Levi Lusko of Fresh Life Church gives us three crucial instructions for putting a line in the sand and deciding to fight for the person God intended us to be.
Key Takeaway
We can be our own worst enemy when we allow ourselves to be taken away by our thoughts and feelings. The enemy loves to attack our minds. But God has called us to greater things. It may be hard, but the more take every thought captive to Christ, the more we will walk in victory.
So many times, we feel like we are absolutely stuck and have no hope of getting out of the pit. We become the version of ourselves that we don't want to be. A bad mood becomes a bad day, and we use the bad day to justify our actions and treatment of others.
But Lamentations 3:23 tells us that God's mercies are new every morning. We can have new mercies every hour if we need them. We don't have an excuse to stay where we are.
Our society places such a high value on "authenticity" that we allow ourselves to be led into sin because of our feelings and lack of self-control. But it means more to God when we choose to obey Him despite what our feelings say and what we want to do. It blesses His heart so much when we don't feel like doing it, but we do it anyway.
We don't see the dysfunction in our own lives because we are blind to it. We've tolerated it so long that we don't even recognize it as being dysfunctional. Do you manage yourself well? Do you know your EQ (emotional quotient)? Are you in control of your feelings so you can control your actions?
To the degree we are able to lead ourselves, we are actively able to give control of our lives to God, and it will lead to the life Jesus died for us to have.
We are in a war. It's the devil who wants to destroy us, the world that will oppose us as we seek to follow Jesus and ourselves. We are masters of self-sabotage. Romans 7:15 points out that we constantly do what we don't want to do. Our biggest problem is "Me, Myself, and I". It's time to get honest in the fight and stop justifying. We can't write the story of a victim when we are victors in Christ.
If we don't declare war, we'll never enter into the life that God has for us.
Wolves, as creatures, are pretty incredible. It's why the enemy tries to tie himself to the idea of them. They are pack animals, highly empathetic, and really good with authority; they encourage each other, are tender and loving, and practice adoption. They are fierce warriors and loving nurturers at the same time. Jesus defines this in Himself. He is strong and tender. He is on mission, but will still look for us.
So, how do we declare war?
1) We have to control the high ground.
- If you want to demolish strongholds, you must take every thought captive. If there is any area where the enemy wants to get a toe hold and turn it into a stronghold so he can pull a chokehold, it's your thought life. High grounds are critical to winning a battle. You can't live right if you don't think right. It's called a "train of thought" because it is going to take you somewhere...do you want to go there?
2) Raise your voice.
- Ask for help. Jesus knew there were rings of relationships He needed in His life. The way you speak can save your life. Ask people to pray for you and be with you. Make the call and send the text if you are thinking of someone who might need encouragement.
3) Keep showing up.
- Be present, and don't give up. Do the hard thing. Persevere. Things take time.
Discussion Questions
What are the outcomes when you allow a bad mood to become a bad day?
What does Lamentations 3:23 say? How is this an encouragement? How can you apply this in every moment of every day?
Pastor Levi Lusko gave the example of his family calling a lamp a Christmas tree because they forgot to relabel an outlet in an app. They didn't recognize it as dysfunctional after a while. Have you ever repeatedly done something strange that you didn't realize until someone pointed it out to you?
How do you self-sabotage your own life?
What were the three things mentioned that we are at war with?
How does Romans 7:15 play out in day-to-day life?
What characteristics about wolves are most intriguing to you? Do you know anyone who possesses the good characteristics of a wolf? How does John 10:12 describe the enemy? What does he do?
In what ways can you take your thoughts captive? Why must we do this if we are going to survive? See 2 Corinthians 10:5-6
Who do you have in your life that you can ask to come alongside you and pray for you when you need it? Who do you need to be willing to set things aside to help if they ask?
God calls us to hard things. What are you having to battle through and keep facing currently?
Scripture References
