Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

We do this {live with endurance} by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

In life, there is an adversary; an enemy of my soul who wants me to fail. He uses any method to turn me away from my goals. And sometimes, I am my own adversary. I rehearse all the ways I could fail and then remind myself endlessly.

I also have those who love me, who want my best. Like Finley! She only sees the ways that I enrich and add value to her life. She can’t wait to see me succeed.

Listening to Finley guarantees courageous, confident living. Her love and enthusiasm for me allow me to achieve objectives beyond my wildest dream.

But it is so easy to listen to an adversary rather than to my friends. I get discouraged, demoralized and slip into a place of vulnerability. Losing hope in accomplishing anything worth value, I quit.

This week I want to challenge us to be aware of the voices that guide our actions. Are we listening to and encouraged by those who are for us? Or are we listening to and discouraged by the voices of those who oppose us?