Wounds to Weapons

Many times in life we fail but the key to life is how you perceive those failures. There is a quote that I adore and it says "never a failure, always a lesson." This quote embraces the resilience and perseverance needed to succeed in life. Especially as a "child of God" because we do have a target on our backs whether you perceive it or not. We are at WAR! We entered a spiritual warfare since the day you were conceived and the enemy is always ready to attack. As stated in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." We have a choice and most of us will perish due to lack of knowledge, preparation for battle and lack of strategy.

Our world is changing and we must prepare and gather our weapons, not the carnal weapons but the spiritual weapons. The answer is in the same verse. We must choose Jesus Christ as he is the way only way to life. Our wounds were never meant to lead us to death and destruction but to equip us with testimony, faith and fight (passion). I have learned that I would not be here if it were not for all that I had to endure and overcome. My passion to win souls is ignited because I almost lost mine due to lack of knowledge, poor leadership and rebellion. I share my story to inspire and motivate you to get prepared because you are still here and have God's purpose to fulfill. NEVER QUIT!

I have been through many trials and tribulations and I am sure you have also been through some trauma. Our trauma becomes our beauty when we see that we are connected to people usually because of what we've been through. We open up and understand those who have had similar struggles. We feel seen, heard and understood and no matter what the world tries to say about individualism. We thrive on community and most importantly need others to find value in ourselves. A quote from Gods word in John 16:33 states “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

I share this verse to provide comfort but also to remind you that all humans will fail or disappoint you at some point. However, God is our rock, he is our foundation that remains durable and trustworthy. We can always put our faith and trust in him because his word never fails. In my life I have failed to keep my own word to myself and others have failed to keep their word and its resulted in a severe trust wound. I am healing that trust wound by turning to the one I can trust. Many of us fail to meet expectations and that is our nature and its our currency. We all strive to be good people or do what is right but we often are led by sources that are rooted in deception and lies. Who do we trust? In a world that thrives on corruption, deceit and control its hard not to be entangled with narcissism at some point in our life. The key is to learn from those experiences and return to truth.

The truth lies in Proverbs 3:5 which instructs us to "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;" As someone who was bound by intellect I often struggled to trust others but I also fell into my own pride thinking that I knew all the answers. When parents, coaches, mentors fail to lead you in the right direction or fail to lead themselves and provide a good example. It often distorts our identity, self esteem and relationships that we encounter and attract into our lives. We are all products of our environment and the truth is we often don't always get to control our environments. We often endure trauma and unbearable circumstances and find someone to blame. Instead I have learned that our inner world will always reflect our outer world.

Instead of focusing on what you can't control learn to give your troubles to the one that can control it. Focus on the things that you can control because that is where all the preparation, wisdom and knowledge is gathered, so that, you are ready to use your weapons when needed. We often play a victim role in our lives due to circumstances, blame and fear. I am here to encourage you to change your perception and who you trust. Once you remember that you are a child of God created with purpose and on purpose then fear dissipates and you begin to become the warrior God intended for you to be. You are no longer a wounded animal but a strong warrior who has many experiences and insight. The verse that reminds me that I am in training is Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

We are learning and sharing the good news everyday. The good news is that we are the weapons, we possess the power and the DNA to overcome all darkness and evil that we may encounter. Our goal is to have our weapons ready for deployment when our King Jesus returns! You can have a gun but if you never practice how to use it or load the gun then you are not ready. Same principal applies you have to prepare and get ready. When we walk in the power and authority that God gives us we begin to walk in our authority. Let us live ready so we do not have to get ready. Our trauma, our failures, our shortcomings are the lessons to build our character and our artillery of weapons.

Ephesians 6:10-18 : The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.