The (v)oice and the Voice
Here's the (v)oice (note the little v):
"Christie, that class is hard because you have no reason to be in it. You should just face the facts and quit. By the way, have you looked at yourself? Hit the gym, sister. Oh wait. You can't because you have no time... and you've already robbed Peter to pay Paul. You're just getting by. By the way, you know there are dishes and laundry to be done... and you need to paint the den, still... but you don't know how to do everything to do that. And how do you call yourself a fan of your team when you don't even have time to watch the game today (much less attend it!)... and WHY are you still sitting on the couch? You are so not together. You sure God picked you to lead folks to Him?"
... and from there the less than constructive criticism continued to roll.
Yes, friends. Meet the (v)oice. A nasty talking, mean little (v) trying to prove himself. A bully on this playground called Earth. He was outdone a long time ago by the only Voice that matters and he's still trying to scrape his way to the top.
.jpg)
It's not a polite voice and it often replicates exactly what the world would say to me if I listened to it before I listened to God's voice.
Crazy thing? It almost got me today. That's why I stopped to write.
See, I'm tired today. I am just plain tired. I started out with the "be still and know that I'm God" verse going on and somehow let my mind get stagnant in that sweet process of resting. I forgot to not just be still, but to be still and let God's words be the backup music in that process.
For a moment I forgot something that an old friend used to say. He'd always say that his old demons were "outside doing pushups"... just bulking up and waiting to pounce on him.
.jpg)
He knew back then what I forgot today. He knew that when we don't let the Voice of Truth lead EVERYTHING that we do (including resting), that satan (the little annoying (v)oice) will pounce in to remind us of everything that we're not.
See, that's the "little voice's" job... to show up and make us feel less than... to tell us that we're not normal. He speaks as though he's the Voice of God... only he does a really poor imitation of it, so he knows he has to come in disguise. The little red dude knows that he has to trick us.
He knows that he has to speak a language that's familiar to us. He has seen where we've been and he'll take a language of long ago (self condemnation, for instance) and speak it as if we're talking to ourselves... just so we'll recognize it and take it as truth.
His job-- his sole purpose-- is to lie, kill, steal, destroy... to tear apart lives. But he likes to watch us suffer, so he'll do it slowly and consistently. It's brutal to walk through life letting satan have any bit of control.
This is my case for having God's word in your heart, friends. If it had not been there today, I would have bought this trash... hook, line, and sinker.
I would not have remembered that I have the authority in Christ to tell the (v)oice to shut it and to run into the TRUTHS of God that set me free over 2,000 years ago long before I was ever born. God's word says that even then He had a plan for ME (yes, ME!) and the plan was for good and NOT FOR HARM. :)
I would not have come to the truth that tells me that I am chosen and that God is my Ultimate Counsel and that He will fight every battle for me.
I would never have known that I could invite Him in to my home to fight this battle with the (v)oice on my behalf.
Ephesians 6:12 says it beautifully. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
.jpg)
My battle is not the laundry. My battle is not whether I'm out tailgating before my favorite team's game. Believe it or not, my battle is NOT whether I have six pack abs or am wearing a teeny, tiny digit that makes me want it to be summer all year long. My battle is not being a straight A student in my first semester back in college classes.
Granted, all of those things have their place. Taking care of my family and my home is important. SEC football is... well, I mean, it's SEC football. Enough said, right? :) Taking care of my health is important, too. Our bodies are God's temple. We are the living and breathing church. We're the place where the message of God travels to the rest of the world. And learning? It's so important that we're lifetime learners, but sometimes the lesson is something that no book can ever teach. Sometimes the lessons are packaged so much differently than we ever expect.
And at the end of the day, I'm the only one "grading" my life journey.I'm the only one that says "You've made an A in parenting today, Christie, but you have slipped to an F in coming up with great recipes for the week. You're just not making the mark."
When God looks at me? He sees an A+ every single day.
You know why?
Because ALL that He sees is Jesus. Why's that? Because I made the choice that matters. Years ago I asked Jesus to be my Best Friend... and God can see my now through that relationship.
All that God hears about me is the only Voice that matters...
It's the Voice that sits at His right hand and says, "Hey, Dad. Look at our girl. I sure do love her. Protect her, Dad. She needs you so much. I'm so glad she asked me to be her Best Friend."
And when HE is talking to me, the conversation is so much different than when satan is talking to me.
It sounds more like this:
"Christie, that class is hard because I'm trusting you to walk in that classroom and be Jesus in your sphere of influence. Facing the facts means accepting that while you won't be great at everything, you can be Christ-like in all of your interactions AND you can trust Me to renew your mind. I promise to bring blessings your way as a result of this class.
By the way, have you looked at yourself? You are a miracle, sweet child. Your body has carried life within it. I created you so intricately and allowed you to breathe life into young men that will change the world. And I know you want to hit the gym, honey. I know you can't right now because you are too busy with the blessings I've handed you... and I'm so proud of the way you've prioritized your time. You are just what I had in mind.
.jpg)
Your finances? Oh, my daughter. I'm so blessed by the way you worship through your giving. I know that the world tells you to take your tithe and offering and use it to make ends meet. What I see, though, is my child praising the One who will ensure that they are always met. It may not look like you think it should right now, but I see you continually trusting me... and I will honor that over and over. You are mine and I am yours.
And those dishes and laundry? May they be reminders that I've blessed you. Your family is fed. Your family is clothed. There's a roof over your heads. I remember you, my child, and one day every single thing that needs to be fixed will be fixed. Just for today, trust me that I've got you in My hands and enjoy taking care of your blessings... one at a time. Do not be overwhelmed by them and when you are, make a bag of blessings to share with another one of My kids. Stand up and BE the blessing. I've equipped you for that, you know.
You make me chuckle about your football allegiance, my princess. I knew you couldn't make the games for a while and it's okay. Why do you think that I painted the sun orange and the sky blue? It's a constant celebration and I had you in mind. Your Earthly Daddy is hanging out beside me right now and he told me to tell you to open the side door and shout out "War Eagle" today. He's still doing that up here in his mansion that I gave him, too. He's a loud fella, you know, but I love him, too.
Christie, I made you just creatively enough that other women would relate to you. This is why I've given you a voice with my kids. I chose you. Don't doubt my choice because I don't doubt it. It's not about you. It's all about Me and when your focus is there, it will all work out..jpg)
I made you different, too. I set you apart. You are NOT normal and for that I am ever so glad. Remember, I've called you to a lifetime of being different. My message for my kids is so different from that of satan and what the world will teach. I need you to walk that out... and it won't always be comfortable.
You are together because I say you are. Walk in that. Now, off the couch and out into the life I have given you. I love you and I believe you are exactly what I had in mind.
PS. I've already handled the (v)oice. He just forgets sometimes. Continue reminding him of his place. There's no fight to be fought. He's under my feet and that means he's under yours, too.
Love, Jesus"
----
Listen to the VOICE in your world, friends. He's just waiting to have a conversation like this with you. He's already had it in His word. Crack open your bible and ask Him to start inscribing it in your heart. He will
I'm off the couch and away from the computer now. Going to walk out what He has said to me.
PS. War Eagle. :) (And yay for your team, too. LOL...)
... and from there the less than constructive criticism continued to roll.
Yes, friends. Meet the (v)oice. A nasty talking, mean little (v) trying to prove himself. A bully on this playground called Earth. He was outdone a long time ago by the only Voice that matters and he's still trying to scrape his way to the top.
It's not a polite voice and it often replicates exactly what the world would say to me if I listened to it before I listened to God's voice.
Crazy thing? It almost got me today. That's why I stopped to write.
See, I'm tired today. I am just plain tired. I started out with the "be still and know that I'm God" verse going on and somehow let my mind get stagnant in that sweet process of resting. I forgot to not just be still, but to be still and let God's words be the backup music in that process.
For a moment I forgot something that an old friend used to say. He'd always say that his old demons were "outside doing pushups"... just bulking up and waiting to pounce on him.
.jpg)
He knew back then what I forgot today. He knew that when we don't let the Voice of Truth lead EVERYTHING that we do (including resting), that satan (the little annoying (v)oice) will pounce in to remind us of everything that we're not.
See, that's the "little voice's" job... to show up and make us feel less than... to tell us that we're not normal. He speaks as though he's the Voice of God... only he does a really poor imitation of it, so he knows he has to come in disguise. The little red dude knows that he has to trick us.
He knows that he has to speak a language that's familiar to us. He has seen where we've been and he'll take a language of long ago (self condemnation, for instance) and speak it as if we're talking to ourselves... just so we'll recognize it and take it as truth.
His job-- his sole purpose-- is to lie, kill, steal, destroy... to tear apart lives. But he likes to watch us suffer, so he'll do it slowly and consistently. It's brutal to walk through life letting satan have any bit of control.
This is my case for having God's word in your heart, friends. If it had not been there today, I would have bought this trash... hook, line, and sinker.
I would not have remembered that I have the authority in Christ to tell the (v)oice to shut it and to run into the TRUTHS of God that set me free over 2,000 years ago long before I was ever born. God's word says that even then He had a plan for ME (yes, ME!) and the plan was for good and NOT FOR HARM. :)
I would not have come to the truth that tells me that I am chosen and that God is my Ultimate Counsel and that He will fight every battle for me.
I would never have known that I could invite Him in to my home to fight this battle with the (v)oice on my behalf.
Ephesians 6:12 says it beautifully. "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
Granted, all of those things have their place. Taking care of my family and my home is important. SEC football is... well, I mean, it's SEC football. Enough said, right? :) Taking care of my health is important, too. Our bodies are God's temple. We are the living and breathing church. We're the place where the message of God travels to the rest of the world. And learning? It's so important that we're lifetime learners, but sometimes the lesson is something that no book can ever teach. Sometimes the lessons are packaged so much differently than we ever expect.
And at the end of the day, I'm the only one "grading" my life journey.I'm the only one that says "You've made an A in parenting today, Christie, but you have slipped to an F in coming up with great recipes for the week. You're just not making the mark."
When God looks at me? He sees an A+ every single day.
You know why?
Because ALL that He sees is Jesus. Why's that? Because I made the choice that matters. Years ago I asked Jesus to be my Best Friend... and God can see my now through that relationship.
All that God hears about me is the only Voice that matters...
And when HE is talking to me, the conversation is so much different than when satan is talking to me.
It sounds more like this:
"Christie, that class is hard because I'm trusting you to walk in that classroom and be Jesus in your sphere of influence. Facing the facts means accepting that while you won't be great at everything, you can be Christ-like in all of your interactions AND you can trust Me to renew your mind. I promise to bring blessings your way as a result of this class.
By the way, have you looked at yourself? You are a miracle, sweet child. Your body has carried life within it. I created you so intricately and allowed you to breathe life into young men that will change the world. And I know you want to hit the gym, honey. I know you can't right now because you are too busy with the blessings I've handed you... and I'm so proud of the way you've prioritized your time. You are just what I had in mind.
And those dishes and laundry? May they be reminders that I've blessed you. Your family is fed. Your family is clothed. There's a roof over your heads. I remember you, my child, and one day every single thing that needs to be fixed will be fixed. Just for today, trust me that I've got you in My hands and enjoy taking care of your blessings... one at a time. Do not be overwhelmed by them and when you are, make a bag of blessings to share with another one of My kids. Stand up and BE the blessing. I've equipped you for that, you know.
You make me chuckle about your football allegiance, my princess. I knew you couldn't make the games for a while and it's okay. Why do you think that I painted the sun orange and the sky blue? It's a constant celebration and I had you in mind. Your Earthly Daddy is hanging out beside me right now and he told me to tell you to open the side door and shout out "War Eagle" today. He's still doing that up here in his mansion that I gave him, too. He's a loud fella, you know, but I love him, too.
Christie, I made you just creatively enough that other women would relate to you. This is why I've given you a voice with my kids. I chose you. Don't doubt my choice because I don't doubt it. It's not about you. It's all about Me and when your focus is there, it will all work out.
I made you different, too. I set you apart. You are NOT normal and for that I am ever so glad. Remember, I've called you to a lifetime of being different. My message for my kids is so different from that of satan and what the world will teach. I need you to walk that out... and it won't always be comfortable.
You are together because I say you are. Walk in that. Now, off the couch and out into the life I have given you. I love you and I believe you are exactly what I had in mind.
PS. I've already handled the (v)oice. He just forgets sometimes. Continue reminding him of his place. There's no fight to be fought. He's under my feet and that means he's under yours, too.
Love, Jesus"
----
Listen to the VOICE in your world, friends. He's just waiting to have a conversation like this with you. He's already had it in His word. Crack open your bible and ask Him to start inscribing it in your heart. He will
I'm off the couch and away from the computer now. Going to walk out what He has said to me.
PS. War Eagle. :) (And yay for your team, too. LOL...)
Make you make mistakes, crave peace, and dance in grace!
Copyright © 2013 by Christie Aitken. All rights reserved.
BLOGGING LOVE: www.ChristieAitken.net
NON PROFIT LOVE: www.Roundtable-Solutions.org
MINISTRY LOVE: www.SingleMomCentral.net
NON PROFIT LOVE: www.Roundtable-Solutions.org
MINISTRY LOVE: www.SingleMomCentral.net
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment