Your First Opponent (Day 9)
Opposition comes with the territory. In almost every aspect of competition is the recurring reality of opposition. It’s what makes the sport fun, what makes the game so exciting, what makes the win so sweet, opposition is the spice of competition. In your life you will always encounter opposition and it doesn’t have to be emotionally charged, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your life is in danger it could simply mean a difference of opinion. But if you are to have the victory over anything you must have something or someone to go up against.
So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Cor 9:27
In the championship of faith before you can make any progress towards victory you will have to face your very first opponent; yourself. This will be a difficult and recurring opponent, whose defeat is pivotal to your success in this championship.
The champions of old continuously wrestled with this opponent, regardless of how great they were, this opponent was always the one to get them down or throw them off. See self is often the most difficult opponent to face because we tend to underestimate and overlook it. We all think that if we should have one thing under control it is our own self, but we are often wrong. Philosophers of old like Plato and Socrates understood this and so emphasized the importance of knowing oneself. But one of the most controversial psychologists of all time Sigmund Freud, made a discovery that was long discovered by champions of old. This discovery was the presence and power of the unconscious. Freud believed that there was a part in the human psyche that we are often unaware of but has great bearings on our actions and ultimately our lifestyle. The mind, being the powerful and protective thing that it is, often hides things from us that it considers too much for us to handle at certain points in our lives and it means well. But what happens as a result is that we then end up walking around doing and thinking and being affected by things and not knowing where it has come from; without awareness. The long and short of Freud’s discovery is that we have hidden passions, desires and tendencies that are naturally upsetting to us, due to conflict between different aspects of ourselves.
The bible refers to this struggle within ourselves as a battle between flesh and spirit. Flesh here referring to our humanness or carnality and spirit referring to that aspect of ourselves that connects us to God and eternity. Freud’s discovery and Socrates and Plato’s entreaty can be summed up in this passage of scripture:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer 17:9
Someone said to me once that the only people who knows what is in a man’s heart is God and the man himself. But I have found from my own study of psychology, experience with people and my own self that not even man is aware of the contents of his heart, of that part of himself that he is unaware of. A person often only discovers things about himself if he has some level of intrapersonal intelligence that allows him to look honestly at his actions, thoughts and tendencies and is brave enough to begin seeking an understanding of it’s source. If intrapersonal intelligence is lacking it is then that he needs to be attentive to the discoveries of others about him (the importance of good team). We have a saying that we use when we’re trying to figure out a person beyond what they say, “ah watching monkey tricks”. The idea of which is that actions tells us more about a person than their words.
Oftentimes we notice our behaviour is reflective of something more troubling but because of fear or pride we refuse to face it. If you let fear or pride hinder you from facing yourself, from laying bare your soul and peering into the ugly parts of you, then you risk it tripping you up at a pivotal point in your championship of faith. Previously (Day 3) we spoke about guarding your cause, becoming self aware is one of the ideal ways of doing this. I always believe that a great aspect of discipleship is helping new believers assess their emotional wounds and face them, because at some point in their walk with God it will come up as a weapon against them and many many believers have fallen on the sword of unresolved issues.
The family of God isn’t a place for the perfect, it’s a place for the wounded and scarred who desire to be made whole and to be of use. Don’t fall for the lie that you have to be perfect to pursue your cause. Peter was fickle, James and John were zealous and tempestuous, Thomas was a doubter, Mary had endured rejection and disrepute. In the family of God, yes even the very one where you are now, are people who have been hurt, people who struggle with father issues, mother wounds, rejection, abuse, self-doubt and anxiety. But those who stand firmly in the midst of battle are the ones who are aware of themselves, who aren’t surprised by their failings or weaknesses but allow the healer of every kind of wound to do his work. Paul, a great spiritual leader of old understood this struggle, that awareness allowed him to say:
I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. Rom 7:15
But we do not use our weaknesses as excuses? God forbid! That’s like going into battle holding the wrong side of your sword. If we are to be victorious against this opponent, we must use our weaknesses as a way of pointing us to our greatest strength; Jesus Christ. When you have a cause built on the foundation of Christ and a team of supporters who are truly for you, the power of your opponent fades in comparison. For His (God’s) strength is made perfect in your weakness, so let God work on your behalf, knowing that you can easily get in the way when you try to do it yourself (without facing yourself).
Be a blessing,
KellyP
Remember that you can keep up to date with upcoming entries for the ‘Champions of Today’ devotional series, by simply subscribing, which will mean that you get emails directly to your inbox, or by liking the Royalty Press Facebook page. Entries are posted every other day. If this encouraged you in anyway then share so someone else can be encouraged too.
Kelly is the founder of Royalty Press United. Author of the Gemstone Royals fantasy series, Twist of Faith and Crossroads. Counseling psychologist, proud Grenadian and devoted follower of Christ.
You must be logged in to post a comment.