Truth

Summer.  Swimming pools, mini-vacations, reading programs, swim lessons, the Children's Museum, zoo visits, sleep-overs, fairs, festivals, parks, picnics, get-togethers.

Sometimes I long for the "slow life".  The long quiet walks through the wild flowers down to the pond, the sounds of birds and cicadas, the chase of the firefly at dusk.  Where the TV is never on, the hum of the tractor is in the background, the warm summer breezes waft in through the window carrying with it fragrances of the earth.  Where life is quiet and beautiful and you can hear the still, small Voice of the Almighty.

Amidst the laundry piles and diapers, grocery shopping, meal prep, cleaning, bills, this crazy ridiculous summer schedule, the Voice of Truth muffles and drifts away.  And Satan slithers in to hiss lie after lie.

You are not a good  wife or mother.
You could do more.
You don't do enough.
You are no fun.
No one cares what you write.  It helps no one.
You can't do that, you're ill-equipped.  (serving the homeless)
Your dreams are ridiculous. 
No one believes in you. 
....and on and on and on. Lie after lie.

I fall for them all.  I soak them up.  I allow them to change me, mold me and confine me.

How do you break free from this bondage?

Ephesians 6:10-17 says:

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

I'll be honest.  I sometimes have a hard time relating to this passage.  I don't know the first thing about a Roman soldiers armor.  But after a little research, I found that the belt in the Roman Armor was crucial in the effectiveness of the Soldier.  Without it there would be no place to hang his sword.  Can you imagine running into battle without your weapon?  Paul mentions this piece as the first to take up.  He asks us to wrap His truth around us.

I can do all things through Christ who give me strength. Phil 4:13
I am loved    1John 3:3
I am accepted     Ephesians 1:6
I am a child of God     John 1:12
I am a work in progress begun by God Almighty who is faithful to complete what He’s started….Phil 1:6; 3:20-21
I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved    Colossians 3:12
I am chosen to bear fruit    John 15:16

My bags could be packed in an instant to move to the "slow life".  But He is not calling me to change my location.  He is calling me to "Be still and know that He is God."
So how do you fight this battle?  Let me know in the comment section.  How do you slow down and stay in tune with God?  How do you battle Satan's lies?  What are some of the Truths you have learned?  If we all share then maybe together we can learn to be wrapped in His Truth!