Joshua 1:6
Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.
Three times in the beginning of Joshua taking the leadership roles that God told him to be strong. God knew that leading is not for the weak of heart or the weak of mind. God knew that Joshua would face many difficulties, as did Moses. God knew Joshua needed to be strong if he was to successfully lead Israel into the Promised Land and take all the land that was promised to them.
To be strong is to be strong continually. I know this sounds redundant, but the word be means constantly being strong. Being strong means you never waver on what God wants you to be. I have learned throughout my Christian walk with Christ that there are four critical areas where the Christian must be strong. Let me share these four areas with you.
First, you must be strong in what you believe. You will fail in not changing if you are not strong in what you believe. Too many believers continually revisit what they believe when they need to get strong in what they believe. In other words, figure out what you believe, but then strengthen what you believe instead of continually asking yourself if what you believe is right. One reason many change is because they did not strengthen what they believed, but they revisited if what they believed was right. If you figured out what you believe from the Scriptures, there is no reason to revisit it. For instance, I decided years ago that the King James Bible is God’s Word. Throughout the years, I have strengthened that stand by studying the Scriptures. I don't need to revisit if what I believe is right; instead, I must strengthen what I believe so that I don't change.
Second, you must be strong in the control of your spirit. Your spirit is constantly under attack; therefore, you must keep a strong spirit and not let the peripheral attacks affect your spirit. I know this is not always easy because people often are inconsiderate of their treatment of you, but you must not let what others do affect your spirit. You must have a strong spirit that lets the negative of life roll off your spirit. You must have a strong spirit if you are to keep from a wounded spirit. A strong spirit does not let what others do or say affect it; rather, a strong spirit is one that gets its strength from within. If you get your strength of spirit from within, it will not matter what circumstances happen, you will always have a good spirit.
Third, you must be strong in your fellowship with God. Never let anything hinder your walk with God. It is critical for the believer to do right at all times so that you can enjoy the walk with Christ. It is only when you allow sin in your life that your fellowship with Christ is not enjoyable; therefore, keep your life from sin and you will keep your fellowship with God strong.
Fourth, you must keep a strong prayer life. Those who step onto Heaven’s shores with a victorious Christian walk are those who kept their prayer lives strong. You cannot live a good Christian life and have an anemic prayer life. A strong prayer life is critical to the success of your walk with God. Trials, heartaches, struggles, and battles are all fought in the prayer closet. Yes, you must walk through them daily, but it is in the prayer closet where you get the strength to continue despite the pressures that life’s struggles bring.
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