It’s no surprise to God that we’re going to be tempted to agree with the wrong “voices”….especially when we’re following God’s path for our lives.

Some of the thoughts, mindsets, ideas, accusations, and offenses are not originally our own thoughts — they’re originally the result of an attempt of the enemy –an enemy who wants to “plant” these little seeds in our minds, but then we choose to agree with these voices, making them like our own, and then they begin to grow into a big mess — if we don’t recognize this mess that’s forming, tear it all down and put a stop to it.

I remember a time when I would just go with whatever came to my mind. I was miserable…I was bitter…I just wanted to hide.

Last night I was taking a shower, and it was like me and God were reflecting on my day, reviewing my life, reviewing everything together just me and Him, I was being honest and vulnerable and real with Him, and then He gathered it all up and brought it into His light –He brought to my attention some of the things that had been coming against my mind, trying to get into my heart….trying to set something up.

And it was like I could suddenly see everything, I could sort it all out, I could see the attempt, the reasons behind the strategy of the enemy, I knew exactly what was attempting to affect me, what the enemy was trying to do…. I could see it all because He shined His light all over the whole thing and allowed me to see it. ?☀️

In that moment I had 2 choices…. I could face it and admit it, I could take His hand and do what needed to be done to knock it all down, remove any kind of agreement I had made, repenting of any area where I heard one of these thoughts and agreed and made it my own.

Or, I could ignore it, pretend like it was nothing.

These “voices” of the enemy want to plant things in our minds that lead us to be trapped in webs of offense, discouragement, or bitterness.

What is “offense” exactly?

We think we’ve been “done wrong” and we’re a little hurt by it…

Well, where did that idea come from?

Offense is just a big “set up” and in all of it, we think we find a little bit of truth in it, and we begin to run with it…… and guess what it does? Living with offense can destroy us, it can destroy our relationships, and it can destroy our relationship with God.

Yep…. no thanks.

But here’s the thing…. the Holy Spirit knows when this is happening, He knows when that first little thing begins to happen in our minds and hearts, and He will so lovingly reveal this to us, if we just make ourselves open to hearing from Him. ✨

He’s revealing these things to us. He’s alerting us. He’s giving us the opportunity to tear it all down with Him, to be free.

In His most beautiful way, He gives us the opportunity to realize this thing has been forming, this has been in the making to rise up against us at the most “opportune time”…. the attempt to form a scheme in the dark and then tear us down, taking us off course, damaging our lives.

But if we just sit with Him, and take a look within our own hearts with Him..if we sit and “review” our heart condition with Him, He’s going to show it to us, and we’ll be able to see everything. He even has this way of “making it all better” and redeeming every single part, even the parts where we’ve messed up.

And guess what? We’ll have an even greater awareness of that kind of attempt of the enemy for the next time that he tries it.

When that “voice” pops into our heads, we’ll be able to quickly recognize it.

(Thought pops in) “……wait, no. That’s not my thought. I don’t agree with that. In the name of Jesus, get out of my head and go away. I have the mind of Christ. Thank You, Holy Spirit for alerting me!”

And guess what? The attempt has been crumbled. Just like that.✨

We are cleansed, we are refreshed, we are set right, our thinking has been renewed.

No regrets, no messes, no being affected…. all has been taken care of and cleaned up in that very moment.

Remember, Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. We are going to be tempted, it’s what we do with the temptation that matters. What we do can either lead us to destruction, or it can make us stronger in the Lord because of facing it with Him.

Oh God, thank You for the work You do in my heart and in my mind. Thank You for alerting me of everything I need to be aware of — You show me exactly how to take care of it, and how to be renewed by You each day.

-Heather ?