Good morning! I wanted to take a moment to be candid with my readers. Lately, it’s been a bumpy road. I went through about six months of active duty trainng for the Army National Guard. Basic Combat Training composed the first half of my training which involved an extremely strict and restrictive environment. This is where I was able to see God’s goodness in my life because the experience was emotionaly and mentally tough. I held on to Christ and depended on Him as I endured the training. The second half was Advanced Individual Training. This is where things went downhill. Although it was still a strict enviorment, restrictions did ease up a bit, and I enjoyed a level of freedom that I didn’t have previously. I got distracted and when I came back home, I felt stressed and discouraged. But I’m thankful to have friends that encourage me to continue seeking God. I’m also thankful for God Himself. I just want to get back up and continue to fight the good fight.
Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. – 1 Timothy 6:12
Paul tells us in 1 Timothy 6:12 to fight the good fight of faith. I understand that I’m not a perfect human being. It’s not an excuse to sin. But I’m reminded that I’m imperfect and it helps me to depend on Christ more. When I realize that the only opinion of me that matters is God’s, I can go about my day not worrying about what others think about me. I make mistakes and some of those mistakes weigh heavy on me. I know that I impact the people around me. Knowing that I have a son makes me want to fight for something better. That’s why I’m thankful; for family, friends, and above all, God. I’m thankful that God has still put the desire to seek Him in my heart.
I’m going to make an effort to focus on today. There’s nothing I can do about the past and that’s okay. At the end of the day God’s opinion matters more than what I or others think about me. Life is short (But hopefully I can have a long one) so it’s time get up to continue fighting the good fight. Problems come and go. They’ll never end. As a soldier now (crazy that I’m actually able to say that now), I worry more about the political climate and our foreign policy. I’ve always been anti-war but even more so now. There’s one thing I’ll always remember from my time in Basic Combat Training. The Chaplain told me that it all comes down to trust and encouraged me to read Psalm 23 and to really engrave it into my heart.
The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life, And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23
I was feeling anxious and I went up to the Chaplain to ask for advice. He told me that it all comes down to trust. He told me that a lot of times the Word is in our head, but not in our hearts. He recommended I read Psalm 23. I did, and I repeated it over and over again until God began to fill me with a sense of peace and comfort. I trusted God and knew that wherever He took me it was for His namesake. Maybe I don’t understand the “why’s?” of life. But I do know that God is in control. When we put God first, He’ll guide our steps in paths of righteousness.
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