When I was a kid I enjoyed pretending. I pretended I was a
bug or I pretended I was rescuing my sister from drowning. But as an adult, I
realize that sometimes I still pretend. I pretend that the house doesn’t need
cleaning. I pretend that it’s okay to go shopping with money I don’t have.
Even worse though, is when I pretend there isn’t an unseen realm.
I look the other way to avoid discomfort or pain. There is an unseen evil realm
and it isn’t strange or paranoid to pay attention to how I am influenced by
evil forces. My thoughts and feelings can quickly turn against all good and
sane desires. I could just blame it on
me when I’m grumpy. But that isn’t
always the whole picture. Anger and frustration that continue to badger me will
only get worse if I ignore it. It will grow louder if I put off reality and resist
finding out what’s bugging me. The truth is that there is a spiritual enemy. A spiritual enemy confuses me by telling me
how I feel. “You’re too tired to play
that game with your grandson”. If I
stop and think about it, I realize I don’t feel that way at all. That thought is
absolutely false! I really do want to play that game and spend time with my
grandson. I’m glad I figured that one out.
The enemy would like me to pretend that resentment isn’t
important. I’ll deal with that later.
I don’t need to make myself feel
bad. I can’t fix what happened. But that
is not true. Maybe I can fix what
happened. Maybe I am avoiding the memory because I have regrets and remorse and
I’d rather not think about. Maybe I need to stop pretending that it will get
better without any action on my part. So I ask myself, Why is it that I don’t want to think about that particular memory? Perhaps I need to ask forgiveness or to even forgive
myself. Perhaps I need to apologize to one of my kids or friends. I am actually
starting to look forward to becoming free of old remorse. I do NOT want to put off uncomfortable
apologies any longer. (Asking forgiveness is actually very good and is not that
uncomfortable). I am finding that getting things right with all people is an
urgent matter. It matters deeply to our Father in heaven. Love always matters to
Him. The enemy will tell me not to
bother. If I listen to the devil, I will miss out on freedom, relationships, and
all of life’s true blessings.
Pretending is not okay anymore. I need to pay attention, stay focused, and move
in the opposite direction from the insidious pull of evil. God will enable me
to do these things if I ask. God is so
much greater than negativity or confusion or my being right. God is greater
than the evil force that enjoys harboring those old offenses. God is certainly
greater than the words of the enemy.
