There were times, during Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, when the people got discouraged and came close to giving up. Whenever we attempt to address some weakness in our lives – be it an addiction, a sinful attitude, an unwillingness to change – opposition will come. In the case of the men and women of Israel, that opposition came in the form of the grandiose nature of the task before them and the taunts and negative propaganda of those neighboring nations who did not want to see Israel strong again.

Whenever we seek to rebuild our lives, there will be those who oppose us, whether it’s real people in our lives or the unseen forces of darkness who are against us. There are always those who stand to lose by us getting healthy, and you can be sure they will oppose our attempts to strengthen the weaknesses in our lives. In psychological terms, this is called codependency – the people and forces that have made alliances with our weaknesses and who will lose their role in our lives should we get strong.

Marti likes to wake up gradually. She loves the snooze button. Sometimes I am the snooze button as she asks me for ten more minutes. Am I going to say, “No way, you asked me to get you up so here goes,” as I throw the covers off and pull her out of bed. I could do that, but I don’t. Why? Because I have made certain alliances with this little charade. There are little rewards to this: I get the paper to myself for a few more minutes, I get more morning quiet time, etc. She’s a night person; I’m a morning person; this is the way it works. If it suddenly became important for her to get up at the first bell, she probably wouldn’t get a lot of help from me. You can see how this works on a much larger scale with much more devastating behaviors.

This also works inside ourselves in that we have made alliances with our own weaknesses through the excuses our weakness provide us like the scarcity we addressed in our last Catch. I can made huge alliances with the scarcity mentality that is inbred in me from childhood. I don’t have to be responsible, I don’t have to give, I don’t have to make decisions, because I don’t have enough. I’m codependent with scarcity and the part of me that is my small, fearful, isolated, indulgent self loves it. Like the cripple by the pool who wasn’t sure he wanted Jesus to heal him found out, there is added responsibility to being well. These codependencies will taunt our attempts to rebuild. So what did Nehemiah do in face of this?

He said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4:14)

First, and most important of all, remember the Lord. He is great and awesome, He wants us to be healthy and strong, and He is on our side. Second, fight. Fight against those alliances with the weaknesses in your life that you have allowed up until now. Fight, not only for yourselves, but “for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” This is bigger than just you and me. We are in this for each other.

We need to know where the opposition will come from and be on guard against it. We need to pay the most attention to our weaknesses. The strongest attacks will come from the weakest parts of our wall. Don’t kid yourself; this will not be easy. We have, in some cases, a lifetime of dysfunctional behavior tied up in these weaknesses. Only the Lord, who is great and awesome, can help us prevail.

MemberPartner FEATURE

Introducing Mark, a cherished MemberPartner of our Catch community for years, known for his unwavering faith and love for the Lord. Mark’s journey has been marked by resilience and determination as he navigates life after two strokes left him unable to continue his career as an engineer. However, rather than allowing disability to define him, Mark is determined to chart a new path toward self-sufficiency, guided by his faith and unwavering spirit.

Mark embarked on this journey, partnering with Amway, a renowned global corporation established in 1959, to pursue his goal of financial independence from relying on disability payments.

But Mark’s transition is not just about business or getting off disability; it’s about embodying the principle of people helping people. With his warm demeanor and genuine desire to assist others, Mark is here to support our community members in their pursuit of wellness. Together, we, as a community, can rally behind Mark as he forges ahead on his journey towards a brighter future, fueled by faith, resilience, and a heart of gold. Your support is not just appreciated, it’s crucial to his success, making us all feel valued and integral to his journey.

To reach out to Mark, you can email him interbiz1@icloud.com or call him at 734 351-2907. To place an order: Amway.com/myshop/MarkSeguin

Click here to become a MemberPartner today!