In this season of Patience Endurance, I’ve noticed that when things get difficult and situations and circumstances challenge my faith, I tend to use more “buts” in my prayers/conversations with the Lord.
For example,
“Lord you said this, but this happened.”
“I hear what you’re saying, but if you would just make a way then.”
Etc.
I felt the Lord respond to me with an “and” after every concern I gave Him. After every worry and reason for doubt, I heard Him say “and,” “and,” “and,” as if what I was saying was not actually something of concern, worry, or even reason for doubt.
I thought to myself, I am just doing what 1 Peter 5:7 says: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” However, the Lord convicted me by showing me that I was not casting my anxiety on Him, but rather holding onto my anxiety while trying to cast it on Him. I was telling the Lord all my concerns, worries and reasons for doubt but not willing to let them go until I saw a clear answer/solution.
God began to remind me that He is the God of the universe and the creator of all things, including me and my life. There was nothing I could tell Him that he didn’t already know. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t that He didn’t care about my concerns, worries and reasons for doubt, it was that He cared that I actually believed it over what he had previously told me. I was giving my concerns, worries and reason for doubt more weight than the words God spoke to me.
If you read further in 1 Peter 5:8-9, it says
“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
– 1 Peter 5:8-9
In verses 6 and 7, we are asked to be humble and cast all your anxiety on him but then in verses 8 and 9, we are warned to be alert and of sober mind because the enemy is trying to devour us. We are to resist the enemy and stand firm in our faith because we aren’t the only ones suffering the same kinds of things.
Casting all your anxiety on him is hard to do when you believe what the enemy has said or used against you to be true.
As I wrestled with the Lord, I was reminded of a word I heard from Sherene Wi. She was teaching part of a H&D (Healing & Deliverance) class at the time and told us that the only time the enemy’s lies have power over your life is when you believe them.
It’s so easy for us to believe a lie of the enemy when it’s all that we are consuming. Without having intentional time with the Lord, how can we expect to know what is the truth?
The pastoral team spends intentional time memorizing scriptures. It is not because we are trying to be holy. It is because we know that in order to discern what is true, we need to know the truth and the truth can be found in the word of God. If I spend 1 hour memorizing scriptures and 8 hours consuming social media, I may find it very difficult to resist the enemy or even know what to resist in the first place.
Now, I know that comparing hours between memorizing scripture and everything else does not do the scripture justice, because the power of scripture is not bound by the duration of reading it nor any indication of its effectiveness. However, using human means of memorizing, we are simply referring to whether you know it in your heart or not.
After evaluating my consumption of thoughts, feelings and experiences, I realized that at a certain point, I needed to stop listening to the negative thoughts, feelings and referenced experiences in my head and I needed to start speaking the words God spoke to me and remind myself of what He has done, did and promised to do.
Every time a worry, concern and reason for doubt came, I told myself “and” do you know what God can do? “And” has He failed you yet? “And” what did God say?
The next time you catch yourself using “but” in your conversations with yourself, God and others, perhaps try and replace it with an “and”, followed by what God said. Next time you cast all your anxieties on him, try not to hold on to them at the end of your prayers. Stay long enough for you to release what it is that you are holding on to and trust that the creator of heaven and earth has you in His hands. Meditate and memorize and practice Proverbs 3:5-6 and see what God does in your life.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
– Proverbs 3:5-6
Father, show us how to trust in you with all our hearts and not to lean on our own understanding. Help us to submit to you in all of our ways and make our paths straight. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!