Paranormal Activity and Salt

Why do people love scary movies?
I personally don't.
Just ask anyone my reaction to the latest one I saw.
I did not enjoy it.
And I will not do it again.


I don't like being afraid.
Some people find it exciting.
I, however, do not.
Probably, partly, because I have spent too much of my life afraid.
Gripped in fear:


"What will others say?"
"What do others think?"
"What if something bad happens?"
"How will I pay the mortgage?"
"How can I balance my job with motherhood?"
"What if I mess up?"


Then it goes deeper.


Anxiety.
Slowly being rooted deep within my heart and taking over my mind.
Worry is simply fear that has become rooted.
This week, it has consumed my life waking me up every day between 3 and 4 am.
Anxiety over money, my children, relationships, the past.
You name it.


Toss into the mix of fear and his ugly cousin, anxiety:

Guilt

Regret

Anger

Bitterness

And you have the ingredients for a paralyzed life.

Sure, we say we are believers.

And we go to church.

We even pray.

And then we come home.

And we muddle through.

We've all heard:

"I am my own worst enemy."

I'm here to tell you it isn't true.


We have an enemy.
And it isn't us.


And all of these issues I've listed are from him.


He's whispered to me, at length, this week.
Words of fear.
Concerns fertilized into worry.
Lies. Which make me fear.  The unknown.  The future.


What's worse:
I've listened to him.


Remember:
The adversary sews his tapestry of lies for one purpose:
To separate us from God.


And if he can't separate us with sin, he'll choose another route.
And when we are gripped in
Fear
Anxiety
Guilt
Regret
Dread
Anger
Bitterness
Unforgiveness


Then he has successfully separated us from the enormous blessings God has in store for us.


God SO longs to bless you!  To bless me!!
And I am unable to run forward, grab those blessings, 
savor them and rest in them,
When I am too busy being distracted 
by the tools of the father of lies.


God revealed to me this week His great longing to bless me.  He has blessings just sitting and waiting for me to take hold.  But, I've been too busy gripped in my own anger, guilt, resentment, and fear.


In Genesis 19, as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah loomed, God had Lot's family's salvation already planned.  It was laid out for them.  His blessing of life and protection.  All they had to do was to run forth and grab it.
"But, Lot's wife looked back..." (v. 26)
And she was unable to relish the joy of God's blessing.
Heartbreaking.


Stop looking back.
Stop worrying.
Stop listening to the lies of anxiety, guilt, regret, bitterness...


And run forward to grab hold of the enormous blessings God has in store.
Matthew 7 reminds us that God so longs to bless us.
He loves us.
He has our blessing waiting for us. Prepared.  Ready.
All we must do...


Is run to Him
And receive.