DAY 7 | Spiritual protection and discernment

1 Corinthians 16:13

Parenting is a minefield.

At this point, I’m really just trying to parent in a way that keeps my daughter’s therapy sessions short and sweet. There’s so much that goes into every day. The things I say, the things I don’t say, the tone I use, the times I bend and the times I don’t. 

One of the biggest balancing acts is when we go to the playground. When it’s warm enough, after I pick my daughter up from school, we usually refuel with some snacks and then head to the playground. My daughter’s determination is as admirable as it is nerve-wracking. She wants to climb as high as she can and she wants to do it without any help and I love that about her. But what I am trying to learn as a parent is how to make her aware of the potential dangers of climbing so high without quenching her boldness. I want her to be mindful, but not fearful. 

When Paul writes to the church in Corinth, he’s calling them to hold a similar balance.

There is a real spiritual battle we face every day. God is for us, and because of that, there will be resistance against us. But we don’t fight as people trying to earn a win. Christ has already won the war. What we’re living in now is the daily battle of staying faithful to that victory, choosing truth, holiness, love and courage as we follow Jesus.

That’s why Scripture calls us to be sober-minded and alert.

Not because we’re afraid, but because we want to be wise. We pay attention to what’s happening in our hearts. We stay honest about temptation. We don’t make friends with resentment. We don’t drift into spiritual apathy. We stay grounded, not anxious, because our confidence isn’t in our strength or morality, it’s in Jesus.

Today, our prayer is that we would live with a sober-mindedness that keeps us on guard against the schemes of the enemy, while staying fully focused on Christ’s goodness and His mandate for our lives.

Ask God to guard our hearts, relationships, and doctrine as we grow.