I’m moving!

Ok. I’m not really physically moving; my blog is.  Since I have stuck with this blogging thing, I have been working on my own paid website for my blog.  It is a difficult process but eventually I will copy all of my old blogs to it.  Here is the URL.  

 www.reluctantbloggersn.com

Please go there and subscribe!  Thank you so much for following my blog!  

The Missing Adversary

Watching Dana Carvey as The Church Lady on Saturday Night Live, I laughed at the little old lady that saw Satan around every corner exclaiming in a whining, nasal tone, “Could it be...Satan?” Like most of the audience, I believed Satan was only a funny, little ineffectual bad spirit. Due to my upbringing, I never denied that he was real. My upbringing was grounded in the Bible enough to admit that there was an adversary.  But it also minimized this to the point that he was only spoken of in jokes.  

Satan goes by many names. The Devil, the Adversary, the Enemy, the Darkness, the Author of Lies, and the Deceiver are just a few. The first time I realized that the enemy wasn’t just a little voice sitting on my shoulder giving me bad suggestions, I was relieved.  I was relieved that he was so much more evil, powerful and active in the world and my life than what I once thought. Why on earth would this be a relief? Wouldn’t this be scary? Isn’t the reason we hesitate to tell children much about Satan, because we don’t want to scare the poor little guys?  

This world IS an evil and scary place.  It is immediately obvious from our first peek at the cold cruel world from outside our mother’s womb. So from the beginning of our lives, we already know the pain of evil, the heartbreak that happens when a loved one leaves, the feeling of hunger, and the difficulty of getting along with others. But we don’t know the explanation for it. For me, it is much more comforting to understand where something bad is coming from. If the monster is under the bed, at least I don’t have to worry about that closet! When evil goes unexplained it looms larger than life causing even more fear. If there is no source of evil at work in this world, so many things can’t be explained or are blamed wrongly on a blameless God. (The later is a pet peeve of mine.) So understanding the enemy helps me understand the source of constant tension in this world. 

Ephesians 6:11-12 [NIV] Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

This passage confirms that we live in a dark and spiritual world. In fact, the correct perspective is that we are spiritual beings caught in a natural world full of evil. It also confirms that the source of evil is the opposition to God.  But if God is all-powerful, why doesn’t he kick that bad angel down to where he belongs? I know the following explanation is oversimplified and full of holes but here is my answer to this question.

As a girl growing up in the 1960’s, I played with dolls non-stop. But I can remember that as much as I loved controlling the lives of those dolls, I would have given anything if they would have, just once, had a voice and choice of their own. How great would it have been if just once my Barbie would have complained about her outfit I selected for her? However, I would drop those dolls in a heartbeat to play with a real baby that I didn’t control and manipulate, one that could choose to love me. 

This, to me, is the best way to explain why God let his created humans have a voice and a choice. Isn’t having a choice the very definition of freedom? If our choices are removed, we become enslaved. Freedom was God’s gift to us. He created us, the objects of His intense love, and allowed us to choose. The funny thing is, if there was no bad verses God’s good, there was no choice and no freedom. Couldn’t he just have given us a choice like vanilla vs. chocolate? First of all, vanilla and chocolate are both from God so that is not a legit choice. The only choice God could give us is to choose his light vs. darkness because darkness is the world without God’s light. Just let that sink in a minute! God gave us a voice and a choice because He wanted to be chosen and truly loved and not just obeyed like a mindless robot. 

And what did we choose? Right out of the box, the first humans chose the lies of evil. Humans chose to keep this adversary around and we continue to make this choice daily. Humans were created by God for God, but chose to listen to the enemy because we were free to do so. When we see a beautiful sunset, a perfect newborn baby or feel the hug of a loving friend, that is authored by God. When we see COVID-19, when we feel rejected, when we deal with cancer and death, that is the temporary evil of this world. 

The good news is that God didn’t leave us stuck with our choices and no way out. God is a God of second chances. He created a path out of this evil world and sent messengers to point the way. It is a simple choice but involves admitting our helplessness, letting go of our sinful ways and pursuing Him. Someday, for those of us who chose this path, the enemy with all the pain, suffering, disease and death, will be defeated. But until then, I will continue daily to choose God...

2 Timothy 1:12 [NIV] because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

Image by Pexels from Pixabay 

David and Saul

What did I do to deserve this?  Why does he track me like a starving lion?  How can I show him I mean no harm?  I’m tired and I want to go back to my home. I’m tired of hiding in caves, starving and living like an animal.  How can I end this insanity?  How can I make things right?

Again and again, King Saul mercilessly tries to kill David out of jealousy.  David never did anything to harm Saul, yet in fits of jealous age, the powerful king has declared war on this young man.  David finds himself in a position where he must flee for his life, living in caves evading a powerful predator, relentlessly hunted.

Then one day, Saul unknowingly enters the cave where David is hiding. He is unable to see David deep in the darkness but David, accustomed to the darkness of the cave, sees him. While Saul is in a vulnerable position, pants down, David sees an opportunity to right this wrong.  He sees a way to set things right for once and for all. Instead of a quick murder, he sneaks up and slices the corner off of Saul’s robe.  Then, hoping it will stop this insane chase, David publicly reveals the piece of robe to Saul. And it gets the right reaction!  The plan worked! “You are more righteous than I,” Saul said. “You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.“

Words, however, are not worth much. Of course Saul is speaking out of emotion because it is not long until his stalking of David begins again. This whole situation repeats itself. David has another chance to kill Saul but doesn’t in the hope to prove his innocence to Saul. Again, this is only a temporary fix and does not change Saul. Try as he might, David cannot change Saul’s heart and mind. 

This choice of David’s not to kill the man who mercilessly wants to kill him, seems to have been a turning point for David.  He quits focusing on changing Saul and he begins to accept what has happened to him. This is when David changes from a boy to a man after God’s own heart. He accepts his lot as an outcast from Israel and begins to learn to live victoriously among foreigners until God chooses to deliver him back to his own people.  And this happens all in God’s time. David learned to live in a position that was transitional. He learned to thrive where he was, even if it was not where he wanted to be.  He still relied on God and wrote heartfelt poetry to God. He was still a formidable warrior.  He still had a sense of fairness and justice. He was still David.  He realized that it is not Saul who is determining his fate and he began to live in the moment, no longer trying to change circumstances but submitting to God and living for him, one day at a time. 

This, my friend, is the very definition of peace.  Not a removal-from-the-war kind of peace, but acceptance-in-the-trial kind of peace. It is a peace that was expressed by David in the very famous 23rd Psalm.

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

David had a choice.  He could kill Saul, he could continue to try in vain to gain his favor, or he could accept Saul as he was placing his eyes on God and move on. Choosing not to take revenge brings with it the gift of peace. Peace also comes when we humbly accept the misery our earthly enemies deal us, realizing it is not our role to change them. David chose to accept the difficult mission of moving on.  

Romans 12:19 NIV[19] Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

When I want to say or do something to straighten things out, that is my opportunity for peace of mind, body and soul.  My mission, should I choose to accept it, is to let go of the wrongs and look to God for the strength to do so. God never gave us the ability to force change on hearts and minds. We cannot. And God does not. He simply asked us to go and teach, bind up the wounds, feed his sheep, and live out what we know. We are to be and do what this world is starving for. We are to be a light. 

Thank you, Lord, for helping me see that people cannot be slapped with truth but must discover it on their own. 

And God Said, “Hold My Beer”

Yes, I read the Bible and never once did God say the words, “hold my beer.” In fact I worry that this title could be edging on irreverence. Please know the intent behind this title is to highlight the works of an amazing God. And it is the sentiment behind this saying that is boldly splattered throughout the Bible. 

The parting of the Red Sea recorded in Exodus 14 is the most famous and fitting ‘hold my beer’ moment that first pops into my mind. So I researched a few of the others. Resources number biblical miracles well above 150. Please take a moment to read through this very short and incomplete list.  

Jonah and the big fish (Jonah)
Manna for the Israelites in the desert (Exodus 16)
Daniel and the lions den (Daniel 6)
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s walk through a fiery furnace (Daniel 3)
The virgin birth of Jesus (Matthew 1)
Jesus turning water into wine (John 2)
Jesus calming the storm (Matthew 8)
Jesus walking on the water (Matthew 14)
Jesus healing the nobleman’s son (John 4)
Jesus healing a leper (Matthew 8)
Jesus healing a paralytic (Matthew 9)
Jesus healing a woman with an issue of blood (Luke 8)
Jesus healing the blind (Matthew 20)
Jesus casting out unclean spirits (Matthew 8)
Jesus feeding the multitudes (Matthew 14 and 15)
Jesus raising the widow’s son from the dead (Luke7)
Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Luke 8)
Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11)
Jesus resurrection (Luke 24)

Was one greater than all the others?  Which is the greatest rescue of all time?  Which of these validates all the others? Which one makes the difference between a great story and a great Savior for all of us? Which one of these gives you hope today?

One of these didn’t just save an individual, a large group or a nation, but all of humanity that chooses to believe!  So yeah, on the first Easter morning, the Creator of the Universe said, “Hold my beer.” Sunday is our time to remember just how awesome and loving our God is.  May we take the time to remember Him.  

Image by TC Perch from Pixabay 

Oh Lord, May I bow in awe and wonder at what you have done for me.

Mr. Rogers’ Advice

You need to know, my blogs are simply sermons to myself. This blog was inspired by reading Tim Madigan's Book, I'm Proud of You. Writing this is my reminder to be transparent. Mr. Rogers reminds me that it is only in my vulnerability that I have relationships and it is only through those relationships that I become an effective follower of Christ.  

Susan

While trying to comfort a family member over an issue in which he felt shame, I told him that there is freedom in letting people know what we are going through. I pointed out that many people are also dealing with the same thing and they would benefit from his shared experience. His answer shut me down. He said that he would continue to keep that family pride and that he would never let anyone know the issue he was dealing with. He built an impenetrable wall. He is now a very lonely man. Sadly, since then, he has successfully shut out his family, and this loss has been heartbreaking for me as well as others in his family. 

Shame holds us hostage. We believe the lie that if people really knew the truth about us, the worst of the worst would happen. We imagine losing our job, our family, or our friends to revealing the truth of our humanity. This deception is straight from the author of lies! We have told ourselves these untruths so many times that it has become ingrained in our psyche as fact. We think if we open up, we will no longer be loved. We think that honesty is a straight path to being a vulnerable crybaby. We think tough people are stoic and cool. Yet Jesus taught the opposite when he said in Matthew 18:3, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” I believe a part of what Jesus was talking about was the trusting, truth-telling aspect of a child. 

We find many vulnerable bible characters that are an example of truly transparent people. The first that comes to my mind is David.  He was a great king, yet a fallible human.  He cried out to God in song and freely admitted his feelings and failures.  He was an open book, yet he was a Man after God’s Own Heart.  He is still known today as the greatest of kings and would probably be included in our top ten people to meet in heaven. 

Samson was known for his physical strength. He was a braggart and a liar.  He had a horrible temper and loved to get the better of those around him.  Yet deep down, he knew where his strength came from. He knew it was all from God and it wasn’t until he was broken and surrendered to the truth of God that he really did anything great.  

“It is a lot easier to love someone when you know their story.”  ~ Fred Rogers

But let’s look at it from the other side. How do you get close to someone that never opens up?  How do we relate to someone who never made a mistake, had a regret or did something stupid or rash?  When we meet people like that, it is like running smack into a wall. Sometimes it is failure to discuss anything deeper than the weather, and sometimes it is just silence. Their silence sends us a message of lack of trust. This lack of trust is more repelling than the Great Wall of China. Silence is a relationship killer.  It is a no admittance sign hung boldly on every conversation that never gets any deeper than “I’m fine.” Sometimes this sign is in the form of bragging or relentless success stories. Each of us has our unique defensive mechanism that we throw out at a moment’s notice like the ink cloud from a disturbed squid. 

So how do we begin to break through this Great Wall?  Breaking down a wall calls for power!  And we have power at our fingertips through prayer. This brings me back to yet another saying of Fred Rogers, “Anything mentionable is manageable.” Start by mentioning your truth to God.  Now, we all know that God is no blabbermouth, so that may be the easiest part. So, I believe the next thing to discuss with the Father is to ask for the power to chip away at that wall and also ask him to make us cognizant of how and when we create these walls.  Ask Him to help us see our stinking thinking. And if we are serious about this, we should ask for courage to open up to someone we can trust.  To break through this wall we will have to find a time, place and a trusted person in which to express our truth.  And as my pastor, David Alexander, pointed out, unless we mention it, it will always manage us. This is a journey and will not be accomplished overnight.  It will take cooperation and the courage to be vulnerable and put ourselves out there. 

Lord I pray for the courage to be vulnerable. I ask for the discernment to see when I am being defensive and not genuine. Please show me my defensive mechanisms and reveal the lies of the enemy that are ingrained in my head.  May my relationships with my friends and family grow so that I can do what you placed me on earth to do. 

Stand Down, Private!

In this war against COVID-19, I want to help.  I want to help the cafeteria workers make food, talk to the lonely, feed the hungry, stimulate an ailing economy, and find ways to heal all the hurts.  Yet here I sit at home behind my computer or reading a book.  Isn't it a lack of courage and faith in God that keeps me huddled in my house?  Is this what a Christian is called to do? Surely not!

But then the resounding voice speaks to me of obedience.  It speaks to me of a time and a place for everything.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 AMPC

[1] To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven: [2] A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up what is planted, [3] A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down and a time to build up, [4] A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, [5] A time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, [6] A time to get and a time to lose, a time to keep and a time to cast away, [7] A time to rend and a time to sew, a time to keep silence and a time to speak, [8] A time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. [9] What profit remains for the worker from his toil? [10] I have seen the painful labor and exertion and miserable business which God has given to the sons of men with which to exercise and busy themselves. [11] He has made everything beautiful in its time. …

This is the time to read, sit, stay put, enjoy the outdoors and follow the orders that our leaders have given. There will be a day when it is time to rebuild, and rebuild we will!  But today is not it. It is not that season. By resisting the urge to be around others, we are helping countless health professionals around our country. Today is the day to hunker down in obedience. It is time to help those who are on the front line and must go to work. This is what we are called to do.

I know quite a few people who think the internet is evil. But I am amazed at the timing of our digital connectivity.  I do not think it is a coincidence. Lately, this distant love-in-action has been demonstrated by my teaching coworkers, family, and many famous and not-so-famous musical artists who have broadcast their songs on social media.

It is time. Time for us to try some Facetime, text, call, or respond to posts from friends and family on social media. We have the tools to reach out in love without touch and I believe God expects Christians to use them.

Christianity Based on Perception

Luke 6:32-36 NIV

“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

The homeless beggar on the street

The coworker who is always on time and helpful
The coworker who is always late and surly
The coworker who doesn't deserve the position he is in
The head of the company, CEO
The salesman who sold me a lemon car
The checker with a long line at the grocery store
The guy who holds the door for me
The lady who cuts in line in front of me
Those who have a lifestyle that is different from mine
Those who campaign against abortion
Those who campaign for a woman’s right to abortion
Drug addicts

Drug dealer

Guy who broke into my house

Policemen
Firemen

My ex-husband

My boss

Those who are swindling the welfare system 

My elderly parents

The nurse caring for the elderly

The coworker who snitches on everyone

My pastor

That argumentative atheist on Facebook

My child’s teacher who obviously hates my child

The coach who won’t let my child off of the bench

The kind, hardworking custodian

Wife-beaters

Neo-Nazis

Left extremists

Nancy Pelosi

Donald Trump

I need to spend a little time thinking about treating everyone as God’s child, and not just those who I deem worthy. Treating “good” people well and “bad” people poorly is a worldly point of view and not at all like Christ. I should treat all of those on the list above with kindness and equity. This is what Jesus called me to do.  He loves them all and as his child, he expects me to do the same.  I am not called to judge, but to love.  And the main point is “Who am I to judge?”

While watching a popular high school girl helping a fellow student with her homework, I noticed how kind and caring she was to this lonely girl who had a foul odor and shabby clothing. People even commented on what a compassionate heart the popular girl had. Then I watched this same popular girl in a very different situation act hateful to someone that she perceived as a bad guy. 

How many times do I, like this popular high school girl, act kindly to those who I perceive as worthy of my kindness while at the same time, act cold to those who I blame for some circumstance in my life? How many times do I ignore someone who made a decision that I dislike? It seems that we as Christians will stop everything to care for, and talk to those who we deem worthy, but we do not bother to reach out to those who we perceive as a threat or those in whom we disagree. Is there really any difference at all in the way I treat people and the way a non-Christian treats people? 

Image by John Hain from Pixabay 

Lord, please forgive my sin of judging. Help me to be Christ-like to all. Help me see when my judgment gets in the way of my Christian witness. Help me remember that a Christianity based on my perception is not Christianity at all. It is nothing like You called me to be. May I be the light and salt to the world, even on social media. You called me to love and not to judge. And most of all, may my eyes be on You.  

Today's Gift

The past week has been a difficult time to be in a leadership position. The COVID-19 virus has rocked our world!  Many people in leadership positions have had to make uncomfortable decisions about closures that affect all of us. It is easy to see the inconveniences but difficult to see the point of all of it.

As a school superintendent, my husband has been one of those on non-stop conference calls from local health officials and state officials gathering and sorting media hype and overreaction from factual information. And from all this information he had to make a decision about school closure that will affect the lives of not only our students and their family members, but our staff and our community members.  On one hand, there will be lack of child care for children whose parents still must go to work and some children who will not receive the adult care and two meals a day that our school provides them. And with absence from school, students will not be practicing those skills necessary to give us an acceptable rating in the hyper-critical eyes of the Texas state government officials, thus affecting our funding. But on the other hand there may be stress on our health care system, due to many susceptible people becoming exposed to this deadly virus.

On those conference calls, state officials 2-stepped around making a statewide decision of closure for schools as well as other direct questions posed to them about repercussions to our school finances and any possibility of releasing us from this year's state mandated tests. So the stress increases. Finally, after much thoughtful consideration with a group of superintendents in our county, the decision was made to close our schools for a week.  And so the complicated work of educating our students remotely is looming ahead of us next week.

This afternoon however, my husband got a gift.  It was a call from an elderly community member.  This man was mourning the loss of a friend in another state to the COVID-19 virus, who left behind a quarantined, lonely widow. Imagine mourning the death of your spouse completely alone for 14 days with no hugs, no family and no friends. This community member expressed his thanks to my husband for the decision he made on behalf of those who are most susceptible to this virus.  That call was a gift.  It helped him remember why we are doing this. So when you find yourself fretting this weirdness of closures, remember why we are doing this. You will never know the lives that you saved.

Image by Sabine van Erp from Pixabay 

God is...

While reading some rather dry parts of the Old Testament, a reader’s guide that I am using said to look for the words and phrases that describe the character of God. Suddenly, that dry scripture came to life.  I caught glimpses of God. I saw a God of second chances, who is patient, answers our petitions, gives us victories. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and he wants our full devotion. Being in His presence changes us but he is too great for us to behold all at once. And all this was found in just two chapters of Exodus!  Suddenly my point of view changed from me, me, me, to God the Father, creator and lover of my soul.  

This also applies to my daily life. When my life is dry, mundane, or outright depressing, I need to look for the things in my world that show the character of God. They are all around me. He created it. I see Him in my dog’s brown eyes and freckled nose.  I see Him in comforting words from my husband.  I see Him in the intriguing script of a good book. I see Him in an article I read on Facebook. I see Him in the persistence of a cardinal protecting his nest relentlessly.  God’s fingerprints are everywhere. We only have to pry our eyes off of the hurt of this world and look around expectantly.

7 Surprising Facts about Leadership

If you work for an organization of any kind, you probably know people who are in leadership positions.  And chances are, you don’t agree with all of the choices they make on the behalf of the organization. 

But first, let me define who I am not talking about.  I am not talking about that 1% of people in leadership positions that do it as a power rush.   I am not talking about a takeover-and-dominate-with-a-Hitler-complex attitude that we sometimes find in leadership positions.  Yes, they are out there and yes, they are quite scary.  So please get past these. This is NOT about them. It IS about the people who chose to step up and make the hard choices to what is, in their view, the betterment of an organization or a group. Here is a collection of observations I have made about this leadership.  Some of which, you may find surprising, and some of which you are very aware.  But we all need a reminder.

1. All leaders answer to somebody.  And the higher the position, the more people they must answer to. They are held responsible to not only those who work for them, but for those they serve. When we are looking to a leader, we see them from a selfish point of view; a what-do-they-do-for-me view. We need to widen our point of view to truly assess the effectiveness of a leader.
2. Leaders have access to information that no one else in the organization can ever know.  They know very personal information about interactions of employees.  But most importantly, they do not utter a word of this to anyone because it is privileged information. They know laws that must be followed in which most employees are unaware. Good leaders know who works hard and who does the least they can. They also know the things said to other employees.  They know who is a blowhard, who is a liar for their own gain and who is just difficult. Good leaders take all of this into consideration when making decisions for the betterment of the organization.  
3. Leaders are the ones expected to fix everything with no regard for the resources they lack. Leaders must make the uncomfortable call. They must confront uncomfortable issues when no one else is willing to do so. If a leader shirks this responsibility, he or she is loved, but the company suffers.  A true leader will make the hard call, disregarding his or her acceptance factor.  
4. Leaders are the fall guy for an organization. They are there to protect those under them from losing their paycheck due to company failure.  They must provide those they serve, who do their job well, job security. And they do this by keeping the organization financially sound and at the top of their game. If your company is functioning at the top of their game, thank your leadership. And if you contribute significantly to this endeavor, be thankful that you have job security. 
5. Leadership can be dealt out to an appointed committee or board but in the end, it takes a leader in that group to keep them moving and out of gridlock. Either someone in the leadership group will step up and lead, or they will be forever bogged down in the decision making process, accomplishing zero. The burden of leadership always falls on someone. 
6. Because they confront uncomfortable issues when no one else is willing to do so, leaders are often villainized, cussed and discussed for any and all battles that are being fought.  A leader’s choices are analyzed, criticized and publicized.  Leaders are isolated. No one is willing to hang out with them for fear of brown-nosing. Leadership inherently comes with loneliness. Thus the saying, “It is lonely at the top”. 
7. Leadership is a calling, not a privilege granted to those who deserve it. Leaders are born. However, I think with maturity this ability grows. Can leadership be learned?  Well, I’m not sure. It can be improved and skills can surely be sharpened with experience. People do have varying degrees of leadership. Some will step up and lead in one situation, with one group, but not with another. To me, leadership boils down to a courageous, can-do mindset. There are variables to leadership styles, but each leader must be driven to lead, deep in his or her psyche. And from someone who is NOT a born leader, I believe we should thank a leader for their willingness to take on this position, offering our grace and support for their courage. 
   

Changing Your Mind

There is nothing more frustrating than waiting for people to change their minds. As a former science teacher who has had to teach girls to overcome the lie of “I’m not good at science,” I have battled this and many other stubborn beliefs (lies) that people cling to. In my new career I battle the, I’m not good at technology, mindset. There is nothing more debilitating than the lies that we tell ourselves on a daily basis! I personally battle lies in my own head like, “I’m not a people person,” and “I am bad at dancing, running, catching, throwing and moving in general.”  We all tell ourselves lies on a minute by minute basis.  

How do we change our mindset?  How do we stop the lies? Well, I am pretty sure the answer to that is ‘slowly’.  Today, I was reading the famous story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. As I was reading, I thought, “Why didn’t God just zap the Egyptians and get it done? Why did he draw things out with plagues and failures”? Then it came to me.  He was weaning the Israelites away from dependence on the Egyptians, while he was increasing their dependence on God. It was a change of mindset that required all that time and drama! God was applying time and pressure to the right places. And as we know, there is no slower process than the process of changing stubborn human minds.  

So this led me to wonder about all the times I thought God was moving too slowly in answering my prayers. Maybe he was waiting on me to change my mindset and allowing pressure to be applied in all the right places.  Maybe God was patiently teaching me a new way of thinking before he changed my circumstances. Or maybe the change of mindset was the answer to my prayers.

Lord, please show me the lies I tell myself daily.  Please apply patient pressure to help me change my stinking thinking.