Shownotes
Wisdom-Trek / Creating a Legacy
Welcome to Day 147 of our Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.
This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom.
Conquer the Six Enemies Within
Thank you for joining us for our 7 day a week, 7 minutes of wisdom podcast. This is Day 147 of our Trek, and yesterday we learned the value of study and the high cost for ignorance. Today we want to prepare ourselves to face the enemies that live within us. If you miss any days of our Wisdom-Trek, please go to Wisdom-Trek.com or subscribe at iTunes or Spreaker to get caught up. If you have any of your own observations, comments, or questions as we explore these nuggets of wisdom, please share them on the comment section of our daily journal pages.
We are recording our podcast from our studio at Home2 in Charlotte, North Carolina although this episode will originally be released on Sunday. We are preparing our podcast episodes a few days ahead of time in preparation for the Podcasters’ Paradise Cruise the first week of November since I will not have the equipment on the cruise to record and post the daily podcast.
We are in the middle of a very busy week of work and activities. It is a blessing that we are thankful for. We will be celebrating Dad’s 85th anniversary when this episode is released. One of the many blessings and lessons that I learned from my Dad is to take each day of life as it comes to you. There will be trails and difficulties but that should not stop us from continuing forward. He also taught us to enjoy each day and learn the lessons from that day.
It is another great day of life as we trek together. The lessons that we can learn together and the strength that we can gain from one another helps our trek of life to be more enjoyable. Our goal is to live a rich and satisfying life while making a positive impact on everyone that we meet. By doing so, we can create a living legacy each day. One observation that I have made in life is that many of our problems with others and with situations of life are actually struggles that we are facing internally. We also tend to judge others in the same manner that we are judging ourselves. As Shakespeare wrote in his play The Hamlet, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” which suggests that those issues that we protest most strongly against are the very ones that we are struggling with. I have seen this play out in business, organizations, and even more so in churches. The Bible also refers to this in Matthew 7:1-3, “Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?”
So my exhortation on this is to be very careful when making a judgment against someone else because it may be the very demon that you struggle with internally. This brings us to the trail that we want to hike today which is:
Conquer the Six Enemies Within
Let me tell you about six enemies we face from within.
1. Fear
The first enemy within is fear. We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Our fears are typically brought on by our own experiences, by what someone has told us, or by what we’ve read in the news. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o’clock in the morning. But once we learn to avoid that situation, we don’t need to live in fear of it.
Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking inside us.
If we are living a life of integrity and truth we have no legitimate reason to fear. The Apostle Paul gave this encouragement in his letter to the Church of Rome in Chapter 8 verse 15, “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.'”
Also in his 2nd letter to his protégé Timothy, Paul sent this encouragement in Chapter 1 verse 7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”
So I would like to encourage you to be bold and move forward not hindered by fear.
2. Indifference
The second enemy that we’ve got to destroy before it destroys us is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. The man says, “Ho-hum, let it slide. I’ll just drift along.” But the problem with drifting is we can’t drift our way to the top of the mountain.
3. Indecision
The third enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal our chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.
4. Doubt
The fourth enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there’s room for healthy skepticism. We can’t believe everything. But, we also can’t let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities, and doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I’m telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.
5. Worry
The fifth enemy within is worry. We’ve all got to worry some. Just don’t let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb in New York City and a taxi is coming, you’ve got to worry. But you can’t let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. You’ve got to drive your worries into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you’ve got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you’ve got to push back.
6. Over-Cautious
The sixth interior enemy is over-caution. This is a bit different than debilitating fear. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue. It is unlike humility; they are different. In fact, it can be an illness. If you let it go, it’ll conquer you. Timid people don’t get promoted. They don’t advance and grow and make an impact on the world. You’ve got to avoid over- caution.
Do battle with these enemies. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what’s holding you back, what’s keeping you from your goals and dreams.
In the old testament we get the idea that Moses’s understudy, Joshua, may have been a bit timid or overly cautious because God had to tell him several times to be strong and courageous as is written in Joshua 1:7-8,
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
On our Trek today, we discovered the six enemies that we faced within and learned how to battle each one. The more victories that we have with these enemies, the weaker they become. You can gain strength to do battle by joining us each day on our trail for another day of our Wisdom-Trek, Creating a Legacy, and we will learn the rewards of life and how change begins with choice.
That will finish our podcast for today. Remember to listen to your daily dose of wisdom on Wisdom-Trek.com, or subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, SoundCloud, Spreaker, or YouTube so the episodes will be downloaded to you automatically each day. Please share Wisdom-Trek with your family and friends through email, Facebook, Twitter, or in person so they can come along with us each day.
Thank you for allowing me to be your guide, mentor, and most of all your friend as I serve you through the Wisdom-Trek podcast and journal each day.
As we take this Trek together, let us always:
- Live Abundantly (Fully)
- Love Unconditionally
- Listen Intentionally
- Learn Continuously
- Lend to others Generously
- Lead with Integrity
- Leave a Living Legacy Each Day
This is Guthrie Chamberlain reminding you to Keep Moving Forward, Enjoy Your Journey, and Create a Great Day Every Day! See you tomorrow!