We all have days in which we are confident in ourselves and our abilities. Days in which we toot our own horn and feel invincible. And then come the other days. The days when we cannot even scrape together a positive attribute to express of ourselves.
On some days, confident like Elijah, we sit on our mountain top and summon our enemies in great numbers in order to witness the strength that is within us (1 Kings 18:19). On these days, we compete not against the weak, but like Elijah, call only for competition with the very best (1 Kings 18:19).
Elijah not only provoked his opponents when he was one against eight hundred and fifty, but in the end, he had all eight hundred and fifty killed (1 Kings 18:27-28; 40). And Elijah’s strength did not stop there! He also prayed and caused fire to burn and consume wood that was immersed in water (1 Kings 18:38). However, of the 850 killed, 400 were the prophets of Asherah who eat at Jezebel’s table and resulted in Jezebel’s vengeance (1 Kings 19: 1-2). The very next day, after facing but a mere threat from one woman, Jezebel, for the killing her prophets, Elijah took her threat to heart, let it consume him, and ran. Even going so far as to ask God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4).
So what is it that caused the mighty man Elijah to waiver from roaring and boasting in the Lord’s confidence, to whimpering away like a mighty lion running from away from its prey?
Elijah let his feelings of the fear of the threat define his standing and cloud his judgement as to what power he truly possessed. Like Elijah, just because we think, feel or fear something, does not make it true. The enemy’s ploy, like Jezebel, is to instil fear in us to the point that we drown out God’s voice and allow the voice of the enemy and his lies to increase. The enemy’s ploy is to have us forget who we are and what we have achieved, and instead focus on the negative, allowing it to eat at us until we can no longer remember the identity and power we possess within.
By the time the enemy was done with Elijah, Elijah remembered not who he had been, nor the power he had in his corner, and the great miracle of yesterday had been all but erased from his thoughts.
Like Elijah, we cannot let our thoughts, our fears, nor our feelings dictate the ending of our setbacks of today. Those perceived setbacks are but in fact our set up for our future come up of tomorrow. Just because we feel or think a certain way does not mean that we should run with those thoughts and feelings. Negative thoughts and feelings which do not line up with what God says of us should be drowned out immediately with the Word of God. When negative thoughts and feelings creep in, we must remember that the opposite is true and speak out that truth to muzzle the lies of the enemy:
• I feel like a failure – I am not a failure. I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:35 –39). Though I may have fallen seven times, yet will I rise again (Proverbs 24:16). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).
• I feel so stupid – I am not stupid. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and made in the very image of God with His likeness and intelligence (Psalms 139:14; Genesis 1:27).
• I feel so lost – Jesus take the wheel, I cast all burdens to You (Psalms 55:22).
• I feel so broken – God put me together and make me strong (Psalm 147:3; Joel 3:10).
The Word of God will tell you who you are. And who you are is a warrior! You are not the prey and therefore your thoughts and feelings should not dictate your identity. Just because you feel or think a certain way does not make it true. In the same way that you might feel like a Ferrari but that feeling will not make you a car, we are more than the sum of our feelings. We possess within us the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. This is the truth we must hold to in our times of doubt and fear.
We can feel and think a lot of things, but the only thing that matters and holds true are the feelings and thoughts that line up with what God says about us as his children and friends.
©Katie Mliswa and MomentsbyKatie.M, 2018.
