There seems to be something going around lately. Many people have it. In fact, I believe it may be close to an epidemic. The symptoms are often hard to recognize, except to the trained eye - strained smiles, dull eyes and an apparent lack of joy. Here is the main thing to watch for - ask them how they are doing and they will usually respond, "I'm fine."
That's the key word - FINE.
We are living in a world of people who do their best to appear fine on the outside, while on the inside they are struggling, sometimes even to the point of death. So what is going on? Why is this so hard to diagnosis and why do so many people refuse to admit they are not OK?
One of the main reasons is that we believe the lies of the enemy. Here are a few you may have heard before.
"If I let people know what I'm really struggling with, they will reject me."
"I can handle this. I don't need any one's help"
"I'm suppose to be a Christian. People wouldn't understand my struggle."
Unfortunately, we have bought into these lies wholeheartedly and because of this, have given the enemy what he was after. We are left feeling isolated and defeated, with no one to help us up when we fall.
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
There is no vaccine for this disease. The only cure is gut-wrenching honesty. Sometimes the cure may be as painful as the disease at first. Stepping out of our comfortable little spaces and having the courage to admit we're not OK is scary at best and painful at worst. But it is not until we refuse to continue believing and ingesting the steady diet of lies the enemy is feeding us that we can begin to heal.
So the next time someone asks how you're doing, take a deep breath, refuse to believe the lies and get real.
devotion written for Gateway Girlfriends
That's the key word - FINE.
We are living in a world of people who do their best to appear fine on the outside, while on the inside they are struggling, sometimes even to the point of death. So what is going on? Why is this so hard to diagnosis and why do so many people refuse to admit they are not OK?
One of the main reasons is that we believe the lies of the enemy. Here are a few you may have heard before.
"If I let people know what I'm really struggling with, they will reject me."
"I can handle this. I don't need any one's help"
"I'm suppose to be a Christian. People wouldn't understand my struggle."
Unfortunately, we have bought into these lies wholeheartedly and because of this, have given the enemy what he was after. We are left feeling isolated and defeated, with no one to help us up when we fall.
"Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
There is no vaccine for this disease. The only cure is gut-wrenching honesty. Sometimes the cure may be as painful as the disease at first. Stepping out of our comfortable little spaces and having the courage to admit we're not OK is scary at best and painful at worst. But it is not until we refuse to continue believing and ingesting the steady diet of lies the enemy is feeding us that we can begin to heal.
So the next time someone asks how you're doing, take a deep breath, refuse to believe the lies and get real.
devotion written for Gateway Girlfriends
AHHH... Moving away from happily ever after. Who ever said that life was going to be easy? Scriptures says that we are in a battle; that we will face persecution; and we have to take off our old self. None of that is easy stuff. Yes, we can have joy in the midst of that but isn't it interesting how we have bought Satan's lie that we have to go it alone instead of walking hand and hand with other believers.
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thanks for stopping by Blog Around the World. Just wanted to let you know that you are all linked up.
ReplyDeleteBTW, this post is fabulous!
but He said to me, "My grace is sufficent for you, for power is perfected in weakness." therefore, i will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me.
ReplyDelete2 corin 12:9
I have seen the effects of this disease, too.
ReplyDeleteAnd what about it's counterpart? You know, the one in which people let the words, "How are you?" fall off their lips, but they really have no desire to listen to an honest answer. I think the two diseases feed each other.
And getting real is the only solution!