Are you sensing God moving like never before? At the same time, have you felt as though the enemy were attacking you lately? Why do you think you're under attack? Because God has something great in store for you or the devil wouldn't be trying so hard to discourage you.
I believe the devil's goal is to distract you from what God has called you to do!
Distraction simply means "something that draws your attention away; to harass." The devil will bring certain things into your life to draw your attention away from what God wants you to do, and he'll bring that distraction as harassment against you.
The Wasp Story
Since we have been discussing distractions and to what great lengths the devil will go to see that they invade our peaceful lives, I'll confide a personal story that seems ridiculous even as I attempt to put it into words.
I once was plagued by a terrible fear of wasps! In fact, I was watching one of my favorite teachers minister a great message on TV on the subject of fear when a wasp came flying right by my head...in my house!
I had been having some problems with wasps building nests around the house, and nobody had figured out why they were so attracted to me! I had gotten so upset about these wasps that I had told my mother I was going to move!
That seems like a drastic measure to take to avoid insects, but there it is. I knew of course, that nobody can really run from their problems, but at the same time, I was tired of these wasps invading my space, and I had decided it was them or me—one of us was moving!
I was so upset about the wasp flying around in my house that I called my mother and she turned into one of those 911 emergency operators, encouraging me to kill the thing. I could never kill them.
In the past, I'd always called someone at my office to come over and kill them for me. But Mother was trying to talk me through this and keep me calm.
Mother said, "Now, Kate, you can do this. You can do it unafraid. That wasp is more afraid of you than you are of it. Go get your can of Raid, and I'm going to help you."
You should have seen me. I ran around after that silly thing with my Raid can in one hand and the phone in the other. I finally conquered that little thing—as well as my fear of wasps—once and for all.
I overcame my insecurity with regard to the insect kingdom, and though I still don't like them, I can take control of the situation before it gets completely out of hand.
The Clothes Issue
Have you ever been shopping with someone who just keeps telling you they don't like the clothes you're trying on? You pick something out, try it on, look in the mirror, and you really like the outfit. It looks good on you, and you feel good about yourself in it.
Your friend stands back and, since you like the outfit so much, you're sure she's going to tell you how great it looks on you—but she says something like, "I really don't think that's your color." Or, "That makes you look a little frumpy."
Frumpy!?!?!?!
Not long ago, someone told me that a mutual acquaintance of ours had commented about not liking the way I dress. I thought, "Hmmm.... What am I doing wrong? I buy nice dresses and suits. I like them. I pick them out myself."
But the thought that someone didn't like my clothes kept knocking around in my head. Maybe I should look for something else.
All of a sudden, I said, "I don't care if she doesn't like the way I dress. I like the way I dress and that's what matters."
We need to be confident in what we like and what we do. Be encouraged to be yourself—the individual God made you to be. Don't try to be somebody else. Don't spend precious time and effort wishing you were someone else.
There is something special about every person. There's something about you that is unlike anyone else—a uniqueness and a wonderful "something special."
Be Yourself
Don't let the devil rob you with insecurity. Believe in your heart that God knows everything about you, and purpose this day that you are going to be secure in who you are and in what God has called you to do.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers