The Source of Attack

The saying "when it rains, it pours", well that is true. But do you know why that's true? 

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

It's true because we have an adversary that seeks to harm and destroy us!

Look at the instructions, "be sober-minded, be watchful"

Sober-minded doesn't just mean be sober, it means have a sober mind that knows and seeks truth. It means having an honest perception. 

What happens when we don't follow instructions? Well, let me tell you, lots of dysfunction! Those attacks, they seem more frequent and stronger! 

I have people that have consequential influence in my life that are not sober minded. I see them under attack and then I see blame kick in. What's going on is they aren't able to see the true source of the attack. It's one of the enemy's tricks, to deflect blame from himself and then he uses us to attack one another. 

So where is the break in generational dysfunction here?

 When we come under that last straw and want to break down from all the "rain pouring", we can identify that we are under an attack from the enemy and answer the call to battle spiritual warfare.  We can clothe ourselves in the full armor. We recognize the importance of being a team and NOT helping the enemy by taking our feelings and frustrations out on another. We can claim victory through Jesus! 

It's time to stop letting the enemy's attacks go by unrecognized. It's time to take back his ability to wreak havoc in our lives! 

A grateful believer in Jesus Christ, 

~Johnna 

How to win the blame game

When we blame others, it's not just because they may have done something harmful. Blame is something so much more dangerous. It's a stronghold the enemy uses to keep us in oppression. We use blame to play the victim. It deflects us from seeing and accepting our part.  

We learn in Matthew that blame in fact, makes us blind!!

Matthew 7:3-5 ESV 

"Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."

When I first came to recovery I was covered in the denial that anything was wrong with me. I blamed the situations in my life on the actions of everyone else. I was blind to my part. I couldn't and wouldn't take responsibility for my own actions and even reactions which were often much more horrible than the other persons initial action. 

I have had to learn to accept my part in situations, even when I may react to someone else's offense. I can't let blame cover me in denial and make my heart hard. Looking outward, causes me to to remain outward. God is interested on the inward. He wants my heart. 

I have come to recognize the need to blame as a trigger and I begin to intentionally look inside of me. When I do that, my need to blame others no longer has a hold of me. It becomes an indicator rather than a dictator. 

When we successfully began to recognize and redirect the need to blame, we can claim victory. For what the enemy has tried to instill as a stronghold, now releases us into a place where Jesus can work on our hearts. It's when our hearts are open, we can truly see the work God is doing in us. This is how we can win the blame game! 

Next time you want to blame someone else, can you find minute to be still and ask, "what's my part in this?" 

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ, 

Johnna 

Celebrate Recovery

Please feel free to share, you may know someone struggling, and this ministry changes lives. 

Celebrate Recovery is a recovery program based on the 12 steps, their biblical comparisons and 8 principles based on the beatitudes. This program allows recovery for many people on multiple levels seeking freedom from Hurts, Habits, and Hangups including issues of  abuse, grief, addiction, alcoholism, codependency, depression. Those strongholds that stop us from living our lives full of purpose. 

The Landing is available for teenagers, celebration station for children, and pre-covery for little ones. 

Celebrate Recovery is a safe place with lots of support for entire families searching for a way from generational dysfunction. There are groups all over the US. Closest to me are Chickasha, Duncan, and Lawton. 

I share this because so many people are out their struggling and often alone. I pray for them to find the entrance to our doors. We are waiting to hug them and love them and hold their hands while they start their own journey to freedom.

A Grateful Believer in Jesus Christ

~Johnna