"Of Course" often gets us off course

Jesus spoke to the people, He said, “I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

Have you ever noticed that when you walk into a grocery store, the first things to catch your eye are the sales items?  Pineapples are ninety-nine cents each?  Chocolate brownies are half off!? Incredible! Before you've even looked at your grocery list, the pineapples and brownies have been dropped into your shopping cart. This happens to me all the time.

Every day we are enticed to spend money, time, and effort  hundreds of different ways. Commercials constantly stream on your radio, TV, phone, and computer. We think we’re tuning all these distractions out, that they're  not moving us to action, but could their influence be greater than we realize?

I believe it’s easy to fall asleep in our faith and be oblivious of who or what is actually enticing us and luring us away from Jesus’ light. Before we know it, we wake up and find ourselves surrounded by darkness.

Play these scenarios out in your mind… How do you picture them ending?

·    A woman whose husband travels frequently misses him greatly. At night when her loneliness is painful, she jumps on Facebook to chat with an old boyfriend whose wife died recently. Their friendship is rekindled by supporting each other through their loss and pain. Of course they should stay at the same hotel for their high school reunion.

·    She’s been working so hard at her stressful job. The hours are long and draining.  At night she just wants to relax and unwind before bed. Of course a few glasses of wine will help her find peace and rest.  It works so well that wine becomes her new best friend. She invites co-workers to Happy Hours during the week, attends parties on the weekend, and keeps a few bottles in her trunk just in case.

·    Her New Year’s Resolution is to lose ten pounds, so she shops smart, eats healthy, and exercises daily. Just like that, ten pounds vanishes and the positive comments multiply. She looks in the mirror and targets another ten pounds to go. Of course she should ramp up her exercise and decrease her food intake to find greater success. Like magic, more weight loss! The voice in her head to lose more gets louder and louder.

How do these stories unfold? I see tragic endings and the enemy rejoicing. All three scenarios had two key words, used to entice and lure her away; “of course”.

That’s what the enemy does.  He takes our deepest desires, twists them with his lies, and lures us into his darkness. 

But Jesus who is the Light of the World wants to shine His light into our lives and lead us into God’s truth. 

·    Jesus wants to comfort us when we’re lonely. The enemy tempts us to ruin relationships and destroy families.

·    Jesus wants us to find peace and rest in His presence. The enemy tempts us to tangle ourselves up in addictions.

·    Jesus wants us to find our true identity as His beloved. The enemy tempts us by telling us we’re not enough or worth unconditional love. 

God promises that if we follow Jesus, we will not walk in darkness. Let God’s truths be a guiding light to your path. Step by step follow the Light of the World and you will shine bright, bringing great glory to God as you stay the course and resist the “of course” lies. 

The Power of Giving God Thanks Will Ignite Your Faith and Change Your World!

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