Are You Being a “CAPTIVE” Audience?

CAPTIVE -- a person or animal who has been taken prisoner or confined; detained, in captivity, imprisoned, locked up.

Ever have one of those days, weeks or months, when everything you do seems to be inadequate, at least in your own eyes? Your parenting skills, being a loving and kind spouse, your efficiency at work, being a great friend. You’ve endeavored to be the best you can be, and it just doesn’t seem to measure up. “A good parent would have known their child was sick or on drugs or was missing school.” “A great spouse wouldn’t be so insensitive and unsupportive.” “An efficient employee wouldn’t be making so many mistakes.”

I hear those voices, too. “A great friend would stay in better touch.” “You talk too much.” “You’re too old to do that.” I’m here today to tell you AND me “Don’t listen to the lies of the enemy of our souls because he wants to take us CAPTIVE to those voices!” 2 Corinthians 10:5 says “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into CAPTIVITY to the obedience of Christ.”

YOU ARE a good parent. You ARE a great wife or husband. You are a wonderful friend and daughter or son. You are an outstanding employee. The enemy of our souls wants us to believe otherwise. Sure, maybe there are areas that we could do better and we can always strive to be the best version of ourselves for others, but don’t, for minute, listen to the lies of the enemy. He has one goal in mind, and that’s to take us, and our thoughts – CAPTIVE – always wanting us to think less of ourselves than God does.

The accuser lies to us all the time. God is always for us and reminds us that even when we feel spent and insignificant and too little and we’ve let the enemy take our hearts CAPTIVE, God will not have it. Through it all – the ups and the downs, the mistakes we make and the worries we carry – our messes are not too much for Him. “My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness (our messes).” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Maybe you can relate to what I’m sharing today. Are you wrapped in a bunch of lies about your inadequacies that weigh you down and wear you out? Please allow me to encourage you with this thought. Jesus doesn’t sit across the table from you or me saying “Your situation is beyond My pay grade.” In fact, I’m quite sure He leans in close, looks into our eyes, and says, “I will not ever leave you or forsake you and you will NOT be held CAPTIVE any longer.”

Jesus is our patient friend. Sometimes He speaks boldly through others and other times, He speaks directly to us with truth from His Word. Either way, when we’re tempted to believe one lie, or maybe three, we charge back with God’s truth instead.

God bailed us out of Satan’s prison. We are no longer CAPTIVE. Let’s take Satan CAPTIVE and imprison every one of his thoughts, emotions, and lies to listen to God’s voice and His truths. When we do, those negative voices don’t stand a chance!

What's Wrong With Me?

Day 197 of Photo Inspirations -- What's Wrong With Me?
I had three siblings that graduated to heaven; two of them had Alzheimer's disease and the other had Diabetes so severe that she lost one foot to the disease.  My Mom, now in heaven, had congenital heart disease. My Dad, also in heaven, had a brain tumor.  Goodness gracious.  With all that medical history, you'd think I'd be saying "What’s wrong with ME?”

Honestly, when I forget someone's name or where I've put my keys or where I was headed in my house and forget why I was going there.....my mind tries to tell me "You've inherited your family's issues."   I take a baby aspirin each day to fend off heart problems.  I take mineral and herb supplements to help keep me healthy.  I walk and work out to keep my body strong.  I do the things that I can do to be healthy and strong as though it depended on me, but I've learned to pray, speak God's Word and BELIEVE God as though it ALL depends on Him.  The best antidote against the lies of the enemy and the threats he tries to place over me when it comes to my health and well being is I purposely change my thinking to keeping my mind on the ONE who paid the ultimate price for my healing, my freedom and my victory.

We must put a halt to the voice and the lies of the enemy.  The more we put up our "shields of faith" against his fiery and lying darts, the stronger we are in defeating him.  God doesn’t want us to allow the enemy to convince us we are defective or infected.  He doesn't want us entertaining the enemy who loves to cast a shadow of doubt over us.  His sly tactics are to get us to focus on what could be wrong with us (real or perceived), instead of focusing on ALL THAT IS RIGHT with us.

To put it bluntly -- Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44) and his main intent is for us to worry, doubt, fear, be dismayed and discouraged. That's just the way he operates.  But we can change that -- starting today. First, we need to realize Satan’s schemes are the same for us as they were for Eve.   She fell into his trap.  Second, we need to determine we are not going to keep falling into his traps. Instead we BELIEVE an stand on God's promise that “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us…” (Romans 8:37) Period. The end.

Jesus paid the ultimate price for our healing and our victory in every area of life.  All those sicknesses, diseases, challenges in every area of life were broken and paid for on the cross.  It's time we lay hold of the victory Christ brought us in overcoming and defeating the enemy.   A little shepherd boy, David, defeated the giant with his words and his slingshot.  The same holds true for us today in defeating the giants in our lives.  It starts with a simple word.....BELIEVE.....and you shall receive!  Matthew 21:22

Here are the TRUTHS of the ONE who loves and ONLY speaks TRUTHS to us:  "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Corinthians 15:57
"Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."
BELIEVE