Weeds ...

Sometimes weeds are pretty ... they look like flowers or fuzzy little cotton balls.  They grow like bunches of flowers and are pleasing to the eye.  But the reality is they are choking the rest of the plants and flowers in your garden or flower bed.  They are sucking the life out of them and even though they appear beautiful or appealing, they are in fact, not.  Isn't this the same with certain areas of your life?  Things, people, thoughts and situations that APPEAR beautiful, appealing, upright, honorable, but in all actuality are suffocating you with fear, doubt, worry, distrust and unbelief.  God's Word says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Phil 4:7-9.  Whatever is true, which Websters defines as: "sincere; not deceitful", whatever is honorable:  "worthy of honor and high respect; estimable; creditable", whatever is just: "righteous", whatever is pure: "untainted with evil; innocent", whatever is lovely: "of a great moral or spiritual beauty", whatever is commendable: "to present, mention, or praise as worthy of confidence, notice, kindness", the Lord tells us to think about these things.  I don't know about you, but my thoughts are not always consumed with truth, honor, just, purity, loveliness and commendability.  But it should be.  The Bible also tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  How many of us listen to the lies that satan whispers in our ear, instead of going to God's Word to see what He tells us about those lies.  I encourage you to do that this week "take every thought captive" and it will settle your heart and soul and bring you a peace that passes all understanding.  I have wrestled with the lies the enemy puts in my mind, throughout all areas of my life.  And I'm done doing it.  It will be a process, but I am done with being fed lies only to make me question what I know is true and pure.  It's not fair to my husband, it's not fair to my family, it's not fair to me, but first and foremost it's not fair to Jesus.  He gave up His life so that we didn't have to listen to those lies, and gave us His Word so that we knew what to do when they started.  Now it's up to us to open it up and defend ourselves.  I will not let the enemy win and neither should you.