Dwelling on Truth, Not Lies
By Meg Bucher
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”- Romans 8:38-39
“Where did that come from?”
My daughters and I belly laughed at a ridiculous thought-trail we decided to build a silly storyline on, inevitably ending with someone making a line-crossing comment that sent us all into stitches.
Thoughts are tricky little boogers. They can be helpful and motivating, reminiscent and intriguing, imaginative and encouraging… but they can also go completely rogue. After they pop into our minds, they look for a place to land. If we’re not diligent to guide them into the correct categories, they can derail us. At worst, take us completely out.
Romans 8:38-39 assures us that nothing can separate us from Christ, the NIV Study Bible noting that “it is impossible to get beyond God’s loving reach.” But there are many crushing moments in life that will tempt us to believe otherwise. Outright lies can potentially drift in and out of our minds attempting to label and disqualify us. Our enemy’s mission is to take us completely out.
Doubts can manipulate pride in reverse to wrongly convince us there’s something dysfunctional and wrong with us. Ultimately, this is not at all who God says we are. He proclaims we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) Wonderfully, meaning set apart and chosen by on purpose for a purpose. Worry can ignite a broken cycle of double-mindedness, and anxiety can signal a lack of trust in God. James warms,
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” (James 1:5-8 NIV)
Shame and guilt will launch an all-out attack on our confidence if we allow doubtful, worrisome, and anxious thoughts to spin into a destructive tornado. Shame never comes from God. The Holy Spirit will convict us to confess our sins and turn away from them, but He will not lay a blanket of guilt over our hearts. Perfectionism and comparison can be easily fueled by social media and other outlets, making us feel guilty for who we are and where we’re at in life. This is the opposite of God’s truth for our lives, and Paul encourages us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to “demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every though to make it obedient to Christ.” (NIV)
Nothing can separate us from God. Christ dwells in every believer. We are never alone. Through our Savior, we have the power to overcome any attack on our thoughts. The powerful lies attempting to take us out are no match for the Creator of the universe. By keeping God’s Truth fresh in our minds, we are able to focus and follow His plan and purpose for our lives. Our God desires a relationship with us. Tune into the Truth.
Meg Bucher writes about everyday life within the love of Christ as an author, freelance writer and blogger at Sunny&80. Her first book, “Friends with Everyone,” is available on amazon.com. She earned a Marketing/PR degree from Ashland University, but stepped out of the business world to raise her two daughters. Besides a budding writing career, she leads in Bible Study, Women’s and Youth Ministry. Living in Northern Ohio, she’s been wife to Jim for twelve years, and is mom to two tween daughters. Meg enjoys running and photography. A native Clevelander, she’s a huge Brown’s fan …no matter what.
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