Sheryl Brady - Are You Committed to Being Fit?

Look at your neighbor on the right and say, «Neighbor, are you committed to being fit?» Turn to your neighbor and say, «Neighbor, I’m not talking about your waistline; I ain’t talking about a number on the scale, but I want to know if you’re committed to being fit for the Master’s use.»

Father, today I thank You for Your Word. I thank You that the grass will wither, the flower will fade, but Your Word will abide forever. Send the kind of anointing in this room that captures us, captures our minds, captures our attention, captures our hearing, and brings with it, Lord, the empowerment that we need to fulfill Your assignment on our lives. Have Your way, Lord. We’re hungry, we’re waiting, we’re anticipating, and we will bless You for it in Jesus' name. Amen.

Somebody clap your hands one more time and tell Him thank you for Your Word! Isn’t that exciting? Tell Him thank you for Your Word! Oh, you may be seated today in the presence of the Lord. No man, no one, no person having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. Whenever I read that word «fit» right there, it jumps out at me in this passage. It also indicates to me that there is some type of training, coaching, or preparing, or an exercise regimen that is necessary in advance of the fight.

In other words, no one should ever assume that, and I’m talking about Christians, nobody should ever assume that we are automatically ready to fight the good fight of faith. How many of you know that in this faith journey we find ourselves in, there will be fights along the way? I’m not talking about fighting and pulling out your boxing gloves; I’m not talking about wrestling with flesh and blood, but I am talking about confrontations and clashes that take place in the spirit realm. There are times we will find ourselves in those kinds of fights.

Now, we don’t all fight the same fight, but rest assured that every one of us has and will continue to go through seasons where we have had to fight. Amen. Has there really been anybody in here that knows what I’m talking about? Have you ever found yourself in a fight? Okay, five of you. Have you ever found yourself in a fight? You bet we have been in a fight. We have to fight to endure, we have to fight to be strong, we have to fight to hold out, we have to fight to overcome obstacles and challenges on a daily basis. We have had to fight poverty; some people have had to fight rejection. We’ve had to fight discrimination and injustice and ignorance. We’ve had to fight mental health issues, we’ve had to fight trauma, we’ve had to fight abuse. We’ve had to fight fear at times, we’ve had to fight anxiety, we’ve had to fight addictions, and we’ve had to fight betrayal, loneliness, loss, stress, self-doubt, and insecurities.

We’ve had to fight to get up every day of our lives. We’ve had to fight against inconsistencies within our nature. We’ve had to fight for focus, we’ve had to fight to raise our families, we’ve had to fight to build our marriages, and we’ve had to fight to build ministries. Look at somebody and tell them, «We have all had to fight.» We’ve had to fight all of that, and then add people to the mix of all of those other things that you have found yourself having to fight. As if all of those other things don’t take up enough of my time and energy, now I’ve got to fight you too. Look at somebody and tell them, «I ain’t got time to fight you; my world is tough enough. My battles are tough enough. My memories are tough enough. Stop making it harder for me.»

Okay, look at somebody and go ahead and tell them, «Unfortunately, you’re sitting next to the person that has made it harder for you,» but I want to give you the opportunity to look and tell them, «Stop making it harder for me.» Listen, I am in a fight; I’ve got fights happening that you haven’t even seen. You have no idea what I’m having to fight. I guarantee you today that there are people sitting within your vicinity right now, and they are in a fight. They had to fight to get here; they had to fight to stay here. They’ve had to fight to hear this word. Let me tell you something: everybody fights. The rich and the poor have found themselves in fights. People you look up to—yes, even those people have been in a fight or two.

Those who live in houses you wish you could live in, those who drive the cars you wish you could drive, those who have the careers or titles you wish you had—even those people are in a fight. The people who are single have had to fight; people who are married have had to fight; people who are raising beautiful kids have had to fight. People who are living their best lives now are still in the middle of fights. They may not tell you about them, but there are fights. All of us have been in fights. We fight for energy, we fight for a clear mind, we fight to get through each day—do you understand what I’m saying?