Life In Our Fishbowl: Encouragement

"Be sober-minded; be watchful.

 Your adversary the devil prowls 

around like a roaring lion, 

seeking someone to devour." 

1 Peter 5:8 

Satan hates us. 

Satan cannot stand our ministry.

Satan especially despises my husband. 

Satan wants to see my husband fall and be destroyed.

Satan will use any means necessary to discourage, tear down, frustrate, or depress my husband. 

Our ministry here has been good and even exciting at times! We had Vacation Bible School a few weeks ago and EIGHT kids made a profession of salvation! We have three new visitors attending church faithfully and one has decided to become a member. We've only been here for about four months and God has blessed my husband's ministry greatly! 

When things are going well on the outside, it's inevitable that Satan will notice. It happened just this past week. My husband came home from work with a look on his face that screamed "THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG!" but he denied that there was a problem. Being the ever faithful "helpmeet" I demanded that he tell me what was wrong. He continued to deny any problems so I backed off and just prayed for my man. Within a few minutes he was using words like "failure" and "pointless" in our conversation. I stood there listening completely shocked. Then he told me that he had no leading on what to preach on for next Sunday. When he said that, I was completely baffled because my husband RARELY knows what he is going to preach about until Friday or Saturday. It was Tuesday. It was so EASY for me to see that this was not real. It only SEEMED real to my husband. It is like watching your husband and knowing that there is this presence that is whispering words of discouragement in his ears. 

"But encourage one another day after day, 

as long as it is still called "Today," 

so that none of you will be hardened

 by the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:13

So I am at war for my husband. Now I know that I don't HAVE to do that, I mean, God has it covered and He will take care of my husband. But I feel as though God has placed me in this position of being my husband's wife to help him so I have decided to become the epitome of encouragement. If Satan is going to attack him and attempt to tear him down, then I am going to wage war and encourage my man right and left. I am going to edify, I'm going to love, and I'm going to respect my man. I have a place in my husband's life that no one else has and I am going to take advantage of my role. 

"Therefore encourage one another 

and build one another up,

 just as you are doing." 

1 Thessalonians 5:11