Leverage the Fog (Attacks & Advantages) 2024
Today, we are living through a season that is defined by threatening and revealing words like pandemics, human trafficking, the alphabet community, conspiracy, elections, crowd-sourcing therapy, and fear-mongering. Conversations leave a gritty aftertaste of disunity because stones of anger, shame, arrogance, and pain are thrown with our words. Out-of-control, deconstructing, and unbalanced influences have gripped so many individuals in their world that outbursts, panic attacks, going down more rabbit holes, scrolling, and escapism are the picture of our weekly, if not daily, routines. Life is foggy, and you ask yourself, “How do I move forward in such a fog?”
Can I inspire you to leverage the fog?
Let’s take a quick journey to August 22nd, 1776.
My favorite stories from U.S. History are the ones that show God’s providential hand making a way where there wasn’t a way to the natural mind. General George Washington and the Continental Army were surrounded at the western end of Long Island (NY) by the British Army, a better-trained and better-equipped army.
In the night, a dense fog settled over both camps, and Washington decided to capitalize on the moment. He led an army of some 9,000 men towards Manhattan and ultimately evacuated without losing a single soldier.
Later that month, being in a better position to fight, Washington led his army to victory, and as the story goes, the Revolutionary War was won and ended years later. The United States was born after a war that lasted eight years.
I admire George Washington’s ability to capitalize on something uncertain in battle. Rather than allowing the fog to force him to shrink back or be concerned about their fate, General Washington recognized an opportunity to use the fog as a tool. The fog became part of the strategy for ultimate victory!
Today, many of us are living in a fog. We are waiting for someone else to decide our fate. We are assuming we’re alone and outnumbered. We assume we’ll be another number, allowing the statistics to predict our fate. We are waiting for more bad news, keeping up with disagreements rather than quality debates, and sharing anger like a virus. We are hearing of fires, people going missing, abuse in the social sector, corruption among leaders, and the hope of the world has not yet come to take us home.
We hide in the dark fog wrestling inside because we know we weren’t born to hide. So we turn to He who is faithful for provision, looking for a way to bypass our enemy's entrapments. Instead of worrying about what we can’t see or what we don’t know, we can decide to use the fog to our advantage. Ultimately, this will look different for everyone, but our purpose is the same. I believe God is not surprised by the fog. He knew what we’d be up against. He knew we’d be limited. He also perfectly planned for us to be here on the earth at this hour. So it’s time to make a few decisions about turning attacks into advantages.
You’re probably asking how do we do that. How do we move forward through the fog we’re experiencing? What is so powerful about the fog we are in? Here are a few thoughts.
The fog can build a resolve to live by conviction, not comfort or goals.
The fog can teach us to live by faith.
The fog can position us to slow down and breathe.
The fog can provide us with the opportunity to get healthy and to live better.
The fog can show us a new perspective we are missing.
The fog can allow us to teach our staff, neighbors, and kids what it means to stick together.
The fog can give us a space and time that we may never have again to realign with our purpose.
The fog gives us an opportunity to develop discernment.
The fog sharpens our vision to see where the Lord is pruning, shifting, and shaking to leave what’s unnecessary in the past.
We can capitalize on the presence of fog when we know what our purpose is and we make choices that keep us in line with that purpose.
Nothing more. Nothing less.
So what is your purpose in this season?
Discern if the fog is spiritual or if it’s natural. Then make decisions accordingly. Sometimes we’re like Elijah just needing a nap and a snack. (1 Kings 19:5-18) Other times things are not that simple.
Sometimes the fog isn’t providential. Sometimes it is a spiritual attack. We rise above that fog through worship and by living a life of sacrifice. (Living by principle when we don’t want to, it’s hard, and unpopular.)
In 2 Chronicles 20, we see King Jehoshaphat in battle long before George Washington ever was. History shows us what happens when we worship before, during, and after a battle. The king proclaimed a fast for all of Judah. As a part of their strategy, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him as they went out ahead of the army.
When you are faced with a battle, and you aren’t sure if the fog is an attack or an advantage, know this,
YOU ARE APPOINTED FOR THIS BATTLE!
To get the advantage in a battle where the fog is spiritual— fast and worship. Sharpen your spiritual ears by getting closer to the Lord.
To fast: Give up a meal and use that time to get into the Word of God. Give up watching that show for a few nights. Read the Bible and pray with a pastor or friends over the phone.
To worship: Turn on your favorite worship song, stand in the kitchen, stretch your hands high and sing. Don’t be concerned if your voice is good or if your teen is giving you the side eye. Go ahead of the family-army! This is leadership at home.
Position yourself to see the Lord work on your behalf as he did for the Children of Israel and provide opportunity for the Continental Army. Watch for opportunity, then when it comes >>> Take it! Trust that the opportunity in front of you IS FOR YOU to advance in the presence of the fog.
Make decisions ahead of time that will reduce your mental fatigue. Press through the emotions. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. This isn’t an hour to shrink back or get lost in the thick of it, stand and see the salvation of your God.
*Sources linked in the post above.
*If you want to learn how to hear God and how to read the Bible so that it influences your daily life, check out this book. I wrote it to help you discover the power of the Word in your everyday life. Cheers!