I had just finished watching the sweetest Facebook memory. It was of Mia, around age two. She was explaining exactly how to catch a tiger. My heart swelled– taken back to see that chubby-cheeked, round toddler, with her little voice. Take me back, I thought.
Immediately after I put my phone down, I heard the smallest whisper say, “You’re such a bad mom.” Wow. I thought. Where did that come from?
As a mom, I know I’m not the only one who experiences mom guilt or replays every little error I make each day. As a person, I am sure I’m not the only one who has that nasty little voice inside of them, telling them they’re not good enough or worthy.
Here’s the thing though:
Paul wrote in Ephesians that “... our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens” (6:12). In this specific verse, he’s talking about standing against the Devil’s schemes and the spiritual battle that takes place around us.
The Devil wants nothing more than to drag us to hell right along with him. However, we were given the Holy Spirit to help teach us, discern, see truth, and guide us (John 14:14; 14:26). We were also given God’s Word, the Bible, to help teach us, discern, see truth, and guide us.
Jesus gave an analogy about recognizing the voice of God in John 10. He said, “The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of sheep. The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own outside, he goes ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger; instead they will run away from him because they don’t recognize the voice of strangers” (2-5). As Christians and believers of God’s Word, we can identify the voice of the Father and discern when that voice inside of us is not of Him. Later in John 10:10, Jesus said, “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.”
Friends, Jesus didn’t come to accuse, slander, kill, and destroy. He came to give us life, and not just life but life in abundance. The enemy however, comes to steal, kill, and destroy. So those intrusive thoughts, the ones that tell us we’re no good and we’re unworthy, they’re not of God. When God corrects us or wants to change our hearts, He never comes to us in a harsh and unloving way. Rather, His correction is in love because God is love (1 John 4:8).
2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to take every thought captive and to raise it against the knowledge of God. So when those intrusive thoughts come this week, take them captive and discern whether it’s the voice of God or the unwelcome presence of enemy. Be His sheep and know His voice. Praying that for us all this week.
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