There’s a lady I know who lives in a nearby city. She has believed the lie, that is “keeping up with the Jones’s”. In her early 40’s, she has pursued the feminist version of being the modern independent woman who will get her way, come hell or high water. She has never met a man good enough for her. She is single. She has no children. She says she believes in Jesus, but has not yet felt the ‘peace that passes understanding, down in your heart’. She feels lost in this world, clueless, after a lifetime half passed at this point, of what to do, or even of how she can exist here anymore. She’s at the end of her rope after another dead end relationship has left her broken. She is desperately searching for meaningful companionship, because she was actually designed that way. But she has believed and been deceived by a lie.
She is not alone. There are so many people that we all know personally (or at least in passing), who are sick and tired of being sick and tired. And not seeing their dreams fulfilled. They have checked the boxes, done the things, yet still feel unfulfilled. Some are living with regrets from a lifetime ago, that were never intended to be carried like that. Some have turned to drugs, alcohol, or some other type of addiction. Some want to be married to more than life itself. Some feel trapped in the world they have created for themselves. All are lacking inner peace. No matter what anyone’s personal struggle is, be it mental, physical or emotional, they just need to fall in love with gardening, and hang out with Jesus.
You see, millions of American Christians have been raised in a culture that says, you have to live a kind of Baptist/Catholic or similar style of worship life, where you are basically still a worthless sinner that needs to be in constant repentance 24/7 like a whipping boy or something. That is just not found anywhere in the Bible I read.
When you walk in the garden with Him every day, the world looks different. You don’t think about yourself first in ANYTHING anymore. Walking in the garden entails daily worship, daily prayer, having a daily discipleship mindset, daily communication in various forms, as well as daily reading of His Word. When you are there you are straight up hanging out with God. And you can feel the love that He has for you by the way He guides your moments. You will happily die to yourself. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “Then he said to them, ‘Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.'”
He truly wants only the best for us. But you can’t make a fake garden set in your world and try to make Him exist there. You’ve got it backwards. You have to hang out in His garden with Him. When you’re driving. When you’re pooping. When you’re making dinner. When you’re vacuuming. When you’re working your hardest at your 8-5. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” If you claim to be a Christian, this is all taught in detail in the book you claim to also believe in, the Bible. Maybe read it.
That’s basically what this is…you enter a place mentally that you are not thinking negatively about anything or anyone. As you live your life and encounter all manner of men and women, young and old, you start to see them as He sees them. You will begin to want the best for their soul. You will take Him into consideration when you make your own life decisions. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want even my worst enemy to be in Hell. Well, maybe there’s one or two I won’t cry over (know that Christ still wants even them). But you can even forgive the jerks in traffic. And pray for them as you let them pass. Crazy, but possible.
In general, I meet dozens of people a day, 4 days a week. Some I will only see once in this lifetime. Some I know I will see every day. With every encounter, I want to exhibit ‘the peace that passes understanding down in my heart.’ Because I do have it. And my goal is to just love everyone I talk to every day, and try to be a kind positive influence for them, for that day. I truly believe that God gave me my employment to first grow me closer to Him, and second to love others as I’m directed to in the Bible. Sometimes I feel like I’m supposed to get nosy and befriend someone, the old me wouldn’t have.
They certainly don’t need me to judge them. They and others are doing that already. They just need to see that God loves them, exactly how they are, today. Completely. He doesn’t require they clean up their act or follow these laws or those commandments in order for Him to love and welcome them into His family, His home, His garden. He would love to help them make positive changes in their life during their hang sessions. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Since the people I meet won’t be reading a Bible any time soon, for the most part, I must show it to them. In my actions and conversation.
He wants us as children who participate in a proper environment as pictured in the family unit, explained in the Bible. It functions beautifully if you just read the Manual and apply it in your life. Who wouldn’t want that? Well, since Satan is trying to distract us from having that relationship with God, we also need to recognize his prints all over the messed up evil going on in our world today. At every corner, he tries to thwart God’s will for us – to walk in the garden together and hang out as a beloved child. (Think Prodigal Son) Satan doesn’t want us to choose the God of the Bible, but to reject Him. That’s the battle we are in the middle of.
As for the lady I mentioned in the beginning, I have some advice for her, and maybe for you too. Keep in mind that I am speaking from the context of a saved by the blood of Christ, born-again Christian, as that is my life. And based on that fact, my advice will naturally be based around and flowing out of my personal faith and the Bible. But don’t dismiss it without at least a moment of consideration. You have free will in this life to either Choose God or pass on him. He will not force you. Unless you choose him willingly, it doesn’t work. We certainly do make the choice in this life, until our last breath. Lets assume you chose him. My advice within that context is as follows:
For “Bel”, and everyone else who the song ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin was certainly written about.
Imagine your thoughts are on a white background monitor. Pick your favorite font. When you have a thought, you can see it type on the screen. Keep in mind, some thoughts that enter our mind are from us. Some are from God our Creator, for those who are born-again Christians anyway. The rest are from Satan.
John 8:44 says, “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
The devil’s called the father of lies, coming here to steal, kill and destroy. What does he want to destroy? Our peace that comes from walking in the Garden with God. To keep us from becoming a born-again Christian. He wants to steal our joy. Our morality. He will whisper unspeakable thoughts in our ear that can mess us up, for a moment or even a lifetime. When we reject the God of the Bible, he wins.
Either way, thoughts are either from you, God, or Satan. And if you aren’t yet “saved”, then those thoughts and lies can most certainly be attributed to the Evil one trying to keep you from God. Remember that. The next time you have a worthless, anxious, depressed, self loathing, guilt riddled, negative against self or negative against others thought.
So looking back at the white background monitor. Whatever comes across our screen awaits our reply. Moving forward, when we read a lie that crosses our ‘monitor’, we need to remember, we are in control. Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.” We hold the mouse and keyboard in our hands. There’s a verse that says once you are born-again, you have authority over Satan and his minions. He might drop a line (thought) in on your white background monitor, but you can delete it. Once again, the choice is yours, and what you will do with it. Will you allow the lie to continue, or claim your authority and delete it?
2 Corinthians 10: 3-6 says, “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
When the Bible says to take every thought captive, consider a prisoner. They aren’t in control of anything in their life physically, their captor is. So when you become the ‘captor’ of your thoughts, you have the power to command them to your will. And when they are evil, or bad, or a straight up lie, visualize taking your hand and pressing the delete key until the screen is blank. You must take every thought captive if you are in a negative spin. You either control your thoughts, or you allow them to control you. And once you are aware of all these things, it’s easier to make better mental decisions. You can STOP your anxiety in its tracks. You can CANCEL depression, and stop spiraling in your woe-is-me pity party. You can use your God given authority to kill it as soon as it rears its ugly, evil, little lying face. The lie being whispered may be that it’s all about you. I promise it’s not. Press the delete key.
Start with Matthew 16:23 which says, “But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.'” Luke 10:19 says, “Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” James 4:7 says, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
He has to obey. Again, Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”
And then meditate on Philippians 4:8, “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.”
If you don’t do this, you will continue down the miserable path you are already on. What will it hurt to try a different path? Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
But beware. John 12:40, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.” Don’t be blinded. Go read the book of Ecclesiastes. Then Proverbs. Read His Word and open your eyes up to the truth of your God wanting to hang out with you in His garden. John 20:29, “Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'”
Love,
Peach
P.S. I am praying that you find the Peace, that surpasses all understanding, down in your heart. I’d love to chat about it with you. John 14:6 says, “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'”
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I’m telling you. If you struggle with mental battles, read His Word. Put it in and see what comes out. What if I’m right?
