Hopscotch and Spinach
“That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more,” Popeye the Sailor Man. Lately I have wanted to pound my fist in the air like Popeye and say that familiar line. I don’t know if you take part on social media sites but if you do I’m sure you have seen many inspirational quotes or memes. Due to my Christian faith, I read these things through a Biblical lens. It is amazing how many Christians share inspirational nuggets that actually contradict what the Bible teaches. I certainly don’t feel angry toward the person who shared the post. I feel seriously grieved that my friend is trying to obtain inspiration from a lie. A lie that sounds good is nonetheless a lie. My question then is how do we combat the lies?
My suggestion to combat lies of the enemy is to increase knowledge of the Bible. When we know what the word of God says and we believe the claims scripture makes about itself as being the truth, then we will be equipped to discern lies. Only when we are aware of lies we encounter in the world can we resist them. If any of you hang around me in person or in my writing long enough you will hear me repeat this scripture over and over.
Acts 17:11, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
God’s word extols people who go to the scriptures and study on their own. Because of their habit of examining scripture daily they are able to spot an imposter or a lie. I recently heard that those who deal with money regularly are trained to spot counterfeit by examining real money, not the fake. Christians need to examine the truth of God’s word so that we won’t be deceived.
It’s good to have Christian leaders and mentors but we need more than a weekly spoon feeding by someone else who has studied the scriptures. We need to pick the book up and know what God’s word says. Like the Bereans we are expected to question the teachers and go to the Bible and make sure what we have been taught is true. As we learn the word of God we will be thoroughly equipped with His wisdom.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
I have an acquaintance who I follow on social media that is not a Christian. She is a very kind and loving person who is successful in her field and skilled at using her voice and reach into the society around her. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with an illness and decided to write about her journey and her battle with the illness. I followed her and prayed for her healing continually. I even reached out to her with a message of Biblical hope. She always thanked me for my concern but I knew that she did not receive the spiritual sentiments.
I watched her battle with the illness on her own. There were highs and most certainly lows in her journey but I also recognized her lack of peace. The kind of peace that comes from our Creator. I wanted so much for her to share with me the strength and peace that only Jesus can bring. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid,” John 14:27. She has relied on her own strength and searched for a peace of her own making. The world applauded her for her tenacity and friends cheered for her from the sidelines. Self-reliance is a very worldly way of living.
Do you know what God says about self-reliance?
Jeremiah 17:5-6, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.”
What does it say about someone who relies on the Lord?
Jeremiah 17: 7-8, “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots to the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
You probably want to know if my beautiful friend has crashed and burned in her own strength. To be honest I don’t know her whole story but I’ve read about ups and downs on the many year journey. However, very recently she was asking her social media friends a couple of philosophical questions that lead me to believe she is searching for meaning in life and discovery of the source of courage. I feel sad for her because she is looking internally for the meaning and source but she won’t find it there. She refuses to look up. I believe there has been success in her life because the enemy likes her motto’s and wants more people to think like she does. He gives her a platform. And just like the enemy disguises himself in beauty he crafts lies beautifully and is able to deceive the masses. Just like he does with inspirational memes that seem good on the surface and yet are rooted in lies.
2 Corinthians 11:14-15, “For Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising then that his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness.”
John 8:44 “Jesus says this about the enemy: “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
My friend is not a Christian and that is her excuse. If she is unwilling to receive the Savior then she is also unwilling to receive His truths. My Christian friends, you have no excuse to be ignorant of the truth and God’s Word. Stop making excuses. Get your Bibles out, dust them off and examine them. At your fingertips there are free Bible apps with many translations to make them easier to understand God’s truths. I beg you, don’t miss the truth and believe lies. Hold everything in your world up to the lens of God’s word and see if the things that are taught are true. The whole world is God’s, he created it, so His word can shine light into every arena. Don’t make me feel like Popeye, “I can’t stands it, I can’t stands no more!” If you don’t know where to start, reach out and ask someone. And for heaven’s sake, don’t be ashamed of your starting point, we begin knowing nothing. Don’t let shame (which is from the enemy, rooted in the sin of pride) keep you from asking questions and letting someone know how very little knowledge you have currently. Own your position and grow, there is no shame in that. Instead, you will be given the commendation from our first scripture above as “Being of more noble character than the Thessalonians.” Be of noble character and examine the scriptures daily. Don’t be deceived by the enemy and stop relying on yourselves when you have the Creator of the universe on your side.
Sorry if that seemed a little harsh but I may have had a little too much spinach this morning. I will continue to pray for all of my friends who do not yet know the Lord as their savior, and will be praying that all my Christian friends are inspired to pick up God’s Word and get to know Him better. It really is the best book I’ve ever read.
Yours Truly,
Hopscotch Heidi