I had a massage this past weekend. I don’t pamper myself very often so it was a wonderful treat to lay on the table and have someone rub my sore muscles. The problem was that at first I couldn’t really enjoy the massage because I couldn’t shut my head up. First I was thinking about how I didn’t want the massage to end. Then I started thinking about the awesome things I was going to be enjoying the rest of the day. I was thinking about the nap I was going to take. Then I thought about the good food I was going to have for dinner and the glass of wine I would enjoy with my dinner. Then there was the fabulous chocolate fondue that I would finish up for dessert. And, aw man, how much was I going to enjoy the new shower head I had bought that day. Oh, I had such a great day planned. And the weather was warm and sunny. And on and on I went. Finally about 20 minutes into the massage I realized that I wasn’t relaxing and enjoying the massage at all. I was too busy thinking about the next exciting thing then the next and the one after that. I was letting myself be distracted to the point of missing out on an awesome blessing.
Thankfully, I was able to rein in my thoughts and enjoy the rest of the massage. But as I left, it made me wonder how many times I may have missed out on the blessings that were happening right in front of me because I was too caught up thinking about the next one. Or too busy thinking about the things I had to do or the things I haven’t done. How many times have I been too distracted to take the time to enjoy what God has placed right in front of me? And how many times have I been so wrapped up in looking forward to the next blessing that I’ve missed the one that is happening at that very moment?
Satan feeds on those moments. He just loves to stoke the fires of our minds to keep us busy and distracted so that we don’t focus on God and His blessings. And Satan will use whatever method he knows works best on each one of us individually. Sometimes he stokes the fires of anger and bitterness. He grabs onto our minds and puts thoughts in there that stir up the anger we had towards a past hurt. I know from experience that bitterness and anger can cloud our every thought and action. It can get in the way of friendships and relationships and it can get in the way of us enjoying the life that God wants to give us. And you can bet money that if we have unresolved anger in our hearts, Satan will jump on that and stir it up every chance he can.
Satan knows what each of us struggles with. And he knows exactly how to use that thing to get in the way of our enjoyment of God’s blessings. At this point in my life, the thing Satan knows will get me every time is fear. I don’t fear illness or the loss of my job or the normal things that most people fear. What I fear is my relationship with God. I’ve been struggling with God on something for over two years. All because of my fear. I’m afraid I got the message wrong. I’m afraid that maybe I really don’t hear from God. I fear that maybe I really don’t have a relationship with God and it’s all in my head. I fear that I misinterpret what God tells me. I fear that I’ll go in a direction God doesn’t want me to go. I fear that I’m waiting for something that I think God has told me will come but He really hasn’t said that. I fear . . . I fear . . . . I fear. And Satan is all over that like a tick on a dog. Satan uses that fear over and over again to keep me from enjoying the blessings that God has for me.
God does not give us a spirit of fear. First John 4:18 says: “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.”
I know that when fear is present in my heart and mind, it’s Satan talking. And I know that Satan wants to keep me away from God’s blessings by filling me with fear. If Satan can use my fear to keep me away from God, then he is all too willing to use that fear again and again and again. You would think that I’d stop listening to Satan and stop giving him a foothold. But NOOOOO. Every time Satan is there, I’m all too willing to open the door and inviting him in. “Oh, come right in. Would you like some tea? Hey, don’t forget to bring in your bag of fear. Because it’s been a while. I’ve been going along nicely for at least a few weeks now so I think I need to rummage around in that bag of fear some more.” What’s that all about? Thankfully, God is patient and doesn’t mind telling me, as he did Joshua, “Be courageous and strong.” Unfortunately, all too often, I listen to Satan instead of God. And all too often I allow my fear to get in the way of enjoying the blessings God has for me.
One of the things I’ve enjoyed so much since moving to Atlanta is hiking on Kennesaw Mountain. Being from Florida, I think it is pretty darn cool that I have a mountain practically in my backyard. It is amazingly beautiful and such a blessing. And, it gives me great pleasure to hike on it. I think it is one of the most awesome blessings God has given me since He brought me to Atlanta. For a long time, I was not afraid to hike that mountain alone. But a few years ago, a young girl was hiking alone in the North Georgia mountains and she was kidnapped and killed. It was really, really sad. And it made me think of all the times I’ve hiked on Kennesaw Mountain. And since that time, I have not hiked alone. My fear has kept me from enjoying one of my favorite blessings from God. But I can’t let my fear continue to get in the way of something I know God wants me to enjoy. I’m not saying that I shouldn’t be cautious. Certainly it would be crazy for me to hike alone in an out of the way area. But on most nice weekends Kennesaw Mountain is full of people. I don’t want to be afraid any more. And, more importantly, I don’t want to miss out on such an awesome gift from God just because I’m afraid of what might happen.
Satan has kept me in the grip of fear for a very long time. And not just about hiking the mountain. He has used my past mistakes and my insecurities to stop me from enjoying the journey that God has me on. He has used my fear to convince me that I really don’t know God and that God really didn’t say what I think He said. Genesis 3:1 says: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” And that’s just what Satan says to me. “He really didn’t say that.” Or “You really didn’t hear that.” Satan uses my fear to confuse me and to make me doubt my relationship with God. And while I’ve been rummaging around in Satan’s bag of fear, I’m sad to admit that for a while, I missed out on the blessings that God had placed right in front of me.
I’m not saying that all fear and anger are bad. God gives us emotions for a good reason. Sometimes a good dose of fear can stop us from doing things that are harmful. And it’s ok to be angry ~ even Jesus got angry. But anger is never good when we hold onto it until it turns into bitterness. And fear is never good when it keeps us up at night and causes us to stop living the life that God has for us.
What is it that Satan is using to keep you from enjoying the gifts and blessings that God so deeply wants to give you? Is it fear? Is it anger and bitterness? Is it unbelief? Maybe it’s that you’re so excited about the next blessing that you can’t take the time to enjoy the current blessings.
God wants to pour out His love on each one of us. And even when things are really crappy, there is some kind of blessing in there somewhere. Maybe it’s as mundane as a butterfly landing on a flower. Or as small as “I managed to get out of bed and brush my teeth today even though I feel like giving up.” Rejoice in those blessings and enjoy them. Don’t let your fear or your anger or your unbelief make you miss them. Even though blessings may be hard to find, they are there. And God is just waiting for you to embrace them.
Remember: "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." Ephesians 1:3
Precious Jesus, thank You so very much for the blessings You give us each and every day. Help us to fight Satan and his wicked lies that stop us from seeing You and get in the way of our enjoyment of the blessings you want to give us. You are awesome, Jesus. And we thank You for the beauty that surrounds us. Amen ~Robin
