The more I sit with this idea of the way God loves His creation, the more I’m beginning to notice the ways the enemy has tried to steal, kill, and destroy us.
Disclaimer #1: I’m aware that I do not and could never speak on behalf of all women everywhere. These ideas are based upon my own experiences, along with the transparency and vulnerability of other women in my life who have powerfully relayed their stories.
Disclaimer #2: I’m also aware that our conversation today may only begin to expose and unravel things we’ve all just accepted as normal; there is certainly more conversation to be had. Of course, we will continue our coffee dates and keep unpacking these things together. But we all need real conversations as well, not only with the Word, but also live and in-person with trustworthy people who can look us in the eye and speak truth to our souls.
To be honest, I predict this one might hurt. We will have to face our past. We may have to confront words of destruction spoken over us by those who were supposed to love us. We may have to relive certain moments that damaged us, things we were never meant to live out. And while it is tempting to simply move on, we will never be free from the effects these things have had on us unless we take them out by the root.
As our conversation continues to unfold in days to come, I will share more about my bouts with these strategies of the devil, and I’m sure you could regale me with tales of how the kingdom of darkness has set itself against you. I wonder if your experience would mirror mine. How have you dealt with the craftiness of Satan’s lies about you? Have you believed them? I know I have. He’s so good at it, this fallen angel. He wraps his lie with truth, and before we know it, we’ve fallen right along with him.
But it stops now.
Scheme number one? Comparison. Let’s talk about it.
Scheme number one? Comparison. Let’s talk about it.
You may have heard it said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” While that’s very true, I’d like to submit that it is not a comprehensive statement. Comparison is the thief of joy, and of so much more: satisfaction, hope, destiny, faith, and in some cases, life itself. The idea of not measuring up to some sort of mythological standard society (not Jesus) deemed mandatory has robbed us of more than we realize. And I want it back. Every. Last. Bit.
The only way to stop a weed from choking out the life of the plant it has attached itself to is to dig all the way to the root. So let’s do just that. Let’s trace this weed all the way back to its root. Come with me to the Garden of Eden and the moment when the original sin occurred.
Is it accurate to identify comparison as a sin? That’s a conversation for a different day and an actual theologian. I’m not qualified enough to make that call. However, I would like to consider this: the first recorded sin we have in scripture – that of Eve’s disobedience – may not have happened if she hadn’t first fallen victim to the temptation to compare.
Genesis 3 tells the story of the fall of man, and I’m sure many people – Christians and non-Christians alike – could summarize its contents. It is a story that has been told in many different settings with many different approaches. And as is often the case when something is done over and over, much of the story’s impact has been diminished in its retelling, its thematic contour becoming nothing more than white noise.
But the devil is, quite literally, in the details.
The devil is, quite literally, in the details.
In Genesis 3:1, we read that the serpent (aka Satan…aka the enemy…aka the devil) was the most crafty of all the animals in the garden. He approaches Eve, saying, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?” There is so much wrong with this question. First of all, let’s address the obvious: no, that is not what God said. He actually said that Adam and Eve could eat the fruit from any of the trees except for one. And Eve is quick to answer the serpent’s question with that truth. That’s my girl… at least for the next couple verses. After that, I don’t claim her.
The bigger takeaway for us is not in the serpent’s words; it’s in their intent. He could have made a statement, but instead he asked a question. Why did he choose that approach? Well, for starters, a statement does not beg a response, but a question does. By asking a question, he got Eve to engage. She entertained his foolishness, and we’ve all been locked out of paradise ever since.
Also, a statement speaks with confidence. It leaves no room for debate. But a question casts doubt. “Did God really say…” instantly causes Eve to question, and I think it causes us to question today. We either doubt what God said, or our own recollection of His words, or some semblance of both. Maybe that’s not unique to women, but since I’ve never been a guy, I can’t speak on that side of things.
We either doubt what God said, or our own recollection of His words, or some semblance of both.
LOVE THIS!!!