One thing I’ve learned from being a pastor for many years is that so many people are vulnerable to emotional hijacking.
Even pastors and leaders in the church, the ones who you would expect to “have it all together,” can often be the most prone to attack—insecure, self-loathing and emotionally in trouble.
This is not a problem limited to new believers, or nonbelievers. This is a problem that impacts leaders and influencers all over the world, every day.
The enemy knows who to attack, and where to attack. He knows your weak spots, the places you’ve left vulnerable.
So, I thought I would share several things I’ve discovered that leave us all susceptible to emotional hijackings, if we fall into their trap.
Your are vulnerable to an emotional hijacking when:
1. You compare yourself to others.
It’s so easy to fall into this trap. As a leader, it’s tempting to get caught up in numbers and growth and programs and what “everyone else” is doing. We start to lose sight of what God called us to do because we’re so busy looking at what we think will make us successful or popular.
But God makes it very clear in scripture whom we are supposed to follow—and it’s not the guy next door, or the church down the street. It’s Him.
Who are you following?
When you compare your ministry to other ministries, or your own achievements, successes or perceived failures to others, you will come up empty-handed every time. It will make you feel worse, not better. It will never end. You can’t win.
The enemy will get inside your head and convince you that you’re a failure and you’re doing the wrong thing.
2. Your personal expectations are not in line with God’s expectations.
We expect life to be easy. We want God to call us to a place that will be “perfect” for us, and then for everything to happen smoothly and simply.
But have you ever considered that this expectation for life might not be in line with God’s expectation for you?
Growth is painful. It means facing the truth about yourself, submitting to God and trusting that He knows what He is doing. When you feel life is unfair, ask God to speak to you … to remind you that He is with you and that He has everything under control.
When we align our expectations with God’s expectations, He makes even our most painful seasons fruitful. The process you’re facing in your life right now—whatever that looks like for you—might be difficult and long, but it’s preparing you for God’s plan and purpose.
Don’t let the enemy tell you otherwise.
