Why Ya Hittin' Yourself?

Negativity can steal your strength and sap your joy. And it can become an immovable mountain when we decide to agree with the enemy and join him in his accusations. But so many of us do just that without realizing what we're doing! #Positivewords #ChristianBlog

I have an older brother who I love very dearly. We had a lot of fun growing up and we still have fun when we get together! I could tell you lots of stories that would demonstrate what a loving and fun big brother he was growing up, but, alas, he was still a big brother and did typical big brother things! Occasionally he would grab me by the wrists and proceed to smack me in the face with my own hands mockingly saying, "Why ya hittin' yourself? Why ya hittin' yourself?" I'm sure you know the drill. You probably either had an older sibling or you were one! 

It's such a stupid feeling to be smacking yourself in the face with your own hands! But the Lord gave me this picture the other day and showed me it is exactly what we do. We let the enemy get a hold of us and use ourselves against ourselves to beat us up! All the enemy needs to do is plant a negative thought and as soon as we begin to agree with him, he can leave us there, hitting ourselves with our own hands. 

The evening after the Lord gave me this picture, I heard a man speak on a subject I've been asked to teach on. He has a degree in the field I've been asked to teach on and I instantly felt incapable and unworthy. I spoke with my hubby about it later… Okay, let's be honest, I didn't "speak" to him about it; I whined. Yep. It went something like this: "Why should I teach on this? He knows so much more than I do? I have studied and studied and now I barely remember some of the stuff I learned nine months ago! I know nothing compared to him! I'm going to look like an idiot!" 

My hubby simply said, "Why are you beating yourself up?!" Instantly, that picture the Lord gave me came back to mind. That's exactly what I was doing! The enemy had planted one little seed of inadequacy and I had let the thing germinate, take root, grow up and produce fruit! I could see the enemy mocking me: "Why ya hittin' yourself? Why ya hittin' yourself?" 

What a different outcome would have occurred if I had not given the enemy my hands to abuse me with? What if, when that first feeling of incapability had presented itself, I had submitted it to the Word of God? What if, instead of agreeing with it, I had agreed with what God says about me? It would have shut down all that torment and nonsense in my mind. 

Is the enemy trying to plant a seed of shame over your past? Uproot it with the Word of God and pronounce, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." (Romans 8:1) Is the enemy trying to plant a seed of doubt in your calling? Uproot it with the Word of God, declaring that, "… you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Corinthians 12:27) Is the enemy trying to tell you that there is no hope? Uproot it with the Word of God and proclaim, "There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off." (Proverbs 23:18) Whatever seed the enemy tries to come against you with, your answer is in the Word of God! It is your sword! 

We are not to blame for the enemy's attempts to plant thoughts in our minds, but we are responsible when we allow those thoughts to take root by agreeing with them. Truly, the Lord wants to encourage you today and say, "Stop hitting yourself." 

"The devil said to (Jesus), 'If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: "Man shall not live on bread alone."'" Luke 4:3-4 (emphasis mine.)

For more on “The Fog of War,” click HERE!