By Victoria Ostrosky
Today, when you look around you, you see violence and wars, hatred and discord. It can be overwhelming, especially when you watch the media. The world is becoming increasingly unstable. Fear and anger are rampant. For the followers of Jesus, we know the end of the story. Jesus Himself told us there would be trouble and tribulation, but to be of good cheer – why? Because He has overcome the world.
In the midst of all that’s happening in the world, believers are called to stand firm in the Lord. We are called to wear the armor of God and wage battle against the principalities of darkness, evil and wickedness. For Colby Anderson, he has decided that 2024 is the year to stand firm. “I can’t worry about other things. I must put God first in everything I do.”
As Colby recounts, he faithfully attended church for 8 years, but when he walked out of Sunday service and went back into his daily life, he lived like the world all week. His life was tangled up in addictions and relationship issues. His spiritual life was stagnant. Then one day God put him in a small group – a group of men who are followers of Jesus and who spend time with each other examining the scriptures and encouraging each other in their faith walk. “In order to get darkness out of your life, you have to bring light into your life. You have to let others know your life is falling apart.” That ability to share his struggles in a safe environment with other men who were working through their own struggles opened Colby’s eyes and heart to the importance of doing life with others in small group settings.
As Colby says, “That small group changed the entire trajectory of my life. It was powerful learning from men who had wisdom.” Consistently showing up, even when you might not feel like going, is critical to your spiritual growth and development. “You need to show up with God. You won’t always feel like it, but spending time in the Word is crucial. You’ll be a different person at the end of a year.”
You might wonder why it’s such a big deal to stand firm in your faith. Why can’t you just live a quiet life and not rock the boat, right?
As you read the scriptures, you’ll see time after time where believers are told to stand firm in the faith, to push back the works of darkness, to fight the good fight. As long as we remain in the world, the Holy Spirit within us restrains the forces of Satan, and our job is to become more and more like Jesus, increasing the power within us, and holding back the evil.
The reason God doesn’t take us home once we are born again is so we can tell others – God desires everyone to come to repentance and doesn’t want any to perish. This is a huge task and we’re expected to do our part within our sphere of influence – whether great or small, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you take a look at the early church, the new believers spent time daily with each other, sharing meals together in each others’ homes, building one another up in the faith and meeting the needs of the group. Their focus was community and love. They prayed together and sang together. They ate together and many eventually died together as the persecution grew in intensity. “All the new believers were raised up by being around other believers every day.” Two thousand years later things are no different. We still need each other.
Colby encourages all of us to make 2024 the year we commit to standing firm. Standing firm for God, in whatever arena that takes us.
You can hear Colby Anderson’s entire interview and listen to many other incredible stories on the weekly Road to Redemption radio show and podcast at www.rtrdestiny.com
Author: Sowal Editor
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