Hold Fast in Hard Times — Stay on Message (Day 2)
Yesterday, I fought a battle with my cell phone. I was sitting in my car in a parking lot waiting, so I decided to clean out my voice messages. I pressed the delete button, and then I went to the trash bin and deleted the message yet again. My inbox was now uncluttered and under control.
At least I thought it was gone. Until a few minutes later, I heard a ding and looked down to see the same deleted message resurface.
So, I deleted it again. And again. And again.
I kept pushing delete, but the pesky message kept coming back to life.
Later that evening, I thought about all of the mental messages that try to clutter up my mind. I wish I could permanently delete them from my memory, but negative thoughts always seem to resurface.
Rather than waging a battle with the delete button, I need to focus on my voice message. When stinking thinking comes calling, I need to stay on message. I need to play back the promises and turn up the volume on what I know is true.
For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind…
Hold fast the pattern of sound words
which you have heard from me,
in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.
II Timothy 1: 7, 13 (NKJV)
Something to think about…
To see all of the posts in this series, head on over here.
Lyli, I have always loved the verses you shared in this post. More so, I love that in verse 14 we are told that God has given us the very means by which we are able to hold fast – His Holy Spirit. May we hold fast today! Blessings!
Let’s change our inner conversation so we focus on the TRUTH rather than all the little lies! I’m in!
Oh, my, Lyli! This is so true, we play those bad, untrue messages over and over! The best defense here is always God’s word! Scripture memory cards work well for me. Blessings!
I love the theme of your 31 days Lyli. You’re always so encouraging!
I wish I had a permanent delete button for my mind too. 🙁 But you’re right–who cares about those messages? Let’s listen to the current call we get every day. Thanks for this lesson, Lyli.
If only there a delete button!! I wish!! I’m so thankful I have a new voice to listen to, to drown out the old and negative.
What a great picture of how it so often is in our own lives…those things from the past that tend to resurface in our minds to bring us down and cause us frustration. But, you are so right! We need to keep our focus on God and His message! The more I focus on that, the smaller that other “stinking thinking” becomes.
Blessings, Joan
Looks like quite a few of us are doing the 31 Days. There will be too many things for me to read and entice me away from everything else. All the best for your 31 days Lyli
I’m a bit late posting to the link up this week. Your words are so true. This world and satan bombards us with negative messages and outright lies. We have to consistently be in the Word to combat it.
Thanks for this encouraging post! I love that verse and will focus on it today. : )
Blessings, Lyli! The 31 Days challenge looks intriguing – I will enjoy watching how the Lord pours Himself through the writers taking up the pen to the challenge! Many things happening on many fronts these days and my own plate is full – with expectation. Thanks for providing a respite for the ladies to share hearts for Christ.
Joy!
Kathy
Hi Lyli! I had really thought you’d go a different way with the messages you kept getting. You changed it up on me, and I love that! Paying attention to our messages and not merely dismissing them means that I’m less distracted. That has to be a good thing!
Thank you for the link-up today, and your thoughtful post too 🙂
Ceil
Holding fast is so important! Thanks so much for giving us something to think about and for the link-up!
“Play back the promises.” That’s what we need to do, all day long. 🙂