It is so noticeable how quickly the mind catches praises for itself instead of giving them to the Lord. It rejoices without even realizing it. The mind always wants to make it about “me.” This is the game it loves to play. But I am so tired of this game.

“He wants men to be concerned with what they do; our business is to keep them thinking about what will happen to them.” — The Screwtape Letters

We are so insecure that we cling to every opportunity to reinforce our sense of self. Everything that happens in front of us, we try to lean into it, grasp it, and attach it to our identity. The demons want us to stay fixated on what might happen to us, keeping us paralyzed and self-focused. But in doing that, we fall right into the enemy’s trap: believing in a false self instead of looking inward and remembering who we truly are, the beloved creation of God, a child of God.

The demon wants us to treat every imagined fear as if it is a real cross to bear, piling them all on at once, even though many of those fears contradict one another and could never happen at the same time. For example, being afraid of getting fired and being overworked cannot both be true. But that is the trick, to overwhelm the mind with hypothetical disasters and burden the heart with things that have not even happened. The truth is, it is impossible to surrender to or prepare for every possible outcome at once. It breaks us down. That is exactly where the enemy wants us, because God’s grace is not meant for the imagined future. It is given for what we are actually facing in the present. But when we turn to God with our real fears and suffering, even if it is just anxiety, He is always quick to meet us there.

Amen! I love you my father God.