you hear about the patient you sent over a couple weeks ago?” He said glumly.
“No, is she ok?”
“Well, she passed away last night. She wasn’t doing well. Every time we tried to wean her off the vent she got worse. She got pneumonia and just couldn’t pull through”
Bam! A freight train right in the chest.
Why!? She was so young! What did I do? What didn’t I do? She was supposed to start writing again.
The tears welled up so fast, the strong nurse mask was unable to hide them. Right there in the hallway to the cafeteria you were crying. You just felt it.
You carry with you the death, pain, and sorrow. Your patients are part of you, no matter how hard you try to separate yourself. Separating yourself from the compassion would remove the part of you that made you want to be a nurse in the first place.
Where there is death, there once was a life you helped.
Where there is pain, you once provided healing and comfort.
Where there is sorrow, there once was hope.
Some patients you keep in your heart because once they got in there they never left.
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