Stop Sleeping With the Enemy!

I have discovered an uninvited guest in my bed in times past. No, I'm not talking about kids, pets, or the dreaded bed bugs.  I'm talking about someone who likes to sneak in just as things quiet down and the lights go out, so he can whisper lies in my ear and undermine my confidence and faith at every turn.  I'm talking about the enemy, the evil one, Satan.

I don't know about you, but I find the most dangerous time in my head is right before I drift off to sleep at night.  As I recap my day or plan my tomorrow, crazy thoughts pop into my head:

"I can't believe you didn't get that done. You're not very good at your job."  

"You forgot to call her? What a lousy friend you are."

"You didn't mail that card? Not much of a daughter are you."

"You're not really ready for that tomorrow.  You're going to fail miserably!"

This voice of doom in my head and yours is the enemy working hard to throw us off our game, to make us believe we are unworthy, ungrateful, unattractive, unimportant, and any other "un" you can list.  In that moment I find myself vulnerable, because I typically don't have anyone awake to talk to for reassurance that those thoughts are false.  I can easily let those words wound me and weaken me. I can stay awake for hours, literally, getting sucked into a whirlpool of doubt and self loathing as I lay in the darkness.  If you have had or are currently having this experience, I want to encourage you to arm yourself before you go to bed at night.  When I was single, I would occasionally get spooked by a news story about a burglar or rapist on the loose and would sleep with a butcher knife under my pillow and my old field hockey stick under the bed.  I don't do that any more, but I am now putting spiritual weaponry by my bed each night.

First, arm yourself with the truth.   The devil is a liar and his aim is to single you out, isolate you, hit you at your weak points, and tell you lies to make you lose faith in yourself and God. How do I know this?

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy, but I have come that they may have live and have it to the full."  John 10:10

"He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar the father of lies." John 8:44

Put these verses next to your bed  and the one below, so if you find the enemy whispering in your ear you can read them and remind him that you are hip to his game and shut him down.  Then read this one out loud and remind him and yourself about what God has done for you and of His power over all things.

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.  That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ form the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavily realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come."  Ephesians 1:18-21

That's right, you have a power that is greater than anything on this earth on your side.  That power is working for you and is working through you.  There is nothing you can't accomplish if it is a part of God's will and purpose for your life.  Just because it didn't happen today, doesn't mean it won't happen.  In fact, if it is God's will you can be sure it WILL happen.  Pardon my poor grammar, but Satan ain't got nothing compared to our God!

Then, GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK!  So you didn't get something done.  Unless you are doing open heart surgery, it probably can wait until tomorrow. (If you are doing open heart surgery, I would urge you to finish that before you call it a night. Or at least have another surgeon tag in.)  Ask yourself a few questions:

• Did you have realistic expectations of yourself for that day? 
• Was your to-do list too long or too complex? 
• Did something unexpected come up and throw off your day?
• What can you reasonably plan to accomplish tomorrow? 
• What might pop up that could throw off your day, and how can you be ready for it?

Too often, I was beating myself up over things that were either out of my control or because I'd set impossible goals for myself that day.  I have to remember I'm human and can't always control my day to day environment.  That is true for you to, sorry to have to tell you. 

Finally, remember that you are not defined by one day's accomplishments or lack thereof.  Your worst day is not a complete picture of who you are.  It does not define you as an employee, spouse, student, parent, or person.  If we were all defined by one day of our lives, we would all be in trouble.  What matters more is the long-term.  If yesterday was tough,  pray that God will help you have a better day tomorrow, that He will maximize your minutes and give you an extra boost of energy.  Pray that prayer and then truly let it go.   Close your eyes and think about something else: a fun memory from time past,  your favorite movie or show, a funny story you heard, pretty much anything that is pleasant and lighthearted.  

I offer this advice, because I have been there.  I have allowed the enemy to steal too many hours of my sleep in my lifetime, and I'm determined that he will not get another minute of my sleep. If I sense the doubts creeping up in the future, I will follow my own plan to squash them and get to sleep as quickly as I can, so that I can be ready to face a better tomorrow.  The only person welcome in my bed is my husband. And with that, I shall say GOOD NIGHT!

ALL IN!

Okay, first of all, I know.  I know that the Clemson Tigers did not win the National Championship. I know because I sat next to my Clemson alum husband and watched every second of that game with him.  We cheered.  We screamed.  We held our breath.  And we counted down the seconds (especially the ones that should not have been ticking down because they were still moving the chains, but whatever).  So yes, I know that we lost, in the end, to Alabama.  For those of you who have NO idea what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the college football national championship game that was on Monday night.  If you aren't into football, don't worry, this is not a post about the game or the sport. It's a post about attitude. 

You see, ever since Monday night, my 2 year old daughter has insisted on wearing something with the Clemson Tiger logo on it each day.  Now, typically you wear your shirt the day after the game when you have won, but we lost.  She doesn't get it, and she doesn't care.  What she knows is that we are for the Clemson Tigers.  We were for them all fall. We were for them on Sunday.  We were for them when she went to bed on Monday night (and they were winning). Therefore, we are still for the Clemson Tigers.  And she is right.  We are still for them.  The rally cry of the Tigers is ALL IN.  Twitter even added the tiger paw image to the hashtag.  It comes from the coach telling his team when he first got the head coach position that he was ALL IN and expected them to be as well.  My daughter, at two years old, is the epitome of ALL IN.  When the news was showing the game recap, she wasn't looking sad like the rest of us, she was cheering, "Go Tigers!" because she is ALL IN.  She proudly wore her cheerleader dress over a long sleeve shirt and leggings all day yesterday because she is ALL IN.   The loss of one game, the close of the football season, and the end of a winning streak have changed nothing for her. She's ALL IN.  

And that's when it hit me. Her passion for the Tigers is exactly the passion I want to have for Christ in every season of my life. I want to be ALL IN for Jesus in every aspect of my life, every day of my life, through every situation in my life.  I want to have the same ALL IN attitude for the Gospel and my Savior, that my daughter is displaying. I don't want to be deterred by minor defeats; I don't want to be held back by trials, or stumble over obstacles.  Regardless of what I face, who I encounter, or how I may be feeling, I want to be ALL IN for Christ, because He is ALL IN for me.  I want the words I speak, the actions I take, the choices I make, the relationships I build, and every other aspect of my life to reflect my devotion to Christ and my love for Him.  I want to "put on" my Jesus t-shirt every day, no matter what happened the day before.  It is easy to wear the gear and cheer for your team when you feel like you are winning, when all is going well in life, but I want to be the full on fan when things look bleak, when times are hard, when loss has occurred.  

At the beginning of this new year, I want to encourage you to be ALL IN as well. If you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you know what He has saved you from. You know what He has sacrificed for you, and you know how very much you don't deserve His love. Like me, you are grateful beyond words for His grace, and very much aware of the gift you have received.  So, let's do this together. Let's be ALL IN for the Savior. Let's follow in the example of my two year old  and wear our faith for all to see every single day.  I'm ALL IN.  Are you?

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."  Colossians 2:6-7