Take Every Thought Captive- September Challenge
If you follow me at all on Instagram, you've maybe seen a few recent video posts regarding the subject, "Taking every thought captive".
I'm going to back up a little bit and fill you in on the whole story. I will try to keep it simple and to the point. :)
For 2 years now, I have felt a nudge from God to write a book. That was it. I had no idea what God wanted the book to be about, or anything else. Just, "Nikki, write a book."
I am not a writer, so you can probably understand how this was very intimidating to me. Shortly after I got that first nudge, I started writing a Bible study about cleaning up your spiritual life at the same time as your physical life, bringing the nutrition side of things and my coaching into it. (I was just starting my coaching business and figured He must mean for me to do my "book" on this.) The computer I was using to write this book crashed after I finished the introductions and the first 3 sections of the study. None of the material could be retrieved. When I purchased a new computer, I did not feel led in any way to rewrite what I had originally started, so I let myself be distracted by other things for more than a year. All through this time, the nudge to "write a book" didn't go away but there was still no extra information given to me about "the book", so, I didn't do anything about it.
Early this year, I had a thought that maybe I was supposed to write about Proverbs and the Proverbs 31 woman, which has been such a meaningful passage to me. I began writing about Proverbs 31. After working on this for a couple weeks... I can't tell you what happened, but I knew, this wasn't it. This wasn't the book I was supposed to write.
Several months go by and I do nothing, because I know nothing. (I know excuses, excuses...)
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago: I'm running errands in my vehicle and catching up on a podcast that I like to listen to. The Daring Daughters Podcast. (See picture below so you can find it on whatever app you use!) In the episode I was listening to, which was in Season 7, either episode 8, 9 or 10 I can't remember exactly which one it was, (You should listen to all of them!) Stella Payton (a guest speaker for these episodes) was talking about God's calling on your life. She said something to the effect of: You may not see the whole picture of what God is calling you to do, but all you have to do is take the first step, and God will show you what to do next. You don't need to see the full picture, just obey and take the first step.
Immediately "the book" came to mind. I knew God was calling me to write a book, but I didn't know the full picture, but I didn't have to know the full picture. I just needed to take the first step. Right there in my vehicle while I was driving to pick up feed for my animals, I prayed and I said, "God, I know you want me to write a book. I am taking the first step by telling you, I will write a book for You. Please help me write it and please show me what I need to know, so that I can take the next step."
I spent some time, just listening for anything that God might have for me. A few minutes later "Take every thought captive" came to my mind. I asked God, "Is this what you want me to write about?" His answer was "yes".
I've been over here taking notes, looking up passages in Scripture, praying and listening for God's guidance and direction ever since. I've currently got an outline for the potential book (I'm always ready to pivot, if God asks me too.) and I'm adding thoughts and verses under each outline category as they come up. This past week started out strong but ended in a lot of Spiritual battles in my head. This book topic is definitely something that I have struggled with my whole life and continue to struggle with. Taking every thought captive is something you have to establish a habit of doing every day, every hour, every minute and every second if need be. I was starting to lose this battle by the end of last week.
When God calls you to do something, He will equip you with what you need to get it done. But, at the same time, Satan doesn't want you to live out your calling, so, there will be opposition and days where you will struggle to get a hold of the truth and not fall into a pit. Sometimes you need someone else to call it out for you. My husband did this for me on Saturday as we were driving to town. I shared some of the thoughts I'd struggled with throughout the week with him. Sometimes you can know something, but it's not until someone says it out loud that the spell is broken, and you snap out of it. (If that makes any sense?) Anyhow, he said "All those thoughts you are having are distractions, they are keeping you from moving forward." I immediately recognized what he said was true and have not let those thoughts enter my mind again.
This morning while I was doing my daily devotion and Bible reading the thought popped into my head, "You need to do a Take every thought captive challenge for the month of September."
I've done one other challenge ever, and I didn't think I did a good job at it. September 1st is in 4 days, so that isn't ideal for planning, and I am truly terrible at social media but if God wants me to do this: He will use it regardless of all of the hurdles I've just mentioned.
A friend recently told me: "Obedience is our job, Results are His." Isn't that one of the most freeing things you've ever heard? I am heavily leaning on this with everything God has been asking me to do, lately! I have finally stopped arguing with Him on how ill equipped I am to do the things He's asking. I'm just trying to obey and leave the rest up to Him.
So, with all that being said, please reach out, if you would like to be a part of the "Take Every Thought Captive Challenge" starting September 1st.
I would love to have you join me!
2 Corinthians 10:5b
"We take every thought captive in obedience to Christ."
