3 Weapons to Combat an Attack on Your Calling

“What are you writing about these days?” My friend Erica asked me this question every time we saw each other. Most of the time, I’d cringe and stare nervously at her over my coffee. I’d mumble a few sentences about things I wanted to write, but then admit I hadn’t actually put pen to paper or gone near a keyboard. Not yet. 

“Those are great ideas,” she’d encourage me. “But your ideas aren’t going to write themselves.”

Since 2018, when I first shared with Erica my childhood dream of being a writer, she has spoken life into me as if that dream had already met reality. She is a pint-size spiritual powerhouse who believes with every fiber of her being that no dream is so dead that our Lord Jesus can’t resurrect it. Her faith is infectious, and you can’t hang around her for too long without catching the fever.

“If God placed that dream in your heart, Christina, He’s big enough to make it come true.”

I was so excited for our upcoming coffee date in the Spring of 2022. A lot had changed in the world and my life since we’d last seen each other. There had been a pandemic and a toilet paper shortage. Society was trying to navigate standing six feet apart from each other in the grocery store check-out line. And praise—I was newly married. 

But the best part of catching up that day was telling my friend, “I’ve finally started writing.” I shared that I was working for a prison ministry called Victorious Living, writing articles from my own life experience and seeking out and ghostwriting other people’s God stories too. “I’m like a journalist for Jesus!” I told her. 

Erica listened intently, grinning from ear to ear. Then she proposed an idea that almost made me fall out of my seat. “I will be speaking at a conference this summer called Speak Up. You should consider coming.” She told me she would inquire about a possible scholarship that would help with the cost of attending. “We can be roommates, so you won’t have to worry about a hotel.” I left the coffee shop that day filled with cautious excitement. I almost had to pinch myself. Was this really happening?

Within a few days, an email from Bonnie Emmorey, the Speak Up Conference Director, made it real. There was a scholarship with my name on it. The following week, Victorious Living offered to cover the cost of my plane ticket. Just like that, God completely paved the way for me to attend the conference in person. It was really happening! I wasn’t sure exactly what “it” was, but I was excited.

I had no idea at the time how wide the door of opportunity would swing open for me. Nor was I prepared for the opposition that immediately followed. Every fiery dart of discouragement you can imagine came flying at me. Each dart carried massive doses of discouragement and fear that threatened to paralyze me. The emotions that came over me ranged from overwhelming bouts of anxiety to feelings of inadequacy to sheer panic at the thought of meeting so many new people at one time.

I had never dealt with imposter syndrome before, but I discovered that its attacks were subtle, intruding on the territory of my heart that should have been singing with joy. Instead, there were hisses and whispers demanding to know, “Who do you think you are, Christina?”

I was caught off guard at first, but fortunately, this wasn’t my first confrontation with the father of lies. I knew this negativity was not from God. That taunting and ridiculing voice belonged to the enemy Jesus warned us about in John 10:10. Oh, how he wants to steal, kill, and destroy every blessing the Lord has in store for us. He hates it when one of God’s children takes even the tiniest of steps in faith toward being used by God for His purpose and glory.

My battle plan changed when I remembered who I was in Christ. Jesus had already claimed victory on the cross. I am an heir to that victory. I already had everything I needed to fight this enemy who did not want me to attend that conference. I boldly declared, “Not today, Satan. You can’t stop what God has ordained for my life.”

I wish I could tell you that the enemy gave up easily and went on to bother someone else. It didn’t happen quite like that. In the months leading up to Speak Up 2022, I had to continually call on the Holy Spirit for help, leaning on God’s Word for the ammunition I needed to counterattack Satan’s lies.

Here are three powerful weapons I used to combat those lies as I waited for the day to arrive when I would board the plane to Grand Rapids, Michigan, for the Speak Up Conference.

• I Prayed. (Philippians 4:6–7)

I took pressure off myself by asking God to direct my steps, thoughts, words, actions, and interactions before, during, and after the conference. I didn’t have to have things figured out; my job was to show up wherever He was calling me. I asked Him to let me sense His presence when I felt anxious or overwhelmed and to reveal to me in some tangible way the reason He had opened this door for me.

• I Pondered. (Psalm 111:2)

Remembering God’s faithfulness was critical. It helped me recall all the promises He had already fulfilled in my life. The minute those old negative feelings and voices started creeping in, I stood firmly on those promises. God had never failed me. Not once, not ever. He began this good work in me, and our Lord God Almighty finishes what He starts.

• I Prepared. (1 Peter 1:13)

I may not have known what to wear, what a one-sheet was or how to create one, or even how to socialize outside of my circle of friends at home, but I was sure of one thing: God created this opportunity for me to become better equipped to advance His kingdom, not my own. Looking at things from that eternal perspective helped me posture my heart to be open, attentive, and ready to receive and learn every lesson He had in store for me. I did my part and trusted that He had me and all the details under His loving care. 

I am so grateful to my friend Erica for her gentle nudge. It led me through the doors of the Prince Center for Speak Up 2022, where I instantly felt at home. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. It was evident that the Holy Spirit was present and moving in every area of the conference, touching lives, orchestrating divine connections, and giving many of us the personal confirmation we had prayed for. The experience impacted me so much that I returned the following year, and I plan to attend again this year, too.

Spending time with such a wonderful family of gifted and talented Christian communicators was humbling and exhilarating. I connected with wonderful people, forged new friendships, and reconnected with another dear sister in Christ that I hadn’t seen in over twenty years!

The Speak Up community also turned out to be a treasure chest of powerful God stories and testimonies, some of which have already been shared in Victorious Living magazine, offering hope to the incarcerated and their families of the redemptive power of Jesus Christ. 

You can’t make this stuff up. Only God can open doors and opportunities like these. They happen in His perfect timing and for His glory and purposes. Our job is to be ready when they do. There was so much I would have missed if I had let Satan win, including the privilege of being published in two compilation books since attending my first Speak Up conference. That’s another whole pinch-myself experience I never saw coming. 

Erica asks me different questions now, like when I’m going to write the book proposal for the devotional I have always wanted to write. The Lord and I are exploring that idea together. In the meantime, I will always remember my friend’s encouragement before my first Speak Up Conference; I am excited to pass it on to you now. 

Friend, if you’re reading this, God has likely placed a dream of being a speaker or writer for Him in your heart. He’s big enough to make it come true. 

Fight the good fight. Don’t let the enemy gain any ground as you answer God’s call on your life. 

Pray. Ponder. Prepare. 

Then, pray some more.

Question: What have you needed to overcome so you could follow the call God has placed on your heart?