8. GOD LONGS FOR ME TO EXPERIENCE ABUNDANCE. HOWEVER, I AM OFTEN DECEIVED INTO BELIEVING AND BEHAVING IN WAYS THAT PREVENT THIS GOODNESS.
(Before looking at the questions below, take a few minutes to think about this statement. Invite Jesus to speak to you about what He would like you to notice.)
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE IDEA THAT OUR ENEMY SATAN WORKS TO DECEIVE US INTO BELIEVING A LIE THAT DIMINISHES OUR VALUE AND WORTH?
ARE THERE LIES YOU BELIEVE ABOUT YOURSELF THAT WOULD REFLECT THE ENEMY'S VOICE?
WHAT KEEPS YOU FROM BELIEVING THAT YOU ARE WORTHY OF GOD'S LOVE?
WHERE DO YOU MOST OFTEN HEAR THESE LIES: CULTURE, FAMILY, INNER-SELF, CHURCH?
Not everyone will agree about our true value and worth. In our journey to seeing ourselves accurately, the way God sees us, we will hear dissenting voices. In the Garden of Eden, the serpent confronts Eve and challenges what she believes God has told her. The serpent deceitfully convinces Eve that eating the fruit would be good. As she and Adam act on that lie, the truth becomes clear, and the lie is exposed.
In John 8:44, Jesus says, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies" (NASB). Culture, our communities, and our inner self-critic lie to us about who we really are. These lies originate from the Deceiver. But Jesus tells us the way to truth: "If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:31-32, NASB).
Dallas Willard would often make the statement, "We live at the mercy of our ideas." Willard understood that our beliefs and ideas lead to our actions and behaviors. So, if the Enemy can deceive us into believing that we are not worthy of God's love, then no matter how real God's love is, we will not experience it. Our beliefs really do matter. The battle for self-worth is a battle of the mind. In this battle for truth, the Bible's stories of God's love and faithfulness in the Bible are essential.
However, the lies we have adopted from the Deceiver even shape how we read Scripture. Jesus' words in John 10:10 speak to this: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly" (NASB). Jesus clearly states that our Enemy wants to steal the truth of God's love, take away our joy, and kill the sense of self-worth and value that God desires for us. Just as he did in the Garden, the Enemy does this by lying to us. On the other hand, Jesus' whole mission on earth was to give us spiritual abundance.
The Enemy wants us to believe that abundance consists in possessions, fame, or appearances. Our Deceiver tells us that we are not enough, that we don’t have enough and that God isn’t enough. But the truth is that the real abundance of peace, joy, goodness, kindness, contentment, and love are only available in a relationship with God. We must understand that there is a cosmic, spiritual battle for our minds and our beliefs.
The Enemy inundates us with lies. We must consistently resist these lies and invite the Spirit to remind us of the truth of our belovedness, value, and worth. Otherwise, we will suffer the curse of shame and lack, and we will try to hide from God and ourselves. We are truly valued and worthy of God's love. This is the truth that sets us free.