I remember the sting my heart felt after hearing the words. I remember my soul feeling like it had taken a hard punch and was already starting to bruise.

It was after a church camp-out when Joel and I were talking and it came up in our conversation that during the camp-out, one of the attendees had spoken privately to Joel and expressed that she was concerned for Joel and his relationship with me. We were engaged at the time. It was said that marrying me would hurt Joel’s ministry as a pastor. Ouch! Who knows exactly what about me concerned her. Maybe it was the dress I wore at church that week. Maybe it was because of my age. Maybe it was because she didn’t know me. I am not entirely sure why that was said but I remember feeling completely defeated.

Up until meeting Joel, I had never thought that being a pastor’s wife was in my future. Not that I necessarily didn’t want to become a pastor’s wife; I just had not really given it much thought. When Joel proposed and I prayed for God to prepare me to come into the ministry, I had felt inspiration, excitement, and a sense of calling. And then, even before I technically “entered” the ministry, I hear these words, “You are going to hurt Joel’s ministry.” How do you even fight against that? How could I change this person’s mind? I tell you what though, I wanted to give her a piece of MY mind!

I am sure that every spouse reading this right now has at some point felt this way. It wasn’t until a few years later that this experience took on a whole new meaning for me. Because the truth is, the member who said those things about me is not the root of the problem. Of course she said hurtful things and there is no excuse for that. However, I realized that she herself was not the enemy and that there is another influence, another force, that drives people to do hurtful things like that.

You know where I’m going with this. It’s sin. Sin and the author of confusion and death, Satan, are the enemy. It is because of Satan’s lies that people say awful and hurtful things. It is because of Satan’s lies that we feel worthless and inadequate. It is because of Satan’s lies that we feel defeated. I realized that this is the actual problem and now I felt even more overwhelmed because how can I fight against that? I can tell myself that it’s not true and try to push the feelings away and go on with my day. I can busy myself with tasks and family life duties. I can read all sorts of encouraging material and devotionals. But really, that’s not going to dissipate those lies. It will probably distract me so I don’t think about them, but how do I actually grab those lies by the “horns” and throw them out of my life?

The answer? Talk about them to my Jesus…YOUR Jesus. Listen, the only way to fight against these lies is by admitting that they have invaded your life, look to the Scriptures for what the TRUTH is about you, and allow Jesus to fight this battle for you because the battle belongs to the Lord. I’ll say it again for those in the back…The battle belongs to the Lord!

David had many battles, both spiritual and physical, that he fought in his lifetime. All throughout the Psalms you can “hear” his heart coming back again and again to this realization. In Psalm 37:5-7, David writes, “ Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will

make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”

There is a song that speaks to my heart in a profound way. It’s called “Battle Belongs” by Phil Wickham. The chorus goes like this: “So when I fight, I’ll fight on my knees/ With my hands lifted high/ Oh God, the battle belongs to you/ And every fear I lay at your feet/ I’ll sing through the night/ Oh God, the battle belongs to you.”

My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you will understand deep in your soul this beautiful reality that God is fighting FOR you. When someone says hurtful things that cut deep, remember that you do not need to bear such a burden but that you can give it up to Jesus and He will vindicate you. What a beautiful truth this is and how it has completely changed by life.

With love and prayers,

E.G. White, Letter 29, 1904, pp. 2, 3. (To J. A. Burden and wife, January 17, 1904.)

E.G.White, Prayer, p. 15.4.

Sandy Powell: God's healing hand for full recovery after a recent surgery.

Melissa Ringstaff: Prayers for complete restoration in a recent illness.

Anonymous Sister: Health and healing, and wisdom for her medical care teams.

Mariya was born in the Ukraine. She attended Brekmar High, then earned a degree in Master of Arts Practical Theology with emphasis in Chaplaincy, from Ashland Theological Seminary. She completed additional courses from Andrews University towards her chaplaincy endorsement. She is endorsed and commissioned as chaplain by the Seventh-day Adventist denomination. Mariya served as a chaplain at Kettering Health Network for 5 years prior to receiving a call to pastor the Stillwater SDA church.

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