Whose Voice Are You Listening To?

Imagine for a moment that you knew someone was a liar - that every word that came out of their mouth was a lie. Other people knew it, and you yourself had personal experience - first hand knowledge - that this was in fact true about this person, 

Now imagine that this person hated you, had only evil intentions towards you, wanted to steal your freedom, and destroy you in every way.

Would you listen to them? Would you give them your time and attention? Would you allow their words (which make you feel anxious, defeated, ashamed, unloved etc . . . ) to live "rent free," as we like to say, in your brain? Would you make space in your inner world for their twisted, distorted narrative?

I do this more than I care to admit. 

Listen to what Jesus says about the devil in John 8:44:
He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

And in Luke 10:10:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Tomorrow I'm heading to the Speak Up conference in Grand Rapids, MI. For the first time, I'm teaching a breakout session, and I am thrilled for the opportunity. And . . . as I've been preparing for this for the last several months, including recording my message on video for those attending virtually, I have entertained the father of lies more than once:

When imposter syndrome has reared its ugly head, telling me, "You don't belong here. Who are you to be teaching at a writers/speakers conference?"

When anxiety kicked in as I entertained the possibility and imagined how dumb I would feel if no one even comes to my workshop. 

Or first thing this morning, when rather than thinking about the conference, I was hit with an onslaught of negative thoughts about relationships and loved ones I have no control over, Thoughts that produce guilt, anxiety about the future, disappointment, confusion, condemnation, shame, hurt . . . 

It took me a few minutes to ask the oh-so-important question, "Whose voice am I listening to?" As I'm preparing for this event, as I"m living each day, doing my best to love God and those in my life, is God really the one whispering these thoughts in my ear, in my mind, in my heart?

No. I can't imagine God sitting across from me while I'm having my morning cup of coffee saying these things. This has become my litmus test. To be clear, sometimes he says things that aren't easy to hear. Sometimes he corrects, shines a light on an area that needs attention, exposes areas where I need to grow, convicts me of something I've done wrong. But the undertone and the overtone is always love, not shame. It's hope-inducing, not defeating. It is correction without condemnation. When I've missed the mark, his words include a clear next step - a way forward. His words lead to peace, not anxiety. Grace, not judgement.

I'm getting better at interrupting the narrative, as my counselor puts it, and recognizing this pattern earlier in the process. It takes time and intention to change mental habits, disordered desires, negative thoughts, and unhealthy neural pathways that have been formed by decades of distorted thinking. 

This is not easy, but it is possible. And it would be a mistake to think that this process is entirely psychological, merely a mental challenge. Yes, we have to do the work of taking our thoughts captive, of analyzing what we are thinking and believing and accepting as true, but we can't do it in our own strength..
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2 Corinthians 10:5: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Romans 12:2: Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

There is a spiritual component to this work - some may even say it is the root of our "stinking thinking" - that we approach with the help of the Holy Spirit. After all, this is part of the Spirit's job - his work in us, as Jesus explained to his disciples in John 16:13:

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth."

Let's not miss this point: the devil is a liar; the Spirt of truth guides us into all truth. 

The Spirit helps us recognize when we are believing lies, when we are jumping to conclusions and making assumptions, when we are writing a story in our heads that is not true, when we are accepting as fact untruths born in darkness that are intended to wound us, erode our sense of belovedness, and cause anxiety and unrest. 

As is true in other areas of Christian living, our degree of freedom directly correlates to our degree of surrender. Greater yieldedness brings greater liberty. 

So let me ask you - whose voice are you listening to today? Are you allowing the enemy of your heart, mind, and soul to speak his native language and steal your peace? What lie do you need to confront - what thought do you need to take captive today?

Here are some resources and practices that I've found to be helpful, and I pray you will too:

• Write out your negative thoughts. Get them on paper so you can see them, examine them, and rewrite them into truths

• Identifying common cognitive distortions:

https://ctrinstitute.com/resources/identifying-cognitive-distortions/

• Helpful Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 10:5

Philippians 4:8

Philippians 4:6-7

Romans 8:34

Romans 8:35-39
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