“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
-Galatians 5:25
Now I can’t speak to how men self sooth, but for women it usually involves ice cream, chocolate or something high in sugar, fat and empty calories. That way, we can simultaneously eat yummy, fattening food while beating ourselves up emotionally for eating it, further perpetuating the love-hate see-saw ride we’re on. I know you know what I’m talking about!
I hate the see-saw! And those mental attacks can come out of nowhere. I’m sitting there minding my own business, exhausted after a long day, and it’s like the good guy in my head took a nap or something because the bad guy starts creeping in past my defenses.
It can start off innocently enough. Maybe it’s just a reminder of something that went wrong with my day, or something I would like to handle better in the future. Then – wham! – those thoughts somehow morph into a litany of all that’s gone wrong with my life. Or perhaps all I need to handle more effectively, or worse – a good back beating of all my failures and character flaws. Dang! It just doesn’t take him long to get me deflated.
Thankfully, I’ve learned to let the good guy in my head, the Holy Spirit, come to my rescue. The Spirit never tries to pacify me with pithy statements of how it’s okay because we all make mistakes, or how I should just be happy. He’s willing to take me back to the scene of the crime and take a good, hard look with me.
The Spirit never lies to me. He never sugar coats things. But he’ll remind me of how I handled a situation better than the one before, or how I recovered emotionally from it more quickly, or how I learned such a powerful lesson from my circumstance it has propelled me forward. In other words, the Spirit reminds me of my true victories, and of what really matters.
Even if it’s an area of my life that’s currently “under construction,” he whispers in my ear words of encouragement, reminding me my life is a journey to be travelled. He helps me recall prior ways I’ve grown over time to help me maintain hope and vision for the current hill (or mountain!) I find myself climbing. He restores my hope and peace.
I’ve learned the easiest way to step back onto solid ground is through prayer. When I take a moment — or sometimes a really long moment! — and invite God into my situation, He obliges. When I feel like I’m stuck on that crazy sew-saw of emotions, He reminds me of my positive truths, and helps me regain my footing.
FOR FURTHER THOUGHT
Here’s a passage I love that starts in Ephesians 5:16 which I will condense here for our purposes: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law … those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
Your sinful nature – the bad guy in your head – reminds you of the “law,” or all the ways you’ve screwed up. Your Creator is armed with what is actually true, ready to build into you for your good!
This week, look for ways to allow God’s Spirit to remind you of the grace and freedom you’ve been given. Remember His unfailing, unflinching love for you. Seek continued direction for the path He is leading you on. And if, like me, you find yourself on that see-saw once again, fighting back the lies in your head with God’s truth for you. Ultimately, truth is what will get you back to center.
PRAYER
Lord, thank you for your loving-kindness, and for telling me what is truthful, even when it’s hard to hear. Thank you for always using my losses and failures for my good. But especially, thank you for loving me with such lavishness. May I live my life in response to your goodness versus the enemy’s lies. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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