I’ve been thinking a bit today about what holds me back from experiencing the fullest joy that God has to offer, and I know it comes down to holding onto fear. It’s so sneaky, how this happens. I don’t mean to do it or even want to do it, but the voice in the back of my mind that whispers lies is regular enough that I sometimes forget it’s there. It’s familiar enough that lies sounds like normal thoughts, and if I’m not paying close enough attention, I miss them.

This is all of us, and so human. I don’t know anyone who never hears a lie in the back of their mind. The enemy is sneaky like that–robbing us of joy without us even noticing. How often do we let ourselves sit in the untruths that the enemy would have us believe? The thing is, this is a totally uncreative tactic. But it works, and so long as it’s effective, it’s a tool that we’ll keep encountering. This could be so discouraging, but I think it’s empowering in a way, too. When we figure out how to quiet the lies, the truth gets louder and bolder in our lives. Pushing back the darkness always makes room for more light.

So what lies do I mistake as truth sometimes these days, at least until I recognize them for what they are and shut them down? Probably the same kind of lies you hear sometimes, too. “That’s not good enough.” “You could do better/try harder/achieve more.” “If only you were _______.” “If you don’t get this right, then ________ consequence is sure to happen.” The list goes on. The sneakier lies bring God into the equation, sometimes threatening my inheritance with Him in my mind. “You’ve sinned, so _______.” “God will be so disappointed if______.” “Maybe God is punishing you because of ______.”

Yes, but NO. None of the above are true. They just aren’t. God isn’t mean, and He’s not poor. He doesn’t condemn us–He loves us as His children. His love is perfect, so He can’t condemn. He ONLY has more love for us, even if we feel it sometimes in the form of a consequence or conviction or weighty Truth, and even if that seems inconvenient. God always has His best for us. He sees us and calls us GOOD. And we can’t be enough because we could never be enough, which is why God loved us so much as to sacrifice Jesus to bridge the gap on our behalf. All of the lies we could ever tell ourselves or take on as truth can be tossed by the wayside because the enemy has ZERO authority in our lives.

Whew. I did not expect to get so passionate here tonight. But the reason I am is because I frequently experience the enemy trying to rob me or those I love of the joy that is offered to us through Christ, and I’m calling it all out on the carpet.

When I worry about the life of this baby in my belly? When fear creeps up in places I didn’t know it was lurking? NOT TODAY, Satan. I’m draging this all out of the dark because the enemy’s lies can’t hide in the light. And I’m tired of watching a weary world battle itself because of the lies we’ve been told and the lies we believe.

This baby God’s growing in me? He or she will have the exact number of days in their life that God has decided. I have zero control over that. So do I need to worry about it? No. Do I anyway? Yes. Can I ask God to take this worrying thought from me and relieve me of the burden of it? Absolutely.

Troubles we encounter with our kids. Do I need to worry about how they’ll turn out or if we’re making mistakes daily as parents or whether they’ll all be OK as adults in this mixed up world? No. Do I anyway? Naturally. Does God see my children and love them even more than I do? 100%. So can I depend on Him to have their best interest at heart? You bet.

Family dynamics. Are they sometimes more complicated than I’d like? Yes. Does this always mean I’ve done something wrong or need to carry the burden of other people’s choices or words or actions? Nope. Can I give this area of my life to God and watch Him work in my heart and the hearts of others? No doubt.

Marriage. Finances. Faith questions. Mental health. Physical health. The future. Does any one of us have all of this figured out? Definitely not. Does the enemy love to prowl around these issues and whisper lies that would drag us down or hold us back or reduce the freedom we’re meant to live in with Christ? Of course he does. Is God bigger, more powerful, all knowing, completely capable and loving beyond our wildest hopes or imaginations? All day, every day. And is He going to stop being who He says He is anytime soon? Never.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve kind of had it with the voice in my head that lies. I don’t tolerate lying in our home, so why would I tolerate it in my mind? Yes it’s a battle–a hard fought battle for all of us and an even harder fought battle for some. But we have the tools at our fingertips if we want them…prayer, the Word, worship, community, accountability. And if any of these is lacking, we can ask God for His help as we look to find it. He is a God who hears and a Father who answers. I’m so eager for more and more of His voice, and for less and less of anything else. Fear is a liar, and I’m hungry for deeper and greater and even more resilient joy.

Can we be the type of people who live lives of love in such a way that we drown out fear? The type of believers who live out joy because it’s in the fiber of our being? The army waging war against an enemy who is weak, because we’re confident in what is true and because we serve a God who is so much more? I sure hope we can. God, where I am today, in my sphere of influence, please let it be so.

MM