Years ago, while preparing for my final-year exams, my faculty organized a mock exam to test our readiness. I flunked badly, or so I was made to believe. It was customary in my faculty to make students flunk, so they’d run back to their books and put in more effort (side eye).

For the first time in my life, I faced academic failure fair and square. I didn’t take it well. I wallowed in depressing thoughts, and those thoughts spiraled into what would become a panic attack.

Tears flowed uncontrollably until I couldn’t even breathe properly because of all the clogged snot in my nostrils. Thoughts of being a failure and of having gotten this far only by sheer luck kept barging into my mind. An avalanche of negativity washed over me.

But what I didn’t immediately discern was that my mind was under attack and every truth I had believed, based on Scripture, was being mocked by the Devil.

It got so bad that all I could do was reach for my phone and call a spiritual oversight.

What he did wasn’t what I expected. He didn’t patronize me or coddle me over the phone. No. He spoke sternly, called my name, and said;

“No! All of that is a lie. Your mind is being attacked, recognize it for what it is. What does the Word of God say about you? What is the report of the Lord concerning you? Is it anything your mind is currently telling you? That is the voice of the enemy, not the Holy Spirit.”

He reminded me of what the Scriptures say about me, and as he did, my mind began to clear. I learnt three things from that encounter:

1. Reality and Truth Are Not Always the Same Thing

Let me explain: Truth is constant, and in this context, Truth is what the Word of God says. Reality, however, may lag behind and eventually catch up with the Truth. In every situation, we must choose to believe the Truth over what our current reality suggests.

Truth: God is faithful regardless of what reality paints.

Reality: Things may be falling apart, and nothing makes sense…

Truth: God is good even when life makes no sense from your vantage point.

We cannot judge God’s goodness by how well things are going in our lives.

Got a job? God is good. Bought a car? God is good.

But more importantly: Even when you don’t get the job or you lose the car, God is still good!! You must come to the point where, regardless of your circumstances, you judge God as fundamentally Good because Good is God.

That’s how early Christians could praise God even as they were martyred, eaten alive by lions in Rome. That kind of faith comes from anchoring to a deeper Truth. (I’ll recommend you re-listen to Pastor Dami’s teaching on the Battle of Sights)

2. You Don’t Fight Thoughts with Thoughts, You Fight Them with Words

We bring every thought into captivity. That’s not a passive act. The thoughts may come passively, but taking them captive requires intentional action.

So when thoughts arise that contradict the Word of God, your immediate response should be to counter them with spoken truth with the Word.

3. The Holy Spirit Is the Only Comforter God Has Promised

As we learnt in the teaching series “The Holy Spirit: The Comforter,” the only means God has promised to comfort you is through the Holy Spirit, who uses the Word.

If the Word doesn’t comfort you, nothing else truly can. Thankfully, I was comforted, but it didn’t end there. I was comforted so that I could also comfort others, just like the beautiful verse says:

“He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times, so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.” — 2Corinthians 1:4 (MSG)

A few days later, a friend reached out and said, “My mum’s dying.” They had prayed and prayed, but she hadn’t recovered. He was angry at God.

That was the first time I’d ever had to speak to someone facing that kind of situation. I panicked. Holy Spirit, what should I say? I don’t know how to handle this. I’ve never experienced this before. I’m not the right person for this…

But then I was reminded of the difficult situation the Holy Spirit had walked me through too. But Lord, this is heavier. That was just an exam. This… this is someone’s life.

True Comfort comes through the Word. And indeed, he was comforted. Hallelujah! But it didn’t end there.

Weeks later, I got a call from him. A friend of his had just lost her mum too… and thanks be to God; he was also able to comfort her through such a difficult time with the Word. Beloved, I’m writing to encourage you: whatever difficulty you’ve faced or are currently facing, Take Heart.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” — 2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (KJV)

Let this be your mindset: When you come out at the end of it (and you will, by the grace of God), you will be better equipped to help someone else down the line.

So, take heart. Stay strong. You are not alone.

The Holy One of Israel is with you.

Receive the comfort of the Father.

Selah.

Iyanu Ajayi

@Iyaanu — Instagram

Push Buttons is a weekly devotional of The Powerpoint Tribe.