RULES OF ENGAGEMENT: DECLASSIFIED

Be Humble…Be Prayerful…Be Vigilant…Be Consistent

Dear Friends,

I pray that you have many blessing and that God moves in your life in a very big way. I am somewhat new to providing an opinion on spiritual matters, but this journey is less about our comfort and more about His perfect will for our lives and those He has called us to minister to. It is my prayer that this series will provide insight and encouragement as we advance in our faith and respective callings. I recall my brother in the faith preaching about fear when the concept of God having a quick reference on what to do in face of fear fell on my spirit.  This quick reference became known as the Rules of Engagement.

Fear much like a battle scenario is an undesired set of circumstances that we sometimes find ourselves in. It is important to know that we are in a battle for our lives and our relationship with our heavenly father is the only way we will remain victorious in this battle. The stronger the relationship with God the greater the victories over life’s many hurdles. In the face of our circumstances will we maintain our relationship with God?

A statesman of ancient Rome once stated “in times of war the laws go silent.” The more I thought about that phrase the more it proved itself true. During war we witness chaos on a grand scale and there is no order. People begin to steal, kill and act out of fear during war. Some if not most people argue that that is our survival instinct at play. To most during war time lawlessness is expected and somewhat permissible. That may be true when it comes to worldly things, but in the Kingdom of God laws becomes even more vital in times of war.

When we reach that rough patch in our lives the first thing to go is our focus on God followed by our acknowledgement of His Word. In putting the rough patch in the right perspective I will use the battle situation to illustrate. During any battle situation members of the armed forces are deployed with a basic set of rules that serve as a quick guide of do’s and don’ts to govern their conduct; most commonly known as rules of engagement.  

The word of God tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that our battle is not against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against the mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. In knowing this we must keep a basic set of rules in the forefront of our minds in the mist of our hardships and day to day interactions. The word tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 that the plans that God has for us are not plans to harm us, but give us hope in our final outcome.  If this is true we must consistently seek Him prayerfully without pride taking note of His directives. 

Be Humble:

The book of proverbs tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. With this in mind we must remain meek at all times. In the book of Matthew 5: 5 Jesus says blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride comes before the fall. Handling our affairs without pride will allow us to function more freely. 

Be Prayerful

1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to pray without ceasing. Communication with God is priority No. 1. It takes a humble spirit to admit that our entire situation is in His hands and we must radio in to the Creator for the next move. The promise of prayer is to great to ignore.

Be Vigilant 

Proverbs 4:23 tells us to guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it comes the issues of life. To be vigilant is to be on guard against danger. It becomes extremely important to be alert in your situation. Be ready for God's response to the enemy's attack.

Be Consistent 

Consistency equates to success when it comes to the things of God. If you remain humble, prayerful and vigilant you can't go wrong. Your ability to hold your position sends a clear message to the enemy that you are in it to win it. Water has the ability to damage a rock with consistent drops over a period of time. That's the power of consistency. No matter the situation consistency is the game changer.  

It is my prayer that this has provided you much encouragement. 

In His Service,

Lorenzo B. Webber

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