Remind The Devil of His Future

 I love the meme I saw once that said "When Satan reminds you of your past, remind him of his future."  Think about it, we're human, we collide with disaster all the time. Even when we're trying our best to be good and behave ourselves we find that we just fall short of the mark that we often set for ourselves. We're the worst enemies we can have really; we're harder on us than most are.  I don't know exactly why that is, or why we think we're supposed to be so perfect just because we're saved by Grace. I mean,  HELLO, we're saved by GRACE! We are just not that wonderful by ourselves. (Contrary to what we tell ourselves about ourselves. We know the truth.)

    So, you woke up one morning expecting to have a really good day. You walked down the street with a big smile on your face, maybe your guitar on your side, your shoes were clean, you had your hair all clean and smooth. Nothing was out of place. You get to your destination, all goes well. You sing, you play, you have fun, you meet up with friends, and nothing could make the day seem dim because it's CHRISTMAS season! (Well, it's September, but you're filming for Christmas programs early so the editing can be done, but yeah, it's Christmas.) All the colors, all the lights, even the moving robotic reindeer make you giggle just a little because the fake snow is sooooo fake, but so very wonderful. You are so happy. Right up to the moment when you aren't.  Remember that?

    Maybe you took the same path home. Maybe you skipped calling because you were closer than you thought, and you couldn't wait to get home and share your experience with someone you love and care about only - - they aren't as excited about you being home as you are. Maybe they didn't really expect you so soon; maybe, just maybe they had a...well, a guest.  Suddenly, because you hurt so deeply, you can't even remember why the day seemed so perfect before. All of the lights dim. All of the snow melts. All of the friends simply don't matter and you know what, you think maybe now none of it matters. Fuck it. (Sorry, not sorry) You try to negotiate in your mind telling yourself that you didn't really see what you saw, it was just a mistake, a thing, it looked worse than....no, it was what it was, but now you're being reminded that you did it too, and you are just as much to blame as anyone and ... and...and....Satan won again.

    I can't understand it either. I hurt too. I think of things that I've seen, things I've heard, things I've done, and I know I'm nobody. I know I am absolutely NOT worthy of any of the glory I thought belonged to me and I'm patently reminded of just how sinful my own past is, so I can't go around judging others now can I? No. We don't judge. But we also don't have to take the new pain or stress with a grain of salt either. We can fight it by standing firm on what we do know is true, and that is if we are saved we are NEW creatures. ALL of the old passes away, and ALL of our backward ugly idiot sins from yesterday (yesteryear) are NO MORE. They are dead to God and our newness is covered and immersed in the Blood of Almighty God and NO NO NO NO NO it can't change, won't change, is not fake, and it's not going to have even one exception. YOU ARE NEW. Stop beating yourself up over it, and stop listening to anyone who says "You did it too", "You relapsed", or "Remember when you did this same damn thing? You can't judge me"  NO....it was dead, is dead, won't come back to life, it can't be resurrected, it is of Satan, and NOT of Christ. THEY, the people who are still sinning and hoping you'll just ignore their sin, THEY are the ones being used now by demonic powers to shut you down for your stand with Christ. 

    Count it all good. Count it all a blessing when this happens (and NO it is not easy) because they hated Jesus before they hated you. You just remind them of their sin. They see you, hear you, watch you, and they KNOW they are still deeply wrong inside themselves. You have a new spirit, they don't.  Your newness, your walk, your life for Christ, your devotion is their envy or their spite. They hate that you shine. They hate that you have a new jewel in your heart. They hate that you moved on and you are in fact being used of God. REMIND THEM that they are following Satan, and remind Satan that his end is HIS END and your beginning is your beginning. You can walk away, fly away in fact, but he will be caught, held, bound, and finally he will be thrown headlong into the Lake of Eternal Fire...with THEM if they haven't accepted Jesus.  

    Hey, they may be saved too, but they need to repent, not you. You already did that. Remember? Do you think that God only covered 94% of you? No. You are covered. You're gonna still screw up, yes you are. We do that. But we return to Him, don't we?  Gosh darn, it hurts. I know that too. I really do get it, and I really do understand the pain. TERRIBLE pain, but it's surrendered pain. Covered.  That loved one of yours likes to remind you that you're less than you are so she/he can be bigger, better, badder, more on top, and in control. Guess what, they need to be kicked to the curb they created for themselves and you can stand on the Word. You don't have to follow that line of thinking, and you don't have to worry that they'll spread stories and tell the truths about what you USED to do. Past is dead. It may be ugly, ugly, ugly, and it may even seem to be damaging beyond imagination "What will others think of me if they ONLY KNEW?"  No.  Dead.  It is gone. You get in front if it, own it, and let the world know that NEW LOOKS SO GOOD on you right now. Show them that they can be NEW too.  Maybe this wasn't exactly what happened. I don't know, but it is something that can happen to people who try to live new lives. 

    OK, that was longer than I thought it was going to be, but hey, you need to be lifted up today. You need to be held, rocked, loved, and prayed over. Know this. I know.  I pray and God tells me things through my meditation. I know... and I still love your spirit. I know that sounds or seems odd, and I don't really care because God didn't tell me these things to give me something to brag about. He gave them to me to give me something to pray about, to lift to Him, and to watch and give Him the Glory when I see that He has mended all things needing mending. Go God!  Go Go Go God!!  You'll be OK. Take a breath, eat a cookie, run a mile (because you ate the cookie) and just pet the dog. You know the dog doesn't give a damn about your past....nope.  That's why God made dogs.

Photo Credit:  Thrifty Fun