(The tempting of Jesus)^
There are two voices that speak to us as we examine our own shortcomings. A voice of conviction and a voice of condemnation; a voice that is leading us eventually to joy and life, and a voice that is trying to weigh us down to despair.
This is why having a personal understanding of Christ and God is important. There are some things I know He doesn’t say. Allow Him to convict you in this time of a searching moral inventory, but do not allow the weight of hopelessness and fear to paralyze you.
Following Christ is hard. Well, for a human it is literally impossible. He said that Himself. But then He said, BUT, with God all things are possible! See how that works? Care of the creator baby. Don’t let the hater get you down. The Devil is a clever liar and the accuser… and that’s his full time job! Learn through discipline, time and effort to distinguish the two voices.
What types of things are most usually used to make you feel condemned, worthless, defensive or hopeless?
What would be a good strategy for overcoming your specific acusations from the Devil?
oohhh....very thought provoking. I find it is my own mind that is my own worst enemy....there are so many things like images out there that can make us feel condemned or worthless...but it is how our mind reacts that usually causes those things to spin out of control in our lives. My strategy (which I fail at constantly...but works when I choose it) is prayer or reciting verses from the bible to speak truth and hope back into my life when I hear the voice of the "devil."
ReplyDeleteI like this: "do not allow the weight of hopelessness and fear to paralyze you"
ReplyDeleteDan-- I will need your help on Sunday night!
Gosh...the very littlest blow to my ego or self confidence and the tidewaters of worthlessness have a tendency of flooding in. If it weren't for my daily discipline (ok almost daily discipline) of meditating on the promises of God I would surely be overcome by condemnation.
ReplyDelete