Author: Ernestina Tswele

I am passionate about sharing biblical truths with the body of Christ, transforming complex insights into clear, accessible wisdom that fosters deep spiritual understanding.
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As He is, so are we in this world

[17] Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. [18] There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. [19] We love Him because He first loved us.
(1 John 4:17-19)

Verses 16–18 are entirely about love, abiding in God, and fear being cast out by love. There is no exegetical seam through which health, wealth, or dominion can enter. The interpreter has to import that from outside the passage entirely.

Verse 17 does not imply the following:

  • Since Jesus has received all power, victory,and dominion, that means so too do we have this reality in the present age
  • He cannot be infirmed by any sickness or afflicted by demons therefore we share in that.
  • He is in a state of perpetual victory at the right hand of the Father therefore we will never experience any calamity.

That is how this passage is mainly taught however that is not what it means. When we import an inaccurate meaning to scripture or apply bad hermaneutics, we completely miss the message it was meant to convey. Consequently, the truth it was meant to communicate is truncated. We fail to appreciate the text and the God who inspired it the way we would have had it been properly exegeted.

So what does this scripture mean and what are its implications

In verse 16 John speaks concerning love, us abiding in God who is love and him abiding in us. This is meant for us who are saved. According to verse17, the reason we can have confidence for the day of judgement is because as Christ is, so are we in this world. This does not mean we have ontological equivalence or we share in his status as God. He is accepted by the Father and so are we in this world and even on the day of judgement. Our acceptance, boldness and confidence before the Father is based on Christ’s standing, not our degree of sanctification or performance. This is meant to unburden the believer, remove any lingering shame of coming to the Father, big brother mindest as seen in Luke 15 or any orphan mindset. This scripture grants the believer confidence in a Person, Christ! This causes us to see the grace, mercy and love of God for us. He has unburdened us. This is supposed to evoke more awe at his grace, not point us to the dominion Christ won for us, which ultimately points to us.

What the text is doing or meant to accomplish is what Ephesians 2:8-9 does; By grace through faith are we saved not by works so that no man can boast. When we marvel at the sheer mercy of the Lord toward us while we were yet sinners, that awe is precisely supposed to be evoked here. As John Piped says ” God is jealous for his glory” and I believe that is true. The contemporary rendering of this text mininizes and redirects the glory contained in this text. Additionally, the way scriptures are sometimes taught can have this inadvertent effect where believers have an inflated view of themselves that scripture never even implies, with the source being the scriptures that are erroneously interpreted.
The popular reading feels like it’s maximizing; more power, more victory, more dominion. But it’s actually trading something vastly richer: the staggering reality that the God of the universe has accepted broken people in Christ, with full confidence, all the way to the day of judgment. That is the glory John is gesturing at.

Is Christ all powerful and does He possess all authority?Yes. Is the believer invited to walk in victory over the enemy because the Lord triumphed over him?Yes. However this verse is not communicating that. When we add more to this text than it implies we engage in theological extrapolation, which is drawing a broader theologic conclusion from a biblical statement than the statement itself explicitly establishes.

Questions worth considering:

Where does this text point our worship? What is it designed to produce in us as a response to God?John’s intent in 1 John 4:17, read correctly, is to produce wonder at God’s grace, the glory goes to him for accepting us in Christ despite ourselves. The Lord has granted the believer security even for the day of judgement. Our confidence for the day of judgment is not contingent on our performance. Granted, that is not to imply that the believer can live carelessly, for the Lord said we have to walk in the light, as He is in the light. This is to evoke awe at God’s grace and praise Him yet more and more.

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Triumphalism

As believers, we must guard against triumphalism and many of us are to repent of it. This insidious teaching within the body of Christ posits that a scripture must be sought after, found and deployed for every impediment or distress encountered. Rather than leaning on the Lord in difficulty and seeking His will, the triumphalist impulse compels one to seek for an escape route through scripture. This is not faith; it is the appearance of faith without its substance.

At its theological core, triumphalism is a collapsed eschatology. It takes what fits into the consummated kingdom and forces it entirely into the present age, treating the believer as already living in the fullness of resurrection life. The consequence is severe: suffering, unanswered prayer, and seasons of lack are misread as signals of faith failure rather than as normal and purposeful dimensions of the Christian walk.

An attack on the operating conditions of faith

Triumphalism presents itself as the highest expression of faith; bold, declarative ,victorious and sufficiently daring to believe God for everything He promised the believer. Frequently, it possesses a warrior’s mindset to conquer any and all that would stand in its way. Yet, it obliterates the very condition under which genuine faith functions. Faith operates in the tension between what is promised and what is not yet seen.We walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen (Hebrews 11:1). Hope that is already possessed is no longer hope (Romans 8:24).

When triumphalism collapses that gap, insisting on instantaneous and total possession, faith has nothing left to do. It is reduced to technique: the correct words, the correct decrees and the correct frequency of confession. That however is not faith; that is presumption dressed in the vocabulary of faith.

The absence of lament

Triumphalism refuses to acknowledge discomfort and distress. It treats Scripture not as revelation to be submitted to, but as a tool to be deployed in order to control outcomes. A demon is mostly blamed, a curse is presumed and repented of. These avenues are not wrong however to assume that is the posture we ought to assume without initially seeking the Lord is wrong. Many of us assume generational iniquity is operational even when that is not confirmed, and swiftly seek long and arduous prayer points to be liberated. Prayer replaces responsibility, a lack of diligence and discipline is avoided through declarations to create a desired outcome. This posture pushes the Lord away , for He is the God who promised to be with us in trouble (Psalm 91), who calls the believer to cry out to Him in the day of trouble, promising to answer and be glorified (Psalm 50:15). He is not the God who eliminates the valley but the God who accompanies us through it.

The Psalmist declares: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for your rod and your staff comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). The preposition is decisive and unambiguous; through, not around or circumventing. And again: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you will revive me; you will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand will deliver me” (Psalm 138:7). God revives life within trouble. He does not promise the  absence of it.

Scripture is saturated with lament; the Psalms are largely a lament literature. Paul wept frequently while writing letters to the churches, the prophets wept and Christ Himself wept at the tomb of Lazarus. Even with resurrection power in His hands, He did not bypass nor despise the grief beckoned by the moment. Triumphalism would have rebuked the tears.

The incarnation as direct refutation

Triumphalism’s deepest problem is Christological. God in flesh voluntarily entered the full range of human limitation and weakness; hunger, thirst, weariness, grief, temptation, suffering, and death. He did not decree His way out of Gethsemane. He sweat drops of blood and prayed, “not my will, but Yours” this is the language of submission, not of conquest.

Jesus slept in the storm-tossed boat; He did not rebuke the innate need for sleep. He said “I thirst” from the cross and He asked the Samaritan woman for water. Even His glorified resurrection body ate fish with His disciples. Moreover,we do well to note: triumphalism implicitly sets a standard for believers that Christ Himself did not model or inspire. On what theological ground does any system promise permanent exemption from what the incarnate Son of God willingly bore?

Our high priest is not unable to sympathize with our weaknesses; He was tempted in every respect as we are (Hebrews 4:15). He is acquainted with our weaknesses because He lived them. Triumphalism robs believers of that comfort by insisting the weaknesses should not be experienced.

Enemies of the cross

Paul, with tears, warned of those who “walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). They do not necessarily deny Christ’s person; however, they refuse the shape of His cross as the pattern for the believer’s life. Triumphalism is precisely this: a spirituality that migrates in the opposite direction from Christ’s own embodied, suffering, submissive walk. It does not present as submissive or obedient to the established way, it invents a novel one within the framework of the Word. It is against His method, His posture, and His established way. The Psalms are replete with grief, obscurity, questioning the Lord, sorrow, being pursued by adversaries, being afflicted with sickness and crying out to the Lord to bring deliverance. This pattern still exists in our contemporary times. 

The root: a primordial rebellion

The root of triumphalism is not a contemporary doctrinal novelty. It traces to the oldest rebellion in existence. In Isaiah 14, Lucifer’s fall is recorded through five “I will” statements, each an assertion of the will of a creature against the Creator’s sovereignty, culminating in: “I will be like the Most High.” This is the summary of primordial rebellion: a creature’s desire for ontological equivalence with the Creator. This means a creature seeks to be or treated the same with the Lord in essence or nature.

The serpent exported that same rebellion into the human domain: “You shall be like God” (Genesis 3:5). The decree-and-declare mechanism of triumphalism, speaking things into existence, claiming divine creative authority through human proclamations, echoes elements of that ancient temptation in theological, christian attire whether intended or unintended. Believers do not possess creative speech as God does, for He is called Creator for a reason. When human words are treated as constitutive, bringing forth realities by utterance, the creature has been seduced into occupying a position that belongs solely to God.

This is not a new temptation. The prodigal son heard a subtler version of the same lie, that the Father’s inheritance could be retained apart from submission to His authority. He sought to experience the resources without the relationship, the blessing without the submission. Triumphalism seduces the believer with that same ancient promise: that God’s provisions can be leveraged on one’s own terms. The serpent’s deception is still at work.

Consequence

The repercussions of triumphalism are severe. It produces believers who are blessing-focused rather than Christ-centered, relating to Christ primarily as a mechanism through which desired outcomes are secured rather than as the supreme good Himself. Paul’s declaration in Philippians 3:8 — “I count all things as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”  is incomprehensible and utterly unfathomable to a blessing-focused theology. The knowing is the coveted prize, not what the knowing engenders. Hence, the Psalmist stated who do I have in Heaven but you and there is nothing I desire on earth more than you. Triumphalism can submit to this reality so long as circumstances are favorable yet loses its  focus in obscurity whether it be in its own life or other’s. It believes it can decide to go to any location that is clearly ruled by the enemy, decree and declare scriptures that will pull down principalities and enforce a desired outcome. This type of presumption has caused the death of some believers in the body of Christ as noted in John Paul Jackson’s book, Needless casualties of war. God determines the timing, location, and scope of spiritual battles. Believers move only under the explicit direction and sending of the Holy Spirit, not personal ambition. The Lord Jesus came to do the will of the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit. He depended on the revealed will of the Father and not His authority alone to accomplish what He did. The way of the Lord produces sons who are dependent on the Lord to be all He called us to be, nowhere does it promise we will be divine as He is. Paul states in Galatians 2:20 “it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me. The life I live I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave His life for me”. That is the language of dependence. 

Triumphalism looks condescendingly at Job because he cannot confess his way out of suffering and tragedy. It casts blame on the one not experiencing blessing and treats them as a failure for not enforcing Christ’s victory. Like the Pharisees, it places on believers burdens the Lord never intended.

Most gravely, it arrests spiritual maturity. There is growth that can only occur in the valley and these seasons cannot be circumvented through decrees. Scripture sets the standard: “until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). That stature is not produced by declarations, it is forged through the very processes triumphalism refuses.

Behind the stunted maturity lies a deficient and shallow knowledge of God. If one never encounters God in the valley, one knows only one dimension of Him; the God of provision and blessing. But scripture reveals a God who is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), present in suffering (Psalm 23), acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53), and who refines His people in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10). Triumphalism produces believers who know about God’s power but do not know God in the full biblical sense: the intimate, tested, forged knowledge that comes only through the walk He has ordained.

What triumphalism gets right

Any responsible critique must adequately account for the substantive truth contained within triumphalism , namely, that Christ has objectively and decisively secured the victory (Colossians 2:15).

 Believers are more than conquerors (Romans 8:37). We have a genuine inheritance (Ephesians 1:11). Healing, provision, and blessing are biblical realities, not inventions.

The error  is misappropriation and mistiming. Triumphalism takes genuine biblical truth and forces it into a framework it was never designed to carry. It collapses the tension between what Christ secured and what is fully possessed now versus what awaits consummation at His return. What has been accomplished and meant to be experienced now is real. The not yet is equally real. To eliminate the tension is not faith, it is a distortion of the eschatological hope that sustains the believer through the present age.

This is perhaps the most insidious quality of triumphalism: it does not construct error from nothing. It handles truth wrongly. And a counterfeit that most resembles the genuine article is the hardest to identify and the most dangerous to receive for many of us believe it without hesitation.

A need for repentance

Repentance before the Lord is paramount for triumphalism, has a valence with pride,deception, rebellion to the Lord’s established way, and a God complex,as it tends to think its speech is constitutive. Despite one asserting that this is not their intention, the truth remains and requires us to face it.

The Lord has established a way, and we are called to walk it — not to engineer an alternative dressed in biblical language. Scripture contains a timeline, and neither zeal nor faith can collapse eschatological promises into the present age without indicting the very God whose promises they claim to honor. This is not a minor doctrinal disagreement to be tolerated. It is a fundamental distortion that requires repentance, demolishing, and strict return to the path Christ Himself walked

The alternative:

The alternative to triumphalism is not passivity or resignation; it is faithful, humble, Spirit-led engagement with the valley the Lord has ordained. Remain in Him. The victory Christ secured is no less real in seasons where it is not yet visible. Its reality does not depend on our perception of it.

In practice this means inquiring of the Holy Spirit concerning which scriptures are applicable to the present season rather than reaching for declarations designed to collapse it. It means praying the scriptures, bringing the Word back to God as an honest petition rather than wielding it as a mechanism to produce desired outcomes. The Psalms are the model here. They are saturated with candor, complaint, and confusion, yet they remain addressed to God and anchored in trust. That is the wiggle room Scripture itself permits: honesty before Him without wandering from Him.

Religion will flagellate the suffering believer with guilt for desiring a different reality to the one the Lord has ordained. That guilt is not from God for He is acquainted with our weaknesses. He does not despise the cry of the afflicted. Bringing our desires, our confusion, and our pain to Him in humility and surrender  rather than cleaving to our pain, accusing Him, or wandering entirely — is not weakness. It is the most theologically accurate response to suffering available to the believer.

In our deepest pain, the Lord is waiting to be unveiled. Like one who peels away the tear-inducing layers of an onion, the persistent, humble seeker finds at the center what triumphalism could never produce, not an escape from the valley, but the sweetness of the Lord’s presence within it.

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The Lord looks at the heart

God’s judgment of an action is inextricable from His reading of the heart behind it. Four distinct heart postures emerge across the biblical narrative, each concluding with a specific divine response:

The defiant heart — Ahab

He operated from hardened rebellion. Correction was systematically rejected. Cleverness is deployed in service of self-sovereignty against God’s declared will. This heart is not reachable through consequences because it has already foreclosed the channel of correction. Consequently, he was condemned.

The sincere but immature heart — Rebekah

Genuinely oriented toward God, yet not fully trusting the Promiser to fulfill what He has promised. The action is compromised not by wickedness but by anxiety and a lack of faith. This heart is reachable; consequences can do their sanctifying work. This type of heart can be corrected; however, repentance is required. The recognition that one acted from a lack of trust is itself a call to repentance, not a defense. Both Rebekah and Jacob allowed anxiety to justify manipulation, demonstrating that a person can be committed to a godly outcome while operating from an ungodly motive of self-reliance.

The heart being broken toward surrender — Jacob

Jacob had a heart that was genuine in its devotion, yet striving in its method. God does not abandon such a heart; He breaks it into full dependence. The limp he received was the mark of the blessing and transformation, showing that he had ceased fighting in his own strength.

The responsive heart — David

Though deeply flawed and guilty of severe transgressions, David possessed a heart that was instantly responsive to God’s correction. Upon confrontation by the prophet Nathan, he offered no self-defense, shift of blame, or rationalization, but immediate, transparent confession: “I have sinned against the Lord.”
This illustrates a heart completely yielded to divine scrutiny.

The Warning

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick — who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

The heart motive framework carries a danger that must be addressed: it can become the very mechanism by which self-deception operates. A person does something questionable and says: “God knows my heart — He knows I meant well.” This invokes interior motive as a shield against external accountability.

The same verse that establishes God’s heart-reading capacity establishes that the human heart is not a reliable self-reporter. Ahab almost certainly believed his own motives were reasonable. Most people acting from hardened hearts do not experience themselves as defiant; they experience themselves as misunderstood, pragmatic, or simply doing what was necessary.

The Importance of motive

Though overlooked, motive matters more than our actions do.
Esau married Hittite women however later married a daughter of Ishmael to please his parents. His action was tainted by his impure motive. He acted to please his parents, not the Lord who instructed against marrying foreign women.

“Do not eat the bread of a miser,
Nor desire his delicacies;
For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.
‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.
The morsel you have eaten, you will vomit up,
And waste your pleasant words.” (Proverbs 23:6-8)

According to Gotquestions.org, this is what this scripture means:
According to most modern translations, the ninth saying of Solomon instructs seekers of wisdom to avoid greedily eating food served by a stingy man. Craving such a man’s delicacies is dangerous because his generosity is false. With a warm welcome, he says, “Eat and drink,” but his heart is not in it. He’s not glad to see you enjoying his fare; rather, he is watching every bite you take and calculating the cost the whole time.
Once you realize what your host is thinking, you’ll want to spit out your food because what seemed to be offered so freely was begrudgingly served. And all of your kind compliments and table talk was wasted. The penny-pinching host was not genuinely interested in sharing his bounty with you or listening to the conversation you shared as his guest. Everything you said fell on deaf ears, because he is the kind of man who is always “thinking/calculating in his heart.”

Because the human heart is an unreliable self-reporter, the ultimate biblical solution is not deeper self-analysis, but submission to the Lord’s heart surgery. As promised in Ezekiel 36:26, the Lord does not merely evaluate the sick heart; He replaces it, exchanging a stubborn heart of stone for a responsive heart of flesh.

Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs and examines the hearts [of people and their motives].
(Proverbs 21:2)

You may think everything you do is right, but the LORD judges your motives.( Proverbs 16:2)

In conclusion, the assessing of motives is a domain the Lord rules with absolute accuracy and we should be honest when we fall short in this area and not claim self-defense.

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A desire is not validation nor is it endorsement

Scriptural references: (2 Samuel 7:1–17; 1 Chronicles 22)

David has a strong, sustained, desire to build God a house. He is grieved that he dwells in cedar while the ark dwells in a tent. Nathan initially endorses the desire: “Go, do all that is in your heart, for God is with you” (2 Samuel 7:3). David has the resources, the organizational capacity, the administrative infrastructure and  genuine devotion.

Surprisingly, God’s answer was no. It was not due to the desire being wrong or the temple being unnecessary but due to David’s history of bloodshed. Although imperetive for Israel’s security, it disqualified him for this particular assignment. The Prophet Nathan returned to correct what he had told him before.

What David’s Case Establishes

Every external marker said yes to David’s desire:

  • The desire was not impulsive
  • The desire was noble, godly, oriented towards God’s glory
  • The desire was initially prophetically confirmed
  • The man holding the desire was genuinely devoted
  • He had the wherewithal to execute this desire

Yet, God said not you. This means that no combination of duration, nobility, prophetic encouragement, personal devotion, and wherewithal constitutes divine authorization. All of those factors can be evident simultaneously and the answer can still be no, or not you or not yet — or this is accurate however I have someone else assigned to it. And the Lord did; that person was his son, Solomon. 

Therefore, a desire is not validation or endorsement; it is but data that requires submission and vetting by the Lord, not a conclusion to act upon.
David’s story also thwarts the teaching that all desires in our hearts are a signal from the Lord of our purpose or assignment and we are to pursue them.

David’s mature response

David did not argue nor did he invoke his pure intention. He sat before the Lord in (2 Samuel 7:18–29) and prayed “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that you have brought me this far?”

The Lord’s redirection

He received the no and he redirected his energy towards preparation rather than construction. He gathered materials, organized the Levitical orders, and handed Solomon everything that was required. Evidently, his love for the project did not disappear, rather, it was submitted and redirected into a form God could utilize.

Furthermore, in that season of submitted waiting, David wrote the Psalms, which became the prayer book of the entire people of God across three thousand years. Not being chosen to build the temple did not equate to rejection, he had his own assignment.

The Questions That Must Precede Action

  • A burning, sustained, recurring desire is worth paying significant attention to; it may be pointing toward something real. But the next step is not execution, the next step is examination. These are the questions that must be brought before God:
  • Lord, is this desire from You?
  • Is this Your assignment for me or is this a mere attraction to something good?
  • Is the timing now, or am I carrying something meant for a future season?
  • Am I the vessel for this, or am I called to prepare the ground for someone else?
  • Is a prophetic word or voice of correction being evaded in my pursuit of this?
  • David’s answer to those questions, had he asked them fully, would have been: the desire is from Me, the temple is real, but you are the preparer not the builder. That is not a rejection; it is a precise assignment within the larger purpose.

There lies heart-wrenching, detrimental repercussions in pursuing unsubmitted, unvetted desires

  • The enemy utilizes them to crush our faith. When we pursue what is not in God’s will for us to do or what we are not even gifted to do or undertake an assignment out of season, it may not prosper. That causes our faith to dwindle, giving the enemy room to work. We are then left feeling rejected and dismayed.
  • Individuals may not even partner in the good work we are doing, leaving us with a barrage of questions for the Lord
  • The enemy can also utilize it to displace faith with fear so that the faith required for this assignment 20 years from now will be absent.
  • Desire alone cannot sustain anyone where wisdom is required. The Lord may need to teach us how to operate in that assignment ahead of time, and the desire may be a signal of what lies ahead, not of what should be pursued now.
  • The early Apostles experienced this. They prayed for the epileptic boy and failed to get him delivered. Unbeknownst to them, that kind required prayer and fasting. Had they possessed this knowledge, their session would have yielded the desired result.
  • At times, assignments do not prosper due to this fact and individuals become despondent, forego it entirely, whereas the endeavor failed due to reasons stated above. The enemy spoils us of our purpose with this strategy. Do not be swift to discard what failed. It is time for us to reevaluate our steps and seek the Lord concerning these issues.

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The heart

We are exhorted to guard our hearts for out of it flows the affairs of life (Prov 4:23).

The heart is the primary organ of communion with God; the faculty through which the believer knows, loves and responds to Him.
It is therefore no arbitrary target; the adversary directs his most sustained assault precisely here, seeking to disfigure and contort the believer’s perception of God. This is why the enemy aims to sever the connection we have with the Lord, utilizing our hearts as his target to accomplish his goal. He seeks to give us a distorted view of God- whether as indifferent, harsh, unreliable or as distant so that our hearts disengage from fellowship with Him.The consequence is a believer feeling that since the Lord is aloof and indifferent, they will cease seeking His face.

Questions to ask ourselves

  • Is my heart still seeing Him accurately?
  • Is my heart still responsive to Him?
  • Am I still making melodies to him in my heart? Lifting songs of praise and adoration with thanksgiving or have I permitted silence to inhabit the corridors of my heart?
  • Is my heart tender or has it grown callous due to my circumstances?
  • Does my heart genuinely love Him or is it seeking Him in a disengaged state?
  • Does my heart long for Him and seek to be satisfied by Him or are the pleasures of this world well able to satiate me?
  • Is my heart submitting to Him and His Word or do I still claim self-governance?
  • Do I seek for the meditations of my heart to be pleasing to Him?
  • Am I meditating on his Word?
  • What has my attention? Does the world have my focus more than His Word?
  • Am I guarding my heart from the influence of the world?
  • Is the Word still alive in my heart?
  • Do I still find His Word more edifying than my intellectual pursuits or entertainment?
  • Do the things of the Lord command my affection and attention with more urgency than the things of this realm?

Where the honest answers reveal deficiency, may we all not despair but turn. The Spirit who convicts is the same Spirit who restores.

What we give ourselves matters. We fail to realize that when we received salvation we were enlisted into a life of being transformed into the image of Christ. Thus, what we give our attention to will either contribute positively or negatively to that process. When we read the Word, the Holy Ghost transforms us. His light penetrates our hearts, for He sows the seed of the Word in our hearts. We can choke this seed by how we order our lives, thus stifling the potential of the Word that was planted. Furthermore, when we are taught about holiness and the preceding action we make is to watch a program that is contrary to what we just read, we display self-contradiction and either a lack of understanding or ignorance. We read about how the Lord says to get the filthy or foul language out of our mouths yet once we close our Bibles, we unwittingly watch a series that has characters incorporating foul language in their speech, surround ourselves with friends and listen to music that does likewise, and we wonder why we cannot abandon foul speech despite our efforts of daily communion with the Lord.

Moreover, we claim that we do not practice any witchcraft yet we watch entertainment that practices it. We claim sexual continence, yet we watch shows that display nude scenes or sexually explicit content. No one takes a bath and immediately goes to sully themselves by rolling in mud yet we do this each time we wash in the water of the Word and entertain the filth of this world.

A call to guard the heart

Guard the heart, therefore, with the diligence that its dignity demands; for it is the seat of life, the organ of communion, and the ground in which the Word of God either flourishes or is suppressed. What is planted there determines what is produced; and what is produced will ultimately declare, with clarity, what we have in truth given ourselves to.

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Beware of the attack on self- control

The system of this world is designed to lower man’s defenses against sin and to corrupt him through lust (2 Peter 1:4). Sin corrupted us in such a way that, when we are wronged, we desire revenge or succumb to bitterness and unforgiveness. Additionally, if someone does not like us we do not like them either. Sadly, we become a product of what transpires to us and we are controlled by external circumstances. Moreover, we may be exposed to something unintentionally and fail to look away. When our eyes behold the forbidden, excuses are made to indulge in it instead of looking away. We therefore normalize it, failing to realize that we have relinquished our power.

God holds man to a higher standard

Every human being is cognizant of the fact that we are called to live to a higher standard by God. Certain behaviors are acceptable in animals however they are unbecoming to us. Yet, we observe individuals resorting to bestial, brutish behaviors. Evidently, the fall corrupted man.

A constant state of trading

Imdividuals fail to recognize that we are in a state of trading, and we should exercise caution so as not to trade what is valuable for the pleasurable and fleeting.
Esau failed this test and traded his birthright for a meal. The trade-off continues in our contemporary time.

Contemporary instruments intended for the demise of self-control

Things we have normalized are instruments masterfully orchestrated to erode our sense of self-control. We are bombarded with false narratives on social media to sway us into specific paradigms and thinking patterns. Following that, this world makes provision for perversion. Our autonomy is taken away by stealth as we are inundated with a constant flow of information and data. To a considerable degree, we catastrophically forego the ability to think according to the Word and maintain faith, a consequence of daily exposure to fear-mongering. This world teaches men about toxic masculinity. It trains them to act beside their God-given design, to exert a position of superiority over women, be promiscuous and misogynistic. Likewise, women are trained the defiled, ungodly way of feminism and conditioned to think that they can do whatever it is a man can do, if not better. They are tutored on misandry; the hatred of men, to disrespect and see them as undeserving of honor. Competition between genders is taught by this world and individuals easily acquiesce to the curriculum.

Social media is another instrument of destruction. Individuals are exposed to content that lowers attention span, breeds not only competition, discontent, unrealistic expectations, a false reality and insecurity but also doom scrolling. When one doom scrolls, they don’t realize that what is transpiring is that they are in a state of loss of self-control. They scroll uncontrollably, and it is as though the brakes of the car have ceased to function. Unbeknownst to them, that was the aim. Indeed, we are in a perennial state of conditioning by this world. It is quite effortless to get entangled in this when one lives life without discernment and vigilance.

The call for self-government and control

Paul says “I put my body under”. It is our responsibility to put our body under subjection so that nothing rules over us; no habit, practice, substance or demon should possess control over us. Emphatically, the Lord Himself does not control us, He calls us to submit and be led by Him. Submission is when a person can do something yet they yield to the desire of another. The Lord does not take away our agency or volition, He simply asks us to yield. It is a choice He does not take away.

The fruit of the Spirit

The Lord, through the fruit of the Spirit seeks to restore man’s inherent power. The fruit of the Spirit of self-control is much needed in this modern day where darkness is increasing and righteousness is becoming an obsolete practice. Self-control restores power and control to us. It is likened to granting someone keys. With self-control, we are equipped to withstand the prevailing pressures of this age, maintain our moral compass and remain pure. We are undeniably catapulted from a position of helplessness to one of empowerment. We cease to be enslaved and become like rulers.
The Lord through the fruit of self-control rebuilds the broken walls eroded by this world’s “delicacies”, our lack of diligence and failed vigilance.

Better to be patient than powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Proverbs 16:32

A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls. Proverbs 25:28

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An overlooked sign of maturity

An overlooked sign of maturity is cleaving to God. Mature sons of God cleave and are utterly dependent on the Lord. They are likened to kangaroos that never outgrow the pouch, to babies that are never weaned from the breast. When faced with a myriad of responsibilities, they find ways to cleave tighter; they have no reason not to pray or seek His face.

Maturity has not caused them to be independent of the Lord, on the contrary, it has opened their eyes to their utmost need of Him. Cleaving tighter, praying constantly, building a life around the Lord instead of squeezing Him into a life that is bursting at the seams. They value His step-by-step involvement and nearness. They find distractions to be offensive thus they guard against them like soldiers warding off enemy troops. They are infatuated with Him and desire nothing in this world more than Him. He is irreplaceable to them.
Therefore, true maturity is never merely about uttering mysteries but about finally fully awakening to complete dependence on The Lord.

Children are incapable of appreciating invaluable possessions. In instances where an expensive toy is bought for them or they are given the latest cellphone, they can destroy it the same week if not on the same day. Likewise, babes in Christ do not cleave as the mature do. They feel that praying for 15minutes a day will suffice. They value distractions more than His presence. Surprisingly, hours can be effortlessly spent on hobbies or even real responsibilities; however, time with the Lord cannot be carved out. If they occupy a level of responsibility, they cling to it and forfeit time with the Lord. Furthermore, they are very independent. Leaning on the Lord feels like a liability or it isn’t a necessity; it is optional.

When we live self-sufficient lives, we practice a counterfeit Christianity. The true version of the faith breaks our independence, forcing us to lean, depend, and recognize that we are utterly nothing without Him. It is one where failure is guaranteed when independence and self-sufficiency are at the wheel.
The Word has to bring us to this destination, where we often fall to our knees for the Lord to assist us in fulfilling what He asks of us. It is meant to open our eyes to our insufficiency.

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Shortcut Christianity


In the body of Christ, rarely do we seek to be in alignment with the Word. In error, we seek to engineer novel ways of attaining what the Lord said. We are reinventing the wheel when the blueprint is already laid out categorically in scripture.

Firstly, the practice of confessing scriptures over our lives. This is beneficial, but there exists a tendency to confess scriptures yet live lives that are incompatible with them. Indeed, in instances of struggles with sin confession of the Word is a necessity and that is not what I am alluding to. I am referencing behaviors blatantly contradicting scripture, with no desire to change yet scripture confession is a habitual practice.
Undeniably, there are benefits to scripture confession including mind renewal and a heightened consciousness of truth. This results in transformation.

We are exhorted to memorize scripture, which is vital to comprehending the Word. However, stopping at this juncture truncates the process. There needs to be fruit of the Word in our lives. The Word of God is a seed and in the Bible we are likened to trees. We must bear fruit. When there is evidence of a knowledge of scriptures yet no affirming transformation, there will be stunted growth. Regrettably, this leads to behavior modifications and the world labelling us as ingenuine and hypocrites. The Word was never meant to produce parrot tendencies where we merely echo scriptures..

A look at some illustrations

One may be experiencing challenges with insomnia or night tormenting spirits and one of the remedial scriptures would be to confess Psalm 91. However, that psalm states in the first verse that “he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty”. The first requirement that the believer is to fulfill is to dwell in the secret place. When we live distracted lives and only seek the Lord’s face prior to going to bed for a few minutes, we have violated scripture.

Consider Psalm 23:1 : The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. Likewise, violation of this verse leads to want.
We are told to solely confess our way to financial prosperity however is that biblical? Why are we violating the principles laid out in scripture?
Scripture outlines the following:

  • Giving
  • Sowing
  • Avoid debt and foolish spending
  • Learn financial literacy
  • Working diligently
  • Building wealth over time through righteous means
  • Taking care of the poor
  • Seeking first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you
  • Casting one’s bread upon many waters

It is permissible to confess scriptures to break a poverty mindset and come into agreement with the Word. Following that we are required to do the above.

When we delve into issues of dating and marriage, we observe the same reinvention. Those who court believe that so long as they honor the Lord through purity, He will automatically bless their marital union; however, that is a misconception. They honored the Lord in one season and they are to honor Him in the next. Wisdom, understanding, knowledge and even counselling in some cases are required for a fruitful marriage. We think that if we invest all our might in serving the Lord then our marriages and homes will be in order yet the Scriptures say houses are built on wisdom, not serving Him.

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Prov 24:3-4

The Lord through the Apostle Paul unequivocally stated that believers are to marry believers. Surprisingly, believers still marry unbelievers and expect the Lord to bless their union. Individuals have publicly admitted to marrying their spouses against the disapproval of the Lord. These cases oftentimes end in divorce or challenging, unfulfilled marriages.

Lamentably, there are numerous teenagers and adults who grew up in Christian homes only to rebel against the Lord. Consequently, many parents have chosen not to teach their children concerning the Lord so as not to place them under duress to be saved. Didn’t the Lord say “train up a child in the way of the Lord so that when he is old he will not depart from it?” Granted, there is a correct and an incorrect way of carrying out this command but to submit it to fortuity is an error and a violation of Scripture.

Lastly is the practice of spiritualizing everything. Believers will be found praying and fasting, while the world overtakes us and builds. Yes, man always ought to pray but many times, that’s all we do. Unbelievers do not pray yet they apply biblical principles that yield biblical results. We place all responsibility on the Lord instead of applying wisdom. When we venture into business or employment and seek to advance, why do we solely rely on prayer and fasting and not enroll in a course like the world does? We desire to have an impact on the world, yet we refuse to read other books besides the Bible. That is why we cannot assume positions of leadership in the world. We risk remaining solely a religious entity,having no participation in shaping our world.

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Remain in your own call

There is a pandemic in the body of Christ which is not viral, bacterial nor fungal in origin. It is ambition. This ambition coupled with a thirst for power and renown did not commence in our contemporary time, it was apparent in the Old Covenant. Individuals murdered others to ascend the throne not because of a zeal for the name of the Lord and his renown, but for their own selfish gain.
Following their ascension, they committed what was wicked before the Lord. This is not only evident in the faith but ubiquitous in all spheres of influence including politics,business etc. We have witnessed politicians campaigning for their party with utmost sincerity only to disappoint communities when they are in power.

Some individuals claim they are called when they are not, for recognition, fame and status. They assume positions and callings they were not called to fill. They do not possess the grace for it; for there exists grace for the called. Many wear themselves out attempting to fit into shoes they cannot fill. These individuals position themselves to face warfare and opposition with no grace that serves as scaffolding for those who are truly called to carry that call. Additionally, they position themselves to break at the weight of the call. In a horrific turn of events, this has coerced them to seek alternative sources of power in a desperate attempt to retain the position. Furthermore, there will be an employing of gimmicks, tricks and a pulling of inspiration from the flesh due to the Lord’s absence.

This must be why the Lord will call those who are disinterested in being called. He will call those who are content in being unknown by the masses and have no desire for the platform, acclaim and fame.

This serves as a reminder to all of us to remain in our call and in what we are gifted to do. There exists a vast supply of grace to fulfil our specific destinies. Everybody in the body of Christ has gifts the Lord has given them; no one is left without. Some possess only one gift while others, numerous. Cautioningly, we are not in a competition. We are gifted for the sake of advancing the Kingdom and to execute our purpose with excellence. Evidently, an eye does not require toes like a foot does for that would hinder it’s efficacy. Likewise, the big toe cannot compare itself to the little toe, for if it were to diminish to its size, our equilibrium would be impaired.

According to joint-surgeon.com :During the “toe-off” phase of walking, the big toe absorbs a large amount of force. If it were reduced to the size of the little toe, this pressure would transfer to the middle toes and metatarsals, leading to chronic foot pain and conditions like metatarsalgia.

Similarly, this is what transpires when individuals assume callings that aren’t theirs; it creates an imbalance in the body of Christ. Some are left feeling the void and erroneously fill in those positions. An individual’s disobedience leads another into the same error. Alternatively, positions are left vacant. The Lord will consequently raise another individual for that position.

It is imperative for us to cry out to the Lord to purify our intentions and motives. We ought to walk humbly before Him for it is facile for our human nature to circumvent what the Lord is seeking to do for the sake of our own selfish desires.

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The power of sound doctrine

We cannot grow without the Word. There are certain teachings that are detrimental to the hearer. These are teachings that cause us to remain in babyhood; they are utterly hazardous to our growth. Furthermore, these teachings cause us to grow fat on the mercy and blessings of God yet require no change or action from us. In these churches, we are in a perpetual position of reception. These teachings cause us to plateau and never catapult us to soar. They promote an entitled mentality and selfishness in walking with the Lord. We are to move far from them.
These teachings say the following:

  • God wants to bless and make you rich
  • God is blessing you, receive it
  • Name it, claim it, it’s yours now
  • God is giving you this and that
  • God never wants you to suffer
  • God is opening doors for you
  • Prophesy and whatever you say has to come to pass because the Bible says you will eat the fruit of your lips. Since you prophesied it, it has to come to pass on this date
  • God wants you happy

These types of teachings are a man centered gospel that endorse God serving man. We come to the kingdom to serve, not to be served. Our prime example is our Lord Jesus Christ who came not to be served but to serve. The greatest in the kingdom is the one who serves yet these teachings inflate self when we are told to die to self. Teachings that are life giving to self are not of God. Yes, the Lord desires for us to be happy, to open doors for us and some of the things listed above are true; however, there should exist a balance. These types of teachings do not encourage believers to sow back into the kingdom when the breakthrough has come. It focuses solely on the enrichment of the hearer and their immediate family. They do not inspire any Christlike virtues to be developed in the hearer.

We should desire to grow and advance in the kingdom. Even if the desire is not there, sound teaching can stir us up and set us on the right path; that is the power of sound teaching. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. Sound doctrine imparts faith to the hearer. It opens up realms of possibility and understanding. The minister is able to open up dimensions in the spirit that were hidden and inaccessible so that they lay in plain sight. When we are exposed to such calibre of teachings we cannot remain unchanged. The Prophet Jeremiah says your Word is like fire shut up in my bones. Sound doctrine and teaching possess the ability to impart this fire within us where we cannot sit idly, we are compelled to speak as the Prophet Jeremiah or to even minister.

Some murmur and chastise believers for making excuses and not participating in the kingdom however part of the problem is the teaching that exists in the body. No one is left the same after hearing a certain type of teaching. It literally forces one out of their comfort zone onto the field. Yes, Holy Spirit does teach the believer and the church is not entirely to blame. Sometimes when He does, bad teaching has done much damage and the truth is confronted with resistance. Some individuals are hardened to truth as consequence of the lies of bad teaching. The soil of the heart is hard. Our hearts need to be fertile for the seed of the Word to be planted and not be choked by unsound doctrines, teachings and everything posing as a foe.

The Bible tells us that we are to grow in the knowledge of God. Acquiring spiritual knowledge should not be for bragging purposes or to merely quote books but to evoke spiritual hunger, bring understanding so that we are better positioned in our gifting or call and to cause us to walk in dimensions that the author walked or is walking in. God is perpetually calling us higher.

There are certain messages that leave us with sentiments such as “that was such a good message or the pastor was on fire today”. However, that is missing the point. The message is never for excitement or nice sentiments. It is supposed to grow us up into all things in Christ and more.We should ever be growing in Christ. Additionally, unsound doctrine poses the danger of resulting in the hearer becoming religious, rigid regarding spiritual things and deficient in the knowledge of God and His ways. It produces the heart posture the Pharisees possessed. This is why the practice of quoting scripture is prevalent yet the ways of the Spirit of God are still enigmatic and mysterious to us.

In contemporary times, some believers only attend church because the music is good. That is missing the point. Church was never meant to be a feel good place. It is not a massage parlor meant to massage our feelings. We need to ask ourselves: Are we receiving strategies for our lives and those around us? Are we being equipped to take over in our sphere of influence? Are we becoming like Christ? Is our lens getting sharpened to see the Lord clearer as we proceed to attend church?

Elementary teachings are meant for babes. When we are babes in Christ, these teachings are necessary, for, advanced ones will be impossible to grasp or comprehend. However when we find that we have grown, we should pivot and look for more advanced teachings. Thus, as we are maturing, it is significant that our “curriculum” advances lest we remain babes forever.

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Glasses that aid in seeing His glory

The angels in heaven are bondservants of worship to the perpetual revelation of the glory of God. They are bound to see and respond to it. They see His glory at maximum potency, in all its might and splendor. There is nothing hindering them from seeing clearly.

The inhabitants of the earth( us) are not as privileged. Our bodies cannot withstand seeing the glory of God in that manner, it would destroy us. The Lord however desires for us to be witnesses of His glory so that we give Him the honor due to Him. He has adorned the earth with His creatures and wonders. He utilizes the sky as a canvas and like a painter, unleashes His creativity and beauty on the sky and puts His wisdom on full display on the earth. We observe how the stars and planets remain in space and do not fall on us like rain. The sun emerges faithfully each day and He gives man gifts, talents and abilities. However, people are benighted. They idolize people and their gifts. They are mesmerized by individuals and worship the ground they walk on. We are to give honor where it is due, yes, but it is largely given in a way that it commences and ceases with the gifted persons. Yet the gift was given for us to be witnesses of God’s glory! We were meant to see the gift and be in awe of the Lord, not the individual. When men pull attention to themselves, others are taken with them and not the Lord. When we see the wonders of the world, the animals that the Lord has placed on the earth and we marvel at the animals without that marvel pointing to the Lord, we have sadly missed the point. The marvel was to serve as “glasses” for us to catch a glimpse of His glory and be in awe of Him. The glory of God causes time to figuratively stand still. It causes one to freeze and marvel at the Lord in wonder. That is the point.

Next time you hear someone singing, preaching or you witness a stunning bird or creature; pause and appreciate its beauty.
Subsequent to that, be conscious of how the Lord imagined and created it or gave that gift. Finally, channel the awe at the Lord, not the animal or the individual.

Make a plan weekly to seek out the glory of God. Make a conscious effort to see it and let the “glasses” given to you in nature or individuals serve you well.

To the Great Creator.  

 How great you are. You have ardoned the earth with your beauty, light and splendor. Your creation echoes of you in varied ways. Each singing a song only taught by you to the audience in the earth. Some notice and sing along, becoming enthralled by you. Awe captives and carries them away as spoil, forever ruined by your greatness, wisdom and existence. Some like the blind reduce the song to science and nature. Creation however unbothered by their misunderstanding and indifference, continues to unwaveringly herald your existence to everyone, crossing barries of age, race and gender.it refuses to be tamed or silenced. From the modesty of the dove to the fierceness of the lion..the hardworking ant to the peacock with its glorious plumage..your existence is echoed through generations….

Your creation, my dictionary

As I look on Your creation it feels as though a pair of glasses have finally been put on me. A dictionary has been placed in my hands. Languaging has been given to enhance my understanding and remove the babblings that remained. My lense has grown sharper to see more vividly your greatness and majesty….

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The heart of parenting

The true heart of parenting is this: Hannah said to the Lord, if you give me a child, I will give him back to you. This is the guideline of what true parenting entails. The Bible states that children are a gift from God. Therefore the child belongs to God before they belong to the parents. Parents are likened to stewards or managers. When a child enters this world, they are utterly helpless. They are likened to a blank sheet of paper. The parents are given the role not only to rear the child but to teach them the ways of the Lord so that when that child has matured and possesses understanding, they will follow the Lord and fulfil purpose. Everyone on this earth has a purpose. Everyone has to fulfil what God has predestined for them.

Consider the following stories in scripture

When the Lord purposed to use Joseph, He permitted his brothers to sell him into slavery and lie to their father, claiming that he was eaten by wild animals. Jacob agonized over the death of his favorite son for many yrs. Joseph’s suffering did not end there. Potifer’s wife seduced him and he fled from the scene. This landed him in prison for 12 years. The Lord did not intervene; he chose to prepare him for his destiny in that prison. When He was finally a ruler and his brothers came to Egypt seeking for food, he said they should bring Benjamin. They pleaded with him so that they would not do that because due to the “death” of Joseph, their father had grown increasingly attached to the boy. Jacob was still grieving the “death” of Joseph yet the Lord did not spare him the pain. Why? It was not about him; however, about what the Lord wanted to do through Joseph.

Additionally, our Lord Jesus Christ died for our sin at the age of 33. Mary witnessed the child she bore endure excruciating pain. She watched on as he took his last breath yet, the Lord was fulfilling the Father’s will. That moment was not to intentionally hurt her.

When a parent’s ambition overrides the Lord’s will

Today, many parents inadvertently obstruct the divine path by imposing personal ambitions on their children. Although they may observe that their child is artistic, they will coerce the child to pursue traditional professions such as law in efforts to uphold the intellectual status in the home. The child pursues their parents desires and misses their purpose in life. I read a story where a young woman who was mid enrolled in nursing school was instructed by the Lord to go to Bible school. Shockingly, her parents disowned her for that decision. When parents don’t exercise caution and disregard discernment, they can unwittingly cause their children to miss the paths the Lord had meticulously preordained for them.

The strategy of the evil one

The enemy capitalizes on the authority of parents to steer their adult children in the wrong direction and cause them to miss their purpose entirely. He is cognizant of the fact that many possess an inherent reverence for their parents and therefore seek their approval. Thus, they will obey them. The Lord warned us that whoever loves parents more than Him cannot be his disciple( Luke 14:26).

Regard fearing the Lord and fulfilling purpose above only job acquisition

The role of a parent is to teach their child that they belong to the Lord. They should steer the child in the direction of the Lord’s leading. They should not obstruct clear direction from the Lord.

A job is not the highest achievement in life. It may be rewarding to witness your child mature to be responsible and be able to pay their own bills. Yet, the highest satisfaction a parent should feel is when their child has accepted Jesus Christ and fulfils destiny. Sadly, this joy is achieved through minimum effort. When the child matures, secures a job and is a responsible adult, most parents feel that they have fulfilled their role. If that child only manages to be a responsible citizen yet misses their destiny, did that parent truly steer the child in the right direction? The answer is no.

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Trauma

Unresolved trauma does not disappear. It blends in the background of our lives and taints our perception. It acts as rose colored glasses, causing us to see life through distortion. It determines how we process our experiences and our reactions. Thus when we are triggered we react disproportionately. We may overreact to something that someone who is not wounded like us would be unbothered by. Experiences have their own definitions however when we are harboring trauma, it alters the definition. Therefore something that is not injurious can be viewed as a threat by an individual.

Meditations as a gateway for the enemy

We are created to host the presence of God. We are atmosphere carriers. When we meditate repeatedly on what is negative, we send frequencies into the atmosphere and demonic entities that “vibrate” at that level can’t help but be drawn to us. Like attracts like and so they find an agreement with us. Hence our meditations create a medium and environment for their expression.

The enemy is a strategist

When the enemy attempts to enter our lives manually and is resisted, he cunningly utilizes trauma or pain. For instance, a spirit of depression exists in the bloodline and seeks to attach to a believer. If it attempts to but fails due to that particular believer possessing a sanguine personality and persistently choosing joy, praise and worship, a strategy can be created to traumatize that believer. This will be an attempt to place them in a place of weakness. Trauma alters the brain, it literally alters brain structure. A pathway is then created for depression to lodge successfully. Many believe that since the scripture states a curse without a cause will not alight then the enemy will pass over that individual. However, the enemy is a strategist. Even if we will not directly commit a specific sin that will cause the curse to alight he can manipulate and utilize whatever weaknesses and wounds that exist in us to cause that curse to land. Hence the exhortation to watch and pray.

Consequences of trauma

Trauma intoxicates us. It causes us to lose sobriety. The Lord said we must be sober minded. This does not only refer to abstaining from alcohol however to guarding against trauma and everything that could alter our perception and cause us to lose sobriety.
As human beings, we are created to be adverse to pain and have an affinity for pleasure. When we are wounded, we make decisions that ensure that we never hurt again. Yet the Lord did not create us to be trauma-led. He wants to lead us by His Spirit. Trauma and pain dethrone Him in that area where we are wounded. It also affects how we hear. Many are not hearing from the Lord, their wounds are leading and directing them. Some have uttered words such as “I will never be in love again because women/men have taken my love for granted”. The Lord could be desiring to send that individual a spouse however trauma has the key in its hand and has locked the heart in pain. Trauma brings unnecessary restrictions and limitations.

Trauma sets us up for being driven and controlled by pain. It wounds the soul and we malfunction in that area. Many successful individuals are driven by the lack of affirmation they never received from their fathers. “They were told they stacked the puzzle pieces incorrectly in a harsh tone and they have been attempting to restack them ever since” someone said. Some were consistently put down in efforts to get them to achieve at their best, consequently, they have adopted a perfectionist mindset, unable to relax even when their body is exhausted.

What trauma is isn’t

Trauma is not always grief. Rejection can be traumatic, loss of a job, poverty, prolonged spiritual warfare, sickness, the list is endless. When our souls are wounded they require healing. Unhealed wounds give the enemy room to work. Demonic spirits can inhabit these wounds. It gives them a legal right to afflict us.

Be watchful over the soul

We need to ensure that we watch over our souls. We should speak life over them and guard them. A person can say something hurtful and wound our soul. The Lord told us to guard our hearts with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life.

Why are you cast down, O my soul?And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God;for I shall yet praise Him , the help of my countenance and my God( Ps 43:5)