Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. Be strong, and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” 2 Samuel 10:9-12 (NIV)

We’re almost to the end of January! Thank you so much for following and reading the past 27 days. I hope something I wrote blessed or encouraged you. For the remaining four days, we’re going to be talking about readying ourselves to fight for victory this year.

I never could have imagined just how tough my battles would be when I was diagnosed with my illnesses. My life is so much more than fighting pain; I didn’t realize it would involve sparring with bitterness, struggling with depression, and brawling with hopelessness. It is a knock-down, drag-out, heavyweight match with myself, the enemy, and sometimes, unashamedly, God. If you have a chronic illness, you have already won many battles; you have proved to yourself and everyone else that you have the strength to accomplish whatever you want. It hasn’t always looked pretty, but YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN VICTORIOUS.

So, let’s move forward. As a preface, I want to say that this post isn’t meant to be discouraging. Its purpose is to assist in zoning in on what we want and what we’re willing to do to get there. Deciding you don’t want to fight when you’re already on the battlefield is not a good idea. So, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty to finish out the month. You’ve (hopefully) thought about or written down what areas you want to be victorious in this year, so on to preparation:

Are you willing to fight until the very end? 

I have had issues with completing what I start; I typically begin projects and new ventures with excitement and anticipation, only for it all to fizzle out. It’s plagued me nearly all my life – as a child, my coloring books were always half-done because every time I went outside of the lines, I would get frustrated and move on to a new page. It’s a cycle that has permeated other areas in my life like relationships, jobs, and self-growth. I’ve come to realize that there are a couple of reasons why I (we) quit the fight before the bell rings. First, we aren’t fully invested in the cause. If we have an assignment that we’re not interested or don’t see the value in, we’re less likely to see it through to the end (and if it’s a difficult, personally invaluable task, forget about it). So, if there’s anything on your list of “to conquers” that is not of full value to you, you may want to consider removing it (at least for now). That battle would best be fought under conditions where your heart is completely in it.  The second reason is, as previously discussed, insecurity. When we see a battle in front of us, doubt can begin to seep in. “What if this isn’t really what I’m supposed to be doing?” “Maybe I’m not cut out for this.” “I don’t have the strength to fight.” Those are thoughts that only serve to stop you, not advance you. The enemy knows it’s easier to win the battle before it starts, so he will throw everything at you to get you to bow out. Are you confident enough to continue moving when the battle gets difficult? Remember, you already have victories in your pocket; use those to remind yourself that you have what it takes to win.

Do You Have a Troop to Fight with You?

In other words, do you have people you can go to when things get tough? Who do you call when you need prayers or advice? Better yet, will you let down your pride to ask for help when you need it?

In the verses above Joab split up his army – some went with him and the others went with his brother. The pact was made so that if one side of the troops was overwhelmed, the other would come to their rescue. Who can you trust to come to your aid when you are under pressure? Who can you call in confidence to say “I need you to pray for me”? At the least, who can be a trustworthy accountability partner for you? It could be your spouse, parent, friend, minister, whoever- just find someone whom you can confide in and who can encourage you. Pray for one if you need, or ask God to let you see whom that person is in your life. So many people are trying to battle on their own when there are people around them who God placed there to be a resource.

Which brings me to my next point – are you actually utilizing the blessings God has placed around you? Does pride get in the way of you reaching out for help? I’ve had to learn (and I’m still learning) that people are waiting to pray for and assist you. Recently, a sister friend texted me in the middle of a health issue I was experiencing. I had planned on not telling anyone, because I was trying to downplay it as nothing. But I told her anyway. Later, she told me that I need to start telling her when things happen so she can pray for me. It was a wake-up call that I was still stuck in “do it all myself” mode. Don’t let stubbornness block God’s intervention (through others).

You do not have to fight battles alone. First, we must call on God. Second, we need to start taking advantage of the people around us – God purposely puts people in your life to encourage you, pray for you, and fight by your side when you are overwhelmed. And in the same way they can bless you, you can also be a blessing to them.

I will leave you with this: The last verse of the above passage says “Be strong, and let us fight bravely […]. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.” Whatever you’re up against this year, remember that God is in control, and that He’s a GOOD GOD. Commit to your battles and face them with courage and strength with His goodness in mind. Round up the people that can pray with you, reassure you, and hold you accountable. Be confident moving forward.

Food for Thought: Are you willing to see your goals through the end of this year, even if it’s burdensome? Who are the people around you that you can use as your “army”? Your job is to prepare and fight with strength and boldness; the Lord will do the rest.