Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Truth about Deception

What are your first thoughts the moment after realizing you've been deceived?  Like you were all in -- one-hundred percent, not holding back with anything or with anyone or from going anywhere? And in one instant the truth was revealed or perhaps the truth dawned slowly upon you?

Recently, I made a "bring the whole tithe to the storehouse," kind of commitment about eating healthier.  I bounded out of bed every morning for two weeks to fix new and healthier food for myself and my family.  I was literally at the "storehouse" we all know as Costco, standing in a massive line with all my healthy items when I glanced down at the ingredients.  Stunned, I read and reread the label for clarity - it listed a gazillion milligrams of sodium in my favorite vegetable side-dish. Believing it was heart-healthy, it slowly dawned on me I had been whole-heartedly deceived for a few weeks.

My first thoughts after reading the ingredients' label weren't thoughts at all -- I was mad and I told everyone in earshot the truth about the gazillion milligrams of salt in the package I was holding.  Suddenly, all the people around me started swapping food deception stories because they were convinced a certain product was healthy!


The spiritual realm is really no different.  Even though we may feel super motivated in bringing our "whole tithe to the storehouse," if we don't pause for a few moments, (see August 22, 2012 blog post) and "tighten the belt of truth around your loins," (Ephesians 6:14, amp), we can be seduced into believing we're doing exactly what we're "supposed" to be doing.  When, in fact, we are whole-heartedly being led astray.  For each one of us, deception looks different as our internal needs, wiring, wounds and preferences are unique.  Yet, Scripture teaches us we are to be on our guard and to watch out (I Peter 5:8).

As a woman who follows Christ and wears the full armor of God,  I am not only responsible to face the truth of who I am and who God is, I am also called to tell every young woman in earshot the truth about the Enemy's schemes in my own life.  Just this morning, I was swapping a spiritual story with a woman in the generation after me who was searching for the truth in Buddhism and I watched as the Light of truth dawned in her eyes.  The Bible says that the truth of God's Word is the Light.  So in a world of darkness and in a young woman's inner world of darkness, I am eager to tighten the belt of truth - what about you?

"Be well-balanced- temperate, sober-minded: be vigilant and cautious at all times, for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour."  I Peter 5:8 (amp).