Ever wonder how God’s greatest gifts can become a burden? How the enemy manages to manipulate our minds and hurt our hearts with worry and fret over God’s gifts?
If you are a mom, one day you held your precious child in your arms for the first time. Children are such a blessing! There’s nothing like that sweet smell of freshly washed baby hair, or the feeling of little arms embracing you and the whispered words of, “I love you,” from a sweet little toddler who spent the day driving you crazy!
Until the enemy feeds our thoughts with fretful scenarios. Is he safe? Is she well? Almost every mom has silently crept into the nursery to peer into the crib and relieve her anxious mind that, yes, she is still breathing.
Loving and teaching, and yes, enjoying our children are all roles of motherhood. Our enemy wants to add worrying, fretting, and agonizing to the list. He wants to burden moms with the idea that motherhood isn’t a blessing – it’s a drain on health, wealth, and happiness.
Ah, not today, satan. Not any day.
John 10:10 reminds us of who satan is: a thief.
A thief comes to take what we already have. Sometimes we know we have something in our possession. We guard it, protect it, and treasure it.
Sometimes we have something and don’t even know it. When we don’t know we have it, it’s easier for it to be stolen. When it’s taken, we don’t miss it because we didn’t realize we ever had it in the first place. We do life without it, not realizing life could be so different!
We aren’t feeling infringed upon. We aren’t demanding justice. We just stumble along, making the best of things.
Do we know what God has promised? Do we understand why Jesus came? Jesus came to give us an abundant life. We don’t need to worry or be anxious about anything.
But the thief, what does he do?
He comes to steal.
He comes to kill.
He comes to destroy.
He wants to steal our joy. Kill our contentment we have in Christ. He wants to destroy our faith in the Giver of good gifts. He wants us to fret, be anxious, feel the weight of the world on our shoulders.
And sometimes, we let him.
We buy into the fear. We look with human eyes and fear is a logical option. The only visible option. Instead, we need to cry foul when the enemy tries to steal that abundant life from us! How dare he steal what God has given!
Our youngest daughter must have multiple insulin injections a day in order to stay alive. Her physical, and consequently, emotional sense of well-being is directly correlated to her blood sugar.
Does that fact burden my heart? You bet.
But when I ponder her graduating and one day needing to provide her own healthcare, I know God will some how, some way provide for her. He already knows the plans He has for her.
When I am tired and fear creeps in, squeezing my heart, I pray. Many times, I pray until I fall asleep.
Then I awaken and pray I enjoy today. Today I get to care for her. I count her carbs and dose her insulin and I get to enjoy her crazy antics, ideas, and cute conversations, all signs she is healthy and well.
Because I know God has her and has her future, I can worry less. I must constantly remind myself of Jeremiah 29:11 and claim it for her.
Because I know God has her and has her future, I must teach her about Jesus more. Because, as pointed out in the second half of John 10:10, Jesus came so we would have life- a full life, an abundant life. I must come along side her, discovering and demonstrating how to do this life. How to both claim and live that abundant life.
How to prevent the thief from stealing it from us!
We need to cry foul when the enemy tries to steal that abundant life! We shouldn’t just accept his actions: his gift of guilt, his authoring of anxieties, or his feast of fears he has laid out as a banquet.
Burdened, stress-out existence is not living. That is not from God.
Jesus came to help us carry those things, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30, (NIV)
He wants to help us through this life – providing what we need – so we can live life with joy, contentment, and faith. And, in close communion with God.
He wants to assure us we don’t need to live life with burdened, anxious hearts. Jesus whispers to us, “No my child, that’s not what I promise you. I promise you a full life, an abundant life.”
Let’s not trade His gifts for some imitation knock-off.
But how?
- We need to grow our faith.
- We need to spend time with Him, in His word.
- We need to know His promises.
It’s easier for the enemy to steal what we don’t know we have! Outsmart him!
As we love our families, surround them in prayer. Immerse our spirits in God’s promises and then hold Him to them. He won’t let us down! When His promises are first and foremost in our minds, the enemy will have a much more difficult time stealing anything from us!
Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your word, Your Promises and Your Son who came to give us hope in this life and for eternity with You. Please help me to not just look at only what I can see, but to delve deep into Your word, knowing Your promises, claiming Your promises and clinging to You. Thank You for coming to give me an abundant life on this earth. Please help me learn how to enjoy this gift of life as You intended. In Jesus’ name, Amen.