Choose to drown out the lies with truth and love!
“When the sharpest words want to cut me down….I’m gonna send a flood gonna drown them out.” (This is Me, The Greatest Showman)
I used to let what “people” thought and said influence how I responded. I would run my thoughts through some filter that involved people pleasing. Though I am still a work in progress, I am learning to let what Jesus thinks of me, and what he says about me to be what ultimately influences how I respond.
The last few weeks have been quite a roller coaster of emotions. I have battled with anger, frustration, over analyzing, physical illnesses, exhaustion and anxiety. All of these coming at me from different angles. When we are being spiritually attacked, it’s because the enemy knows something big is coming and he wants to shut us down.
Our relationships with Jesus show us His love for us. His love is like a flood that drowns out all that the enemy wants to throw at us. When we are tempted to respond in the same way that we are being treated, that is temptation at its sneakiest. When someone is mean to me, I want to be mean back. When someone gets smart with me, I want to jab back with a more cunning and nasty remark. When someone is passive aggressive with me, I want to be aggressive and sarcastic back. Can you relate? How easy it is for our hearts to be swayed to respond in the way that we are being treated?
But when you take a step back and remove yourself from the situation, it’s a very basic rule that we teach even the youngest of hearts…two wrongs don’t make it right. I ask myself….is this the example I want to set. Is this how I would respond if God were right next to me right now? No, and the fact is, He is. He sees everything I do outwardly and everything that I don’t do. He sees my heart. Even if I want to do it, and don’t, my heart still wanted to. So I prayed. Lord, give me a heart that doesn’t want to respond like that. Show me how to love like you loved. Help me to dine with the tax collectors, and walk by the side of the leper. Show me how to drown out the hurt with your love and your truth. Give me a heart that doesn’t want to respond like that, and that responds like you would.
The Lord answered that prayer through a word he brought to my husband through a recently sermon on the Beatitudes. Meek. Blessed are the Meek, stood out to him. He shared wisdom that was an overflowing blessing that I want to share it with you. He took time to look up the meaning of the word its meanings and contexts. At first we think meek means weak and submissive. But in this context, it means obediently submissive and yielding to God. The next morning on the way to work, he called me knowing I was still mulling over things in my head, and he encouraged me to be “meek.” He encouraged me to fight the urge to be proud and yield to what God would want in the situation. I on the other hand was drawn to Blessed are the Peacemakers. But I was in a place of vulnerability and was desperate to find any reason to take action. That little voice in my head, just do something, go do this, or go do that, keep pushing, and force peace. But that sly enemy was using my vulnerable heart to twist my perspective. I wanted a reason to take matters into my own hands. I go to the Word with a narrow close fisted view looking for something to justify playing God. Instead of going with an open heart to say, Lord show me your view.
I gladly followed my husband’s lead. He was able to see from an objective point of view and was the right guide for me in the murkiness of my tear filled blurred vision. Days later, when I was veering and wanted to take action…again…(so stubborn this mule heart of mine).….he reminded me that if I did, then God would not be the one who would be glorified. I stood down, again. Talk about temptation…..so easy it is for our flesh to want to do the opposite of what we ought to do.
So daily, I choose. I choose to drown out the doubt with prayer. I choose to drown out the negative with affirmation. I choose to take that deep breath before I speak. I choose to drown out hurt and love harder than the day before. I choose to drown out grudges with forgiveness. I choose to drown out fear by having courage. I choose to drown out pride with meekness. I choose to drown….drown out the lies with truth!
With a flood of love and encouragement,
Linette
Photo by Matt Brockie on Unsplash