Stop Believing the Lie

“You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth?" Galatians 5:7

Why wait to enjoy the beautiful life that God has given you?  “It is now that God favors what you do”  Why not step into the fullness of what he has for you.  It is so easy for us to become consumed by the pressures of daily life.  Our career, family, friends, and personal ambitions can create stress in our lives.  This stress can build to the point that it can affect every waking moment.  We allow these stressors to consume us and overwhelm us.  Preventing the ability for us to experience joy. I know that managing life can be difficult to do, but it is not impossible.  Paul states in Philippians 4:11-13, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situations”

It may seem like an impossible task and believe me I know.  I’ve been there.  In my darkest moments of dealing with anxiety and depression.  It was a 24 hour assault on my mind and my thoughts.  I was so consumed with fear and what if scenarios.  I was crippled by it.  I am not exaggerating when I state that every minute of the day was spent in an anxiety filled state.  I learned many lessons during this time period, but the most valuable was learning that I was being deceived, and that I had a choice to buy in and believe the lie, or chose to see the blessings or positive things God was doing in me, through me, and around me.

Be Aware of the Deception

Recognizing that you are being lied to. The enemy, satan is a great deceiver.  He loves to mentally manipulate you into feeling unworthy of the love that God has for you.  He loves to fool you into thinking that there is no hope in your current situation.  I remember TD Jakes talking about a particular hardship he endured, and he said “ I was distracted by the explosion that I didn’t even see the damage.”  The explosion, the noise, was a distraction.  It was preventing him from being able to see the extent of the damage on him and those he loved.

To overcome, we have to recognize that there are limits to what the enemy can do to us.  I believe we often give him too much power over our daily struggles.  The bible says, “The Enemy walks around like a roaring lion, seeking who he can devour”1 Peter 5:8. Roaring, but no biting.  Seeking who he can devour, but never devouring.  He does not have the power to consume the life of a believer.  If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you have the spirit of God inside of you. And that spirit is power!

2 Timothy 1:7 says, it is a spirit of power, of self discipline and a sound mind.  you have what you need to fight these attacks and acts of deception.  If you’re sick of buying into the enemies lies, then I encourage you to adopt the following practices into your daily life.

Steps for New Believers

Step 1: Pray

Have a daily conversation with God.  You have access to the God of the universe and he wants to hear from you.  He knows you and created you.  He is looking for intimacy.  He is looking for you to choose him daily. I encourage you to find time for daily prayer.  Make it a priority and find a time that works best for you.  The key is to be focused, without distractions.  Simply begin to talk to the Lord as if you were confiding in a friend.  Be vulnerable. Share your struggles, your disappointments, and places where you feel broken.  I’ve been so bold as to let God know that I’m angry at him.  I can tell you that he won’t be surprised.  He knows.  He simply wants you to trust that he can handle it.  

I’ve experienced incredible healing from the shear act of releasing to him what has troubled me. “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” Psalm 55:22  

Step 2: Be Still

For me personally, being still in an anxiety filled state with a racing heart, was the last thing I wanted to do.  The bible states, “Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10.  I’ve learned that being still is an act of faithfulness.  There are things that are within my control, and variables and events that are not.  I’ll do what I can, but after I’ve put my prayer request before God I have to let it go.  It is in his hands now.  I know this is an easier said that done solution, but trust me, the more that you can practice stillness and releasing your burdens to God, the more joy and peace you will experience in your life.  Stillness is also a great compliment to prayer.  I like to think that being still, allows me to turn down the mental radio dial and allow my inner spirit to get aligned to God’s frequency.  If I’m still and I’m at the right frequency spiritually, I am better equipped to hear the voice of God.  The voice of God for me, has almost always been a whisper.  An inner voice giving me direction or an answer to a prayer.  I encourage you to start small. Maybe a few minutes, and slowly work your way up in length.  Stick with it and make it  daily practice.  It will get easier over time.

Step 3: Know Truth

The last one is simple.  If you want to be able to battle deception or lies of an invisible enemy, then you have to fill yourself with truth.  You have to read your bible.  I know the bible can be intimidating. If I’m 100% honest, may be even a little boring at fist glance.  There are many different versions that you can read that will make it easier to follow.  I promise you, that if you make a conscious effort to spend a few moments reading the bible each week.  You will see a difference in your prayer life, and daily walk with the Lord.  You have to equip yourself with the tools that are necessary to fight deception.  It’s also one of the main ways the Lord speaks to us.  Through his Holy Spirit, the Lord will give you revelation into his word.  Meaning he will give you insights that are personal to you.  You’ll feel it.  It will be a verse or scripture that just speaks to your soul.  Gives me the goosebumps just thinking about it.  Go into it with the intent of getting to know God, and he will do the rest.  You’d be surprised at how the bible can come alive right before your very eyes. 

Final Thoughts

Lastly, as I’ve mentioned throughout, you will get what you put in.  You may feel uncomfortable at first, or even awkward.  Overtime these practices will become routine and you’ll be on your way to establishing a firm foundation with the Lord.  The relationship is personal, and these are practices that you can adopt to strengthen and grow as a believer.  I’m excited with anticipation knowing that if you take these steps, the Lord will begin a great work in your life.