Life is filled with unpredictable things. Things we don’t always see coming, good or bad. It can be easy to feel like we are just completely helpless, like we are powerless over what happens to us. These events can hurt and leave us speechless, but we can also have events that lead us to be better people. No matter what happens to you, God wants to use it to build you into a stronger person, and he doesn’t want you to go alone. As we continue with the Halloween month (insert wolf howl here) I want to take a look at one of the number one issues that people in b-movies have, and that is that they try and go it alone. It’s the number one mistake of any bad boy from any movie, the whole “I got this” attitude has never helped anyone. God over and over again in the bible shows examples of people who try to go it alone, and just like the classic line from the Legend of Zelda, it’s dangerous to go alone. For me, I can get caught up in trying to be independent from God, thinking that I can do it and don’t need any help, but this is the opposite of what we should do. God wants us to be dependent on him because he will guide our every move. So how do we begin to live dependently? How can we go into every situation ready for what might come our way? Well I believe three things found in the book of Acts outlines what we should do. Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

I want to spend the next bit talking about three vital things to help us take on any challenge that we will ever face. I want to talk about them because they are things that have helped me so much throughout my life. From the good and the bad, I have trusted God and continue to learn and grow each day. My hope is that you feel empowered and grow stronger yourself. The truth is, you were made for more. You are designed for something so much greater than you can even imagine. God has a purpose for you.

Wield the sword.

This is the first step to being prepared. The bible is the place where we find all that we need, the wisdom to take on every opportunity that happens to us. The bible talks about how the word is a sword, a weapon capable of stopping the enemy where it stands. This is such a good truth, so many times we can feel discouraged or feel beaten down by the words spoken over us or the trials we face, but God’s word lifts us back up and enables us to fight back. Our enemy is real and he wants to stop at nothing to keep us from pursuing the kingdom. It reminds me of the crazy Evil Dead movies (viewer discretion advised, like watch the TV version) where the main character is faced with hundreds of skeleton and zombie enemies, and even his own hand is turned evil (literally). So he arms himself with a chainsaw and a shotgun and fights, it’s a weird movie series for sure. So many instances in my own life have been filled with people around me speaking death and even my own thoughts tearing me down, but when I read the word daily, I arm myself against any attack from the enemy. God’s word is a sword designed to teach us and give us protection no matter what comes our way. He doesn’t want us to go alone, he wants us to take the word and guard our hearts.

Surround yourself with a team.

So we have the arsenal, the teachings from the apostles, but now you need the fellowship. When I think of this I think of two teams from classic 80’s movies that take care of the creepy creatures. The Ghostbusters take care of all your ghost problems, and The Monster Squad, fighting off the ghoulish fiends that try to hurt you. Two hilarious movies with an important lesson. You need a team. The first step is getting armed, but then you need people to surround yourself that push you to be the best you can be and that will stand by your side in the darkest hour. For me, this changed my life, being able to have godly men that I call brothers now join with me through any pain, and lift me up saved my life. It gave me courage and I was able to then lift up those who helped me. This is why small groups are so important to me, because they have the power to lift people up and speak life over each other. God designed us to be around each other, to be in community, don’t try and go it alone. Choose the right people to stand by, these are the people that deeply care about you and lift you up, if they tear you down with words, they won’t stand with you in the tough times. You need a team, because it’s bad news to split from the group, which never ends well for the lone wolf. Stand with a group of believers and fight the fight together.

Be prepared for anything.

The third and final component from this verse, is being prepared. Prayer is the way we do this, it is the open conversation with Christ that gives you the ability to take on whatever comes your way. You have the arsenal, the team, and now you have the guidance from the most powerful person in the universe. It makes me think of the Frog brothers from The Lost Boys, two kids who know how to handle any kind of terror you may face. Zombies, a whack to the head. Vampires, wooden stake and garlic. Werewolves, silver bullets. Okay so we know that these aren’t real things, but when we talk to God, he gives us the wisdom to handle anything. If it’s choosing that career you want, or wondering if the decision you’re making is smart or not, God gives you the preparation. So we need to speak and listen, God has something for you every day, so don’t miss it! Prayer is so vital because it will guide you in every moment of every day. Prayer prepares us for anything that may come our way.

It is so dangerous to go into any situation unprepared and alone. While it may seem silly to use all of these examples from goofy movies, there is such powerful spiritual truths found in them. For me I have tried to go it alone, try to take on the world by myself. I have always failed. The reason I fail is because I am imperfect, and so are you. Christ was perfect, the only perfect person who gave his life to save us, the ultimate story of a martyr. Life will hit you hard, so don’t try and take on the world. God wants us to meditate on his word, find community, and continually have an open conversation with him. Don’t go alone, be dependent on the one who created all things, who knows you, the one who wants you to help change the world. Be wise, choose him. Get ready for the daily battle you will encounter. Wield the sword, surround yourself with a team, and be prepared for anything that comes your way. When we all do this, we have victory over the enemy.

Don’t go it alone, stand with the creator of the universe.

-Joshua Thomas