How Does the Enemy Try to Silence You?

04.01.2020 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to our FACETS community. We all need more community these days. Don’t let yourself isolate. We need each other. We’re vulnerable when we are off by ourselves. Remember, you are not alone (Immanuel). We are God’s kids and we’ll get through this period of isolation together by reaching out to one another from afar. Let us know how we can be praying for you!

As I (Tracy) consider our topic this month, I think a better question might be, “How DOESN’T the enemy try to silence you?” Sometimes, his schemes can feel overwhelming, never-ending, relentless even.

But there’s good news in that. (Really?) Really!

in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.”─2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV

We are not unaware of his schemes. We know he lies. He destroys. His desire is to kill everything in his path. (John 10:10) If you are living for Christ, he has it out for you.

But don’t lose hope.

He uses the same old bag of tricks. Again, we are not UNAWARE of his schemes.

If we were playing cards, he’d have to fold. We know what’s in his hand. And we can call his bluff every time in Christ.

I do not recommend fighting the devil in your own strength. He is stronger than us. He can outwit us as humans. But he doesn’t stand a chance against us in Christ!

Good news #1:

We are not unaware of his schemes. Knowing the enemy’s methods of warfare, helps us know how to fight the good fight.

Know Ephesians 6 like nobody’s business. The best defense is a good offense, they always say. Right? Okay, so then that means we should always use God’s Word as our offensive weapon. Know what God’s Word says. Know the truth in its pages. It is for us. It is for today.

God’s Word has gotten me through some tough times!

Recently, there were false accusations made against me – publicly. (Okay, accuser of the brethren, we are not unaware of your schemes.) I was fighting to hold my head up and keep walking forward. I couldn’t really defend myself in that situation, and I was feeling pretty downcast.

But the brilliance of God and His ministry through His Word, led me to this Scripture.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable─if anything is excellent or praiseworthy─think about such things.─Philippians 4:6-8 NIV

I’ve read this passage countless times, but God chose to highlight a few words that ministered to my heart. He wanted me to pay particular attention to “whatever is true”. It was like He had taken His holy highlighter, and made those words jump off the page.

Whatever is true.

Doesn’t that sound like the perfect anecdote to the schemes of the biggest liar of all?

Satan doesn’t stand a chance when God is in our corner!

God guided me to write that Scripture down and carry it with me. It’s still in my purse.

That way, whenever the enemy starts to taunt with his lies, I am fully prepared─not unaware. There are times when I don’t wholeheartedly believe the opposite of the accusations against me (initially). That’s okay. I might not have power in the moment, but God’s Word does. His Word will give my voice power. Say it enough times and it starts to ring true. Praise God!

Whatever is true─think about such things.

There’s more good news when we are under attack.

Good news #2:

The enemy doesn’t mess with us if we aren’t making kingdom impact. If we aren’t somehow radiating God’s goodness to others, we would not be on his radar. When we love God and try to fulfill the calling He has placed on our lives, the enemy doesn’t like that, of course. I’ve told others this, and sometimes I need to remind myself, when the enemy comes against us, we should consider it a compliment.

If we’re making no impact on Christ’s behalf, the enemy would leave us alone. How do I know? I have about 4 decades of proof before I became a believer.

Once the enemy had me mired down in sin – mine and others, he left me to my own devices. He didn’t need to put a wedge between me and God or the things of God. I was oblivious to them.

But now? Now, I love the Lord. I want to do what He wants me to do. But like Paul, I don’t always do the things I know God would want me to. So frustrating, can I tell you. I do find comfort that EVEN PAUL had this struggle. He was a brilliant follower of Christ, radically transformed, and talk about kingdom impact─we’re still walking in it today! Yet for all this man did for Christ, he didn’t execute flawlessly, the way he hoped he would, the way he thought Christ would want him to.

In the apostle Paul’s words,

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do─this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.─Romans 7:15-20 NIV (emphasis added)

Thank you, Saint Paul, for admitting your failures. It helps us when we have them too! We can fail forward.

If you are reading this and you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, never judge Him by His followers. We are not Him. We will get it wrong a lot of the time. Even when we don’t want to. I have no idea why He thought it was a good idea to use normal, everyday people, to help others know who He is. That might not have been my plan, just saying. Except for, maybe this, it’s coming to my mind:

God loves us and uses us for good, beautiful, purposeful things in spite of us and our sinful nature. He has this attribute called grace. And in His goodness He extends it to us, me and you, if we are saved. And if you are not saved, if you didn’t say “yes” in your heart to Christ, He would want you to know He accepts you flaws and all. You don’t have to be a certain way, to be perfect for Him to love you deeply just as you are.

In spite of our imperfect nature, God still uses us.

That leads me to one of the weapons the enemy tries to hurl my way, and I’m wondering if some of you can relate.

I have this deep root of perfectionism that trips me up. I can put unbelievable pressure on myself to perform. It’s really off the charts sometimes. I’m not fully sure how that root got wedged in place, but it’s deep. In my mind if I do one thing wrong, the whole thing is bad. Might as well toss it, or not do it at all. If it can’t be done with excellence, it shouldn’t be done.

While that sounds good, maybe even noble or godly to want to do things with excellence (and I think it is okay to want to do your best), God doesn’t expect perfect. He just doesn’t. He is the only One who could ever achieve that. Intellectually, I’m on board. Practically, I still trip over the root.

I say things I shouldn’t. I do things I shouldn’t. And even when I can keep those things in check, I think things I shouldn’t. Ugh, Ugh, Ugh

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.─Philippians 3:12-14 NIV (emphasis added)

Did you catch that?

Sometimes, we need to strain toward what is ahead. Push through the resistance. When we do? We are walking toward the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus to receive.

Just like Moses.

Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess. He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house. ─Hebrews 3:1-2 NIV (emphasis added)

As I read Priscilla Shirer’s words, I had to chuckle.

Excuse me? Moses? Faithful? Really?1

For those of you unfamiliar with Moses’ story, he was a bit flawed. For starters, he murdered an Egyptian. He wrestled with anger and insecurity. When the Israelites did dumb things (which was a lot, LOL), he’d lose his patience. He wouldn’t be the poster child for righteousness, but we find him being called out as faithful in all God’s house.

Say what?

Here’s the thing: God knew Moses’ heart. Lean in a little closer as I share this next little nugget. He knows your heart too, dear one!

God never, not once, assigned us to walk out life or our faith perfectly. In fact, He knew well in advance we wouldn’t. Our imperfect nature reminds us that we need Him.

Well, that gives me some hope! How about you?

I love Priscilla’s words here. They are so encouraging.

In spite of all kinds of spills and sputters in the execution, Moses held fast to the calling the Lord had placed on his life. “He was faithful to the one who appointed him” (v 2 NIV). Even in the noisy wind tunnel of guilt and regret, even with loud music inviting him to dance with the decadent, he could still catch the faint whisper of heaven compelling him to forsake temporary feelings and pursuits for the sake of God’s will. And herein lies what separated him and his people from all others. He was not perfect, but he was purposeful. He wasn’t without mistake, but he was marked by God’s presence. … And even when it meant picking himself up off the deck of defeat and discouragement, he did not stop until God Himself allowed him to go no farther. He was called by heaven─an appointment that ordered his priorities, pursuits and passions. Not perfectly but persistently.1

The enemy would love nothing more than to silence me through the weight of perfectionism, even in my faith walk. But that’s when I take a deep breath, literally. Breathe and seek God. Listen to what it is He has to say.

I pay attention to the places He leads me (like Priscilla’s book with well-timed words).

None of us can ever be perfect. But we can be purposeful. When I read that, I cried – a sure sign God was reaching my heart to encourage me. Thank You, Holy Spirit, for your tender ministry toward my heart!

None of us can ever be perfect. But we can be persistent about getting back up, dusting ourselves off, and reminding ourselves God doesn’t even expect perfection. So if He is a giver of grace toward us …. maybe we should extend some to ourselves.

None of us can ever be perfect. But we can fix our eyes on His presence.

Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. ─2 Corinthians 7:1 NIV

We’re perfecting holiness, not perfect. And that’s okay. Don’t believe the enemy’s lies that perfectionism is required to be used by God. It’s not true. Remember, what is true. Believe the truth.

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

1 Shirer, Priscilla Evans. The Resolution: for Women. B&H Pub. Group, 2015.

Do They Know They Are Loved?

03.24.2020 by Judy Maldonado //

I (Tracy) can’t wait for you to read our guest contributor’s piece this month! I’ve been anticipating the day I would be able to share my dear friend’s piece. If you know Judy Maldonado, you love her. She is kind, compassionate, funny, diplomatic, & smart. She loves the Lord, and it shows in her every day actions. So snuggle up and see what the Lord put on her heart well in advance of this season of slow down and stay in. Perhaps the Lord knew we’d all need to immerse ourselves in His love to get through our current Covid-19 plight.

Sitting in a counselor’s office I was asked to answer a ridiculously easy question, “What are a few things you love about your daughter?”

When I finished listing my top 40 and looked over at my daughter’s face, her eyes were wide.

The counselor asked, “Did you know your mom thought these things about you?”

I immediately thought, “Of course she does. How could she not?”

But my jaw dropped as my daughter slowly shook her head, “No, I had no idea.”

Those few words shook me. How could this amazing girl, my firstborn child, my pride and joy, not know how incredible I thought she was? How could she not grasp I was head over heels in love with her?

As I spent time thinking over this later, it hit me. I do the same thing with my Father. When I make mistakes or when I feel I’m not doing the things I should- having time with Him in the morning, ending my days with reflection and prayer, spending time in the Word- my natural reaction is to think, He must be so disappointed in me. On some level He probably loves me a little less right now. Perhaps I’m not on His priority list, because He’s busy with people who are better at being Christian than I am.

But if I think about His love for me, that the Word tells me is even bigger than my love for my daughter, then I know this is how He really feels:

He loves me with an everlasting love. (Jeremiah 31:3)

He pursues me with goodness and unfailing love. (Psalm 23:6)

He delights in every detail of my life. (Psalm 37:23)

He is merciful and compassionate to me, and He is slow to get angry with me. (Psalm 145:8)

As I read about God’s love for me in His word, I am blown away. Over 120 times in the NLT translation, the word “unfailing” precedes a reference to God’s love for His people. His love is unfailing. We didn’t earn it. We do not deserve it. We can’t outrun it. We cannot lose it. We cannot hide from it. We can’t run out of it, and we cannot do anything to ever lessen it. We. Are. Loved.

I wish I could get my daughter to see that- to see how I love her with an unfailing love. I love her even when her actions disappoint me, when she does things I know are not living up to her true potential, when she makes bad choices, and even when she chooses to push me away. I love her. Period.

But I’ve never thought about how my Father loves me in that same way, but better. Romans 8:38 tells me there is absolutely nothing, on earth or in heaven, in life or in death, not my fears for today or worries about tomorrow, that can separate me from His love. That is a big love.

And on hard days, on good days, on every day, I want to take comfort in the fact I am loved so deeply and unconditionally. It is the only way I can demonstrate true love to anyone else around me.

1 John 4:19 says “We love because He first loved us.”

My pastor once said, “When your relationship with God is better, every relationship in your life is better.”

Those words have rung so true in my life. When I am consistently walking and talking with Jesus, I am a different person. I’m happier. I extend grace easily. I’m not even as upset with my youngest daughter when I have to ask her ten times to put her shoes on.

But there is a tangible difference in who I am when I’m not walking closely with Jesus. When I’m at those times in my life, when I’m just dialing in prayers for things that I need or not taking any time to spend in the Bible. That Judy gets angry quickly, yells more, and just feels overwhelmed and burdened. My family can tell the difference and so can I.

I remember a season years ago that felt very heavy and sad. I was working long hours, felt I barely saw my family, and had no time with Jesus. I came home late one night, and my husband said he had a surprise for me. He led me to our basement, to the closet under the stairs. He opened the door to the closet normally stuffed with chairs and random things the kids “put away” when they were cleaning. It now looked like a completely different space. It was freshly painted, had a lamp and a soft chair with my Bible, note pads, pens, and a small stereo for my worship music.

My husband had made me my own war room. He recognized I was not myself and knew the only way I could find myself was to have intentional alone time with my Jesus. I sat in that sacred space for a long time that night, crying and asking God where He had gone, asking why I felt like I couldn’t find Him.

He led me to this verse, “This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength. But you would have none of it.” Isaiah 30:15.

That verse and truth brought me to my knees. I had been trying to do life on my own- living out of my own strength, and I had just run out. I needed to come back to my source of strength and be saved. I needed to remember I was deeply loved, not because of who I am or what I do, but simply because I am His.

Matthew 12:34 says that “…out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.”

When I haven’t filled my heart daily with the Word of God and spent time in His presence, I have no overflow of His love in me to pour into others. But when I am spending time with Him and living in His peace, I am able to love people in a way that shows them they are truly loved.

So, how do we address the question we began with, Do they know they are loved?

We can’t make anyone know they are loved, but we can choose to consistently and relentlessly love them the way we are loved. Regardless of whether they accept it or how they react to it, regardless of whether they even deserve it, we are called to love. Love them so well they can’t help but draw closer to the Source of our love.

How do you feel God calling you to respond in this moment? Draw near to Him. Experience His love. Freely give love away. Create your own war room. Spend time in His presence.

We pray the Holy Spirit beckons you to respond in the most appropriate way for you, personally, intimately. You are loved!

Join the conversation over on our FACETS of Faith Facebook page.

Love From a Distance

03.17.2020 by Megan Abbott //

Hello friends! Welcome back to our gathering space. This month, each of us have pondered on the question “Do they know they are loved?” and each of us ending with a different “facet” (haha)… Check back with Jen and Tracy to hear their thoughts, and get excited for next week’s guest, Judy! I am going to be really honest, this has by far been the hardest post I have ever written. There have been tears, second guessing, broken internet, interruptions, lost writing, emotional exhaustion, more tears, and the list goes on. I pray that God meets us both here, and our hearts find rest in a time of unrest.

Loneliness Epidemic

For years I have overheard the idea that loneliness is an epidemic in our society, but I don’t think I have ever truly experienced long-term loneliness. I have had moments of loneliness, glimpses, but never long-term. Moments when living alone left me feeling isolated, searching for a new community made me miss old friends, or even those times I was filling out an emergency contact at the doctor’s office and I remembered I’m single, and my family is 550 miles away.

Then this past week happened. Each day there were multiple updates. It was like every few hours the news changed, trips cancelled, gatherings over 1000, then over 250, then churches cancelled, and then schools cancelled. Honestly, by the time we got to the middle of the week, each time I read the news, or got another notification about something changing I started crying. I could foresee the moment when I would be told “you should stay home until further notice”. And now we’re there. I live alone. No other people. No community. No visitors to look forward to. No trips. Just me and my dog. And without a real end date. This is why I was crying all last week. The prospect of loneliness was ominous.

God Given Community

There is no denying that we were created to live in community. Start in Genesis with Adam and Eve in community with God. The census and lists of tribes throughout the Old Testament. The friendship between David and Jonathan. Jesus and His disciples. Think, even, just about the Trinity. God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They exist in community as One. So there is no surprise that we, created in God’s image, would so desperately need community.

My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:12-13 (NIV)

I often experience God’s love and grace towards me through my friends. They remind me of the truth when I can’t see it. They get me laughing and bring joy to my days. They give me hugs at just the right moments, when I am really needing to feel God’s presence.

So what happens when we are alone? Or we are starting over somewhere new? Or there is a global pandemic, and to best love our neighbors, we practice social distancing? How do “they” know they are loved when no one is around? The easy answer is “God promises to always be with you” (Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 28:20), but what about the moments when we need tangible community? When God feels too far away, and we need a hug to remind us that we aren’t in this alone (unless you are Jen and hugging isn’t your thing).

Seen From A Distance

A year or so ago, my friend Alaina gave a sermon at her church where the main message was: “The cure for loneliness is to help other people feel less lonely.” We have to be intentional to love people when we aren’t physically able to be in a room with them. If you are thinking of your friend, send them a text and let them know you are thinking of them, or that you miss them. Ask them how they are, and actually anticipate a response. Think about a time when you most felt seen and remembered by a loved one, and do that for someone else. Love people unconditionally like God loves you. While I acknowledge that the Spirit lives within me and often reminds me of God’s presence, God has done a pretty awesome job of leaving me feeling loved and remembered without physically being within the 6 foot buffer recommended by social distancing. Pray for the Holy Spirit to nudge you, and then listen when people are brought to your mind.

It is okay, and super healthy, to acknowledge if you are sad, if you are feeling disappointed, loss, anxiety, or even a little scared. I think a lot of us are. Which means we aren’t alone. If you are feeling lonely, reach out to a friend and start the conversation. If you have friends or loved ones that are living alone, check on them. Call them and remind them they are seen and remembered. Help others feel less lonely.

When life starts to return to normal for most of us, let’s remember that community still requires intentionality. Loneliness will still be an epidemic requiring our attention. Let us grow in compassion for one another, and ask God how we can use that compassion to better love our community now, and in the future.

Join us on Facebook, or in the comments, and let us know how you are loving your friends and community from afar!