You're Worthless, and Other Silly Lies
In home group recently, one of the men said something powerful to me. We were discussing James 3 and what it means to have Godly wisdom. Near the end of the session, he said this: “The only weapon the enemy has is lies. That’s it.” For some reason, this resonated with me in the deep recesses of my soul. He’s right, you know.
At 48 years old it has taken most of my adult life to even begin (and I man begin) to understand why I am the way I am, why I do what I do, say what I say, see how I see, and why the world around me makes sense the way it does. Thanks to a couple of really deep friendships, the Holy Spirit has been able to show me some of the causal events in my life that have shaped the very core of who I am.
This is an extremely merciful blessing since knowing where things come from is a major part of knowing how to deal with them. And that doesn’t apply only to weaknesses or flaws. It also applies to strengths. Our pastor recently said we need to guard our strengths as much as our weaknesses because it is in our strengths where pride finds the soil to flourish. He’s also right.
When I was a boy growing up there were several things I recall I am now realizing had a profound impact on my personality, the way I would make decisions, and how I deal with people as an adult. I’ll explain.
As an adult, I’ve often struggled with self-doubt. Maybe you have, too. No matter how successful a situation would be, there always seemed to be an occasion to doubt, to question the usefulness of the situation, or my worth as a person. As a minister, this is an extremely difficult road to navigate, and one I’ve had to swim through over and over it seems.
In those moments, the enemy is quick to whisper in my ear just how worthless and unusable he thinks I am. “See, they can’t stand you, and they have good reason. You’re a jerk, you’re overbearing, legalistic [or whatever the flavor of the day may be]” And somewhere in my soul, I once believed every word of it.
This voice has caused me to be on the brink of leaving the ministry, leaving jobs, leaving my marriage, and quitting everything I’ve ever started at some point or another. It is the enemy’s only tool; lies. And he knows just how and when to wield it.
Fortunately for all of us, though, it is a tool with no power over us as we walk in the power and freedom of the Spirit; as we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5) The longer I walk with Him, abide in Him, and listen to HIS voice, the fainter the enemy’s calls become. All it takes is a breath of prayer, a reminder to myself of the enemy’s defeat, the shear love of God, and the victory we are privileged to walk in. When we resist him he has to flee!
These aren’t trite coffee cup sayings and slogans for meaningless conversation; they are the words of TRUTH, deliverance, and freedom in Christ.
To all of you out there struggling with the enemy’s lies, here’s a reminder today to take those thoughts captive, send him packing, and walk in the freedom of Christ. My prayer for you today is that you will feel deep in your soul just exactly how Jesus feels about you and that you will know how much He cherishes you.
In His Service,
Matt Parker
