The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I had actually started to write on another topic but as I was praying about it, what kept coming up in my heart was

ENCOURAGEMENT, ENCOURAGEMENT, ENCOURAGEMENT!

I have witnessed a rampage of attacks both big and small on the women of God and Christians in general. Sometimes in the middle of battle, we need some encouragement that we are going to get through this and come out victorious!

Moses a man who talked to God face to face, even needed help in the midst of the battle! in Exodus 17 the Israelite's were being attacked by the Amalekites, and while Joshua was leading the Israelite army into battle against the enemy, Moses, Aaron and Hur watched on.

Exodus 17:11, "So it came about when Mosses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed."

Eventually, Moses' arms grew weary and Aaron and Hur responded by holding up his arms until the Israelite's were able to defeat the Amalekites. So often we think that as Christians we have to do it all, know it all, be it all, showing no signs of fear, weakness or need help from anyone. The truth is, that when we believe that lie it will only hinder us and keep us from our full effectiveness and potential. For instance, your church and other amazing organizations, offer prayer, meetings with teachings that will help you overcome in life, incredible worship, online resources and even counseling services, but if no one ever lets us know they need help or admits they need help but won't let us help them, our hands are tied!

I know, it's hard to do sometimes! I mean, you have to rid yourself of all pride and be vulnerable to others. What if they judge you or think you're weak? People may think we don't have our act together and will think less of us, right? I doubt it! We all need to have those trusted relationships that we can turn to for help, and that won't run when we show them the good, bad and ugly of our lives. They may not want to admit it but even the most put together person you know, who walks into church with all her kids bathed, fed, and dressed in matching outfits, whose car is spotless, with not one cheese puff or hint of milk splashed on the door, and perfectly dressed as if she stepped out of a magazine, DOESN'T HAVE IT ALL TOGETHER! I'm laughing as I write this and at the same time, I'm watching my three-year-old throw a tantrum, throwing markers all over the office while shrieks of "I want my daddy!" pierce my ears at glass breaking decibels! Let me be the first to say, I NEED HELP! LOL!

We need to be wise and intentional in this though and like Matthew 7 tells us, "neither cast your pearls before swine". I have done this, and learned my lesson the hard way! So how do you keep from doing this, you ask? Well, Here are three tips that may help!

First, make sure your relationships are godly. Pray and ask God to give you one or two people that will be the Aaron and Hur in your life. Your close friendships and those that you go to in your vulnerable moments need to be ones that are grounded in prayer and will support and strengthen you.

Second, Cultivate those relationships! Relationships don't just happen, they are built, trust is earned, and you have to make time to grow them as if you were cultivating a rare seedling.

Third, True, authentic relationships will open you up to being vulnerable, therefore you have to take the risk! Don't close yourself off and alienate yourself for fear of the "what if's".

Maybe you already have the friends I'm talking about or resources like Fearless Women but you stop at the second point and never ask for help. I want to encourage you to let others in to help you get through this life. We need each other! People are people, they are imperfect, and even the best friends will hurt you even if they don't mean too, but we weren't made to go through life and difficult times alone! In our times of battle, seek God, get in the Word and lean on those pillars in your life to help and encourage you in your weariness. We all need people to be there with us in the good, the bad, and the ugly!