False Images

“The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness”

(John 10:10, TLB).

What will I do if…

·         My car breaks down?

·         I lose my job?

·         Someone I love has an accident?

·         My eyes get so bad I can’t see to drive?

·         I need surgery on my foot and can’t walk or drive?

·         I see that person who told lies about me?

·         Someone hacks my bank account?

I am sure you have your own list of fears and concerns. Mentally, I know that these are false images, ones that have not happened and may not happen, but in my humanness, I project these into my future. 

In my quiet times, I can envision myself letting all these fears bubble to the surface and they are all popped with the promises of God’s help. But the minute I return to the present, I am confronted with new bubbles of anxiety.

That probably is a good indication that I need to repeat this exercise often. I know, you are thinking: ‘I don’t have time for all this!’ You are almost correct. Let’s flip this over. How much time do you spend worrying, playing out scenarios in your mind, and planning for the worst? You dwell on these things just hoping and praying they will never happen.

Do you realize you could trim all that time off from your days (and nights) if you just stayed in the present moment? You do not live in the future! I can create some very scary thoughts about the future. The more I think about them, the more real they become. FALSE IMAGES!

Have you ever been fearful of what the outcome might be with a meeting? You hold it in your hands, analyze by turning it this way and that and try to figure out strategies. The night before your meeting you sleep poorly, tossing and turning and looking at every angle. The minutes tick by and finally daylight comes. You drag yourself out of bed to face your fears… you know, the ones that you created in your mind. So, what did you forget to do?

Prayer changes everything. You meet with that person and it all goes in a different but good direction. You’ve lost hours of your life, a restful night’s sleep and an opportunity to grow in faith.

Stay in the moment because this is where you will meet up with God! He will gladly point out your false images and tell you, “I love you precious child. I will never leave you.”

Heavenly Father, help me to let go of those false images that steal my peace and joy. I want to stay in the present moment with You by my side, but I need help. AMEN.