I was so honored to share at Hidden Treasures Academy chapel this last week. It is one of my favorite places. Thinking about why it is a favorite, I would include: the warm and welcoming students, and the staff, and the abundant sense of GOD’s presence there. We had church this last week. There is no other way to say it…we had church. GOD is alive and active at Hidden Treasures Academy.
So, here is the message I shared in chapel. Although, those there shared how it blessed them, this is for me. If you get something out of it, it’s overflow.
When you think or feel you’ve got nothing.
The definition of nothing is: not anything, no single thing.
Do you ever think or feel that about yourself? I do. The thoughts of being alone or having no one have bombarded me recently. But reality is, I have many things. I’ve found that sometimes it helps to put in black and white a list. So, here is my list of *things* I have:
health
ability to walk, talk, see and smell
ability to think and hear
friends
family
food
shelter
clothes
transportation
church
work
school
electricity
running water
heat and air
Here are some items my friends at HTA added to my list;
oxygen
trees
grace
fishing
bowling
Sprite
We also talked about the variety of *things* we have, such as the variety of food we have available to us, or the many outfits we have hanging in our closets.
But, does the enemy ever make you feel like you have nothing? Feelings can be fickle. The visual I had for this point was having my head turned to a wall and literally seeing nothing but the wall. Such a lie to see only one angle of the multi-faceted lives we have been given. I do think that unless I, or we, move on through the following steps, we can become stuck here.
Who do you think whispers those lies to our minds and hearts trying to convince us that we have nothing?
The enemy himself.
He has one plan to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to steal our joy, kill our dreams, and destroy our future. How do we come against the lies and wiles of the devil?
2 Peter 1:3 tells us we have everything we need to live a life to please GOD. So here is a game plan that I think we can follow when we are inundated with lies:
1. Speak Truth back to combat the lies. In this case, I’d repeat the Word of 2 Peter 1:3, out loud, and also rehearse my list of things I do have.
2. Give Thanks. There is such a deep turning of the tide in thanksgiving. To write down what we have, to journal it, to number thanksgivings, to go back and re-read and rehearse what we have can be so refreshing and life giving. I see a turning from the wall of nothing, to the reality of what we have. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us that in everything we are to give thanks. So no matter what we are *in*, give thanks.
3. Acknowledge who GOD is. Ephesians 4:6 tells us that there is one GOD, one Father who is over all and through all. And Psalm 24:1 tells us that not only is the earth the LORD’s; but, everything in it. HE is the center and HE brings us to the center to see who HE is. And I think that this could be the turning point in any journey where the enemy wants to tell us that we have nothing.
4. Know who you are. We have got to know who we are, and there is no better place to find out who we are than the Word of GOD. Again, I made a list. Now this list is not exhaustive; but it is a start:
I am a child of GOD
I am a friend of JESUS
I am accepted by Christ
I am joined with The LORD
I am a new creation
I am one with all who are in Christ
I am set free
I am chosen, holy and blameless
I am redeemed
I am forgiven
I am sealed with the Holy Spirit
I am seated in heavenly places with Christ
I am a member of Christ’s body
I am a citizen of heaven
I am complete in Christ
I am beloved
Knowing who we are, is so important to shutting down the lies of the enemy and with these truths from Scripture, I see us walking in the authority of who HE made us to be. We have made it a long way from looking at a wall.
5. Rejoice! I think of Philippians 4:4 where we are told to rejoice, and then again to rejoice! The Latin meaning of RE is again and again, repetitive. Isn’t that good? We can rejoice. As we are in the posture of rejoicing, we are indeed, a long way from the wall of thinking we have nothing.
So when the enemy targets us with an arrow of his lies,
We have a battle plan!
Hallelujah!
Here are a few pictures of my precious friends from chapel.
My dear friend, Tracy, opening in prayer:
Looking for Scripture. Three different students read verses today, and almost everyone participated in some way!
Please know, that no matter what the enemy has whispered to you, you are not alone!
