You may have failed at a relationship, a ministry
opportunity, or in another area of your life. God makes messes out of our
mistakes, but the enemy whispers in our ears,” You shouldn’t have done that,
now you’ve really messed up.” If we listen to the voice of the accuser for any length
of time, we begin to get discouraged and not want to take any more risks or chances
in life.
As important as it is to forgive others, we must
forgive ourselves! Even if you sinned against God and others, all that you need
to do is sincerely repent and turn from that sin. God may convict us in an area
of our lives to bring us back into a right relationship with Him, but never to condemn
us. When God convicts it is done lovingly, gently, and with a way out. When the
enemy condemns there is discouragement, feelings of inadequacy and failure, and
no way to rectify the situation.
Condemnation leads us believe that we will never
change and we are not worthy of God’s love. The reality, Christians mess-up,
fail, and are prone to weaknesses at times, but God picks us back up and gently
shows us our error and He points us back on the right road.
Condemnation causes us to wallow in self-pity. You may
hear a faint whisper, “Poor you, you just can’t get it together.” God however
says, “Learn, grow and get up again my child.” When the enemy condemns he is harsh,
unloving, and unrelenting of reminding us of our mistakes. The enemy likes to
rip open old wounds and pour his bitter salt over them, but don’t be deceived
he will not give you the exact package of old wounds every time; he repackages them.
The enemy is a master deceiver, he likes to use what is in our past to inflict
us. Why would the enemy use new tactics when the old tactics still work? The
enemy knows your blueprint and has studied what schemes have worked before to
trip you up. If you have battled with rejection, unworthiness or inadequacy,
best believe the enemy will expose those weak areas. The exposure comes only to
condemn you, to make you feel like quitting and giving up, and for you to come into
agreement with the lies of the enemy, “what’s the use, I will always mess up. I
am a failure.”
The enemy uses your past hurts, wounds and other weak
areas to remind you that you have not really changed when current similar
incidents transpire. The enemy loves to use our past against us. There may be
times we do fall back, but if we get back up and continue on the race set
before us, the enemy can’t use our sin against us any longer.
Why does the enemy condemn? To cause us to shriek
back, turn inwards, and give up. If you ever hear yourself saying “What’s the
point…I will fail anyways,” the enemy is behind it. Most likely if you are
moving forward, beating some sin habit in your life, or choosing to serve
Christ over man, and then a “hiccup” occurs to throw you off balance. The enemy
gets you cornered by bringing relentless distractions and then you blow-up. You
did not mean to get angry or lose your peace or even say something negatively
about the person who has now rubbed you wronged for the tenth time, but you did
and the enemy comes in to capitalize on your weakness and sends condemnation like,
“Who do you think you are? You call yourself a Christian? You really blew it
this time” We all have weaknesses and areas that bend and try us, we will at
times fail. During those times where we fail, it is important that we get back
up quickly in the fight, don’t stay down. You may have been knocked down, but don’t
stay there-get up! It can be more difficult to climb out of a pit, then just
tripping over the pit and then moving past the pit.
Reflect
and ponder: Are you feeling bad about yourself over a
situation that you have already asked God to forgive you for but it continues
to fester and cause those wounds to be exposed again and again? Are you
listening to the lies of the enemy (the accuser of the brethren) over the voice
of truth? What are you listening to in your ear that then penetrates your very
soul? Do you believe that you really are a bad_____________ (you fill in the blank)
and deserve to be alone or it is your fault the way things have turned out?
Counselor’s
Corner: If you have let the voice of the accuser
condemn you, it is time to get washed in the truth of what God says. You may
not initially believe what God is saying, but speak the Word of God over your
life, and the lies of the enemy will have to bow down to the truth. If you have
already asked God to forgive you, there is no need to keep revisiting the should
have, could have or ought to have-these keep you tied to your past and bring condemnation.
To condemn means to pronounce guilty and convict means
convince of error or sinfulness. If we have been made in right standing through
the shed blood of Jesus Christ then our sins are under the blood of Christ.
Does that mean we can continue in sin after receiving Christ? No, it means that
when we do sin, we can go straight to our Father and ask for His forgiveness
and He no longer remembers that sin. It is the accuser who torments us with
past sins that we have already been forgiven for. The enemy reminds us we are
not worthy to receive such grace for our sins and weaknesses. His love, grace,
and forgiveness are limitless. We are not perfect, in fact, really far from perfection.
We will stumble, we will sin, and we will expose our own weaknesses, and
because of that we are in desperate need of a Savior who can forgive and
cleanse us when we do falter.
MEDIATE
ON THESE SCRIPTURES:
- You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16
- You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
- You are not condemned by God. Romans 8:1
- You can never be separated from God’s love. Romans 8:39
- You are a child of God. John 1:12
- You have been justified-completely forgiven and made righteous. Romans 5:1
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