To encourage and strengthen one another through a tumultuous year, our sisters in the Champaign Church of Christ (Illinois, USA) wrote and shared their devotional thoughts through a “Women’s Ministry Minute” on their church’s website during 2020.  The quiet time devotionals were written by and for Christian women to build each other up in faith as we all focus our hearts on Jesus.

Here are a few of the devotionals from the series.  To see more, visit the Champaign Church website:  https://champaignchurch.org/womens-ministry-minute

I am not going to be held captive… I choose to live!

By Angela Tomlinson

As I sit and type these words, I am finding it hard to breathe, I can’t stop the tears. I honestly feel like I’m ready to throw up at any moment and I’ve run out of Kleenex. I’ve resulted to wiping my nose on my sleeve!

Life, Satan has a way of throwing things at you that you just don’t understand, you just don’t comprehend, you just flat-out hate. I’m asking myself over and over why, why again, why now, when will it end, where is the peace, the calm? And just to be clear, I’m not talking COVID angst.  I’m talking my life right now hurts and I’m finding it hard to come up for air. I’m finding myself wanting to get in my car and just drive, find that road somewhere that leads to nowhere and just hide. But of course because of COVID I can’t do this. I’m stuck in these four walls.  My mind tells me that if I just bury my head in the sand, it will all go away, right? Wrong!

Amid all my tears and snot running down my face, I heard, “I am not going to be held captive—choose to live.” Now honestly if I tell you the truth, most of the time I don’t stop to listen when I hear things like this, call me stubborn, call me not hearing the Spirit’s call… most of the time I’m just in so much angst that I can’t hear! But today I did hear, today I stopped and took notice to what the Spirit was trying to get me to understand.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, AND WE TAKE CAPTIVE EVERY THOUGHT TO MAKE IT OBEDIENT TO CHRIST. [emphasis added]

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. [emphasis added]

Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)

…In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16:33 (NIV)

You see, in the midst of my angst and tears, I was allowing my mind to go to very dark places, and I had forgotten the very basics of being a Christian: I HAVE THE SPIRIT’S POWER IN ME…I CAN CONTROL MY THOUGHTS! I CAN BREAK FREE FROM THE FEAR OF MY THOUGHTS. 

I had forgotten the very first steps from my spiritual discovery class – Stop and Consider.  What am I thinking?  Is it a true statement? Recognize the spiritual battle — How is Satan tempting me here?  Tell myself the truth.

This is where I believe we get tripped up the most. We honestly believe the lies that Satan is throwing out at us:  This is the end. It will never get better. There is no chance. There is no hope.  

But the truth is THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE!

 …and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.  

Romans 5:5

Love you ladies—