Dark blankets of fog…thoughts that weigh down like anchors…heaviness that fills our bodies; and we wonder how we can possibly escape these places in our minds. The longer we focus on the feelings, the larger they grow. Where do we find hope?
This is the silver-platter of lies that the enemy whispers into our hearts. The words that fall on us, heavy and hopeless and we question whether the darkness of winter will ever pass.
One of the dangers that can threaten each one of us as we tentatively lift the silver lid of the new year is the hopelessness we can experience. It can haunt us, frighten us, and even steal from us all that God intends for us to enjoy on the platter of a fresh beginning.
Certain lies appear innocent enough in the moment, but once they slip in the back door of our minds it’s hard to control where they roam.
If we were sitting together today over a cup of steaming tea this afternoon, discussing what some of the most deadly lies would be, what would you say? I know what I would say…I would look deep into your eyes and gently caution you, “One of the most deadly lies is the lie that your situation does not have any hope!”
Maybe the lies of hopelessness seem foolish to you, like; ‘There’s no hope – this baby is NEVER going to sleep through the night!’ You know in your head that eventually this child will sleep soundly but it FEELS hopeless in the moment, doesn’t it?
What about a lie, like: ‘There’s no hope – this toddler is NEVER going to master potty training!’ Again, we know that this is not the way it will always be, but when we’ve reached our points of exhaustion it FEELS utterly impossible that this stage will ever end.
Then we can hear more serious lies, like; ‘There’s no hope – my marriage is in an awful place and it can NEVER change.’ This can FEEL more alive than other lies because it goes to the deep end of hopelessness, but it’s still not the truth. [Read more...]
