by Jeanne Takenaka, @JeanneTakenaka
Recently, when our family went to church, our pastor was on. fire. His message challenged our hearts. But before we even arrived home, the enemy got to work. Before noon, Hubs and I had already had one of our rare disagreements.
As we each took time to put distance between us and the hurt, I began to see that perhaps the altercation was less about us having a fight and more about the enemy engaging us in battle.
How does this fit with the writing journey, you ask?
Regardless of whether you’re multi-published or just starting out, if you’re walking in the calling God’s given you, you have an enemy who’s determined to discourage and dissuade you. Whether this comes in the forms of agent or editor rejections, a harsh reader review, or a contract that isn’t renewed, we must remember we’re in a battle.
When we write with our Father, the enemy is not pleased. Many of us bring lies from our past into this journey, and the enemy loves to emblazon them into our thoughts.
Some lies I’ve believed and had to bring to the Father are:
*Since my manuscript was rejected, I must not be a good writer.
*All my friends are getting published, but I’m not good enough to gain the right agent/editor’s attention.
*This story requires me to pour too much of my own pain into it, therefore it must not be the right one to write
*Maybe I didn’t hear God when I thought I was supposed to start writing. Maybe I’m only doing this for me.
I’m not going to lie, these untruths have sidelined me at one time or another. They’ve felt so real in the moment. And then my thoughts loop around them.
We must choose how we’ll respond to lies. We can be devoured by the discouragement that comes from giving them credence, or we can combat them with truth.
Here are three ways to combat the enemy’s lies and walk victorious in this battle:
1. Take time to pray. As soon as we realize a lie is taking root in our thoughts or heart, stop and bring it to the Father. Ask Him to show us the truth. And then cling to what he shows us.
2. Spend time reading God’s word and remembering His truth. When we fill our minds with God’s word, we can more quickly define the lies and counter them.
3. Give time to simply being still. Especially when we’re fighting many life battles, sometimes we need to withdraw and give ourselves time to refresh our minds and hearts.
4. Press into God and press forward on this journey. Remember God has given us a calling. And, He will give us all we need to both fulfill it and to stand strong when the enemy tries to discourage us.
The next time you catch discouraging thoughts pinging in your mind, remember you are in the battle and you know the One who’s already gained the victory.
Award-winning aspiring novelist, Jeanne Takenaka, writes contemporary inspirational fiction that tackles real-life issues with a heart to draw women closer to God and those around them. She lives near the mountains in Colorado with her amazing husband and two exuberant boy-men. She loves being God’s girl—always learning about His grace, hanging out with friends and enjoying a great cup of coffee. When she’s not writing you can find her with a camera in her hand, looking for #alittlebitofpretty in her days. You can connect with her on her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.