Sorting Through It

A good look at my Impostor is not always easy, but it's not hard either. She's right there.

Here's the deal, I don't want her to be "right there" anymore. I don't want her in my ear and in my mind. I don't want that natural self to rule places that Jesus should be ruling. So what is a girl to do? Those thoughts are my thoughts. Those things are a reality to me. Are they to you? Is it as easy as saying, "Welp, I just won't think like that anymore!"

Hardly.

Some things, I'd wager, can be gone in a flash when the light of Truth shines on them. Others, need a spotlight of Truth held close before they even start to melt away. Some of my, or our, "issues" can be like a styrofoam cup in a fire; others, like Frodo's ring, fire can't even touch it.

But the point is this: there is a level of intensity in the Word and in the Spirit that can melt away any hang up, stronghold, unbelief, sin, and fear.

This might be corny, but I've just got to run with the whole Lord of the Rings thing. You see (if you haven't seen the movie) there was a ring, a terrible evil ring, that the hero of the story had to return to the place it was made. The ring could not be destroyed except at the place where it was created. Until Frodo tossed it in to the fire from whence in came, it was unstoppable.

It is no different for us. The things that hold us back and bring us down must be brought to our Creator. Only in the white hot glory of the King will those things become obsolete.

I've experienced this in my own life. For a time, I was so drawn to such an intense and dangerous sin that I could hardly make it through a day without wanting a taste. I had accountability, I had knowledge of the Word, I had prayer. It was through taking this to the Source, over and over, and setting it at the feet of my Creator, over and over, and my "ridding myself" of it that His love and Truth melted that away.

Will I never be tempted again? Oh, I already have. And through the years the temptation has seem less and less appealing. My Impostor was finally overcome. That was my Frodo's Ring.

I've had others things that were more like the styrofoam cup. Poof! I had a misconception or wrong perspective concerning something or my belief system needed to be checked and when I would experience the Truth those things fell by the wayside rather easily.

Either way, it was up to me to do this:

...to put of your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds, and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22

In those times, we literally have to consciously make decisions to put off those thoughts, habits, attitudes and sin, and put on Christ. A huge part of that is knowing the word!

Just as Paul did for those he served, I too

...pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:9

Pray for your knowledge to increase! Pray for your love, for both yourself and others to increase! Pray that you would know the word in order to put it on in your mind and heart through the power of the Holy Spirit! Put off those things of your nature, your Impostor, and put on the things of Christ.

Ask Him to help you sort through it. What is styrofoam and what will need more time, favor, discernment, discipline, and honesty?

Remember:

...you...have put on the new self which is being renewed in the image of its creator. Colossians 2:5