The story goes that Satan went into his garage one day and noticed that everything was a complete mess. He couldn’t find what he was looking for because there were so many rusty tools lying around cluttering up the place.
Satan decided on a solution. He would have a garage sale. He cleaned up his old tools and offered them at a discount price for other devils to purchase. Some tools sold right away—for example, the hammer of hatred, the wrench of fear, and the clamp of addiction. They were very popular items.
When he was asked why he was selling off so many of his tools, Satan explained that he had decided to concentrate on his favorite tool. The wedge of discouragement. Satan boasted about it, saying, “With this one tool I can inflict major damage. Discouragement works wonders every time—even when nothing else will. It can bring misery every time.”
Then Satan, using his favorite tool, went about whispering lies. “You are worthless,” “You never do anything right,” “Give up,” “No one cares about you,” and “You can never change.” Sadly, many good people believed him.
But you don't have to.
You are where you are for a reason. Find that reason. Make the most of it. Polish your talents and make them shine.
This is from an address given by Larry R. Lawrence at Brigham Young University. You can read the entire talk here.
I think discouragement is often a companion of fear. Fear keeps you small. Fear sticks a toe into the water and when it gets wet, it says, I knew this was never going to work. See, I got wet. I almost drowned. People drown every day. I better stay on the sand, where it's safe.
But the safest place to be is always where God wants us to be. Doing what he wants you to do. Even when it's big and scary. Even if you do get wet and maybe even drown.
Do you ever feel a call to do something and put it off and put it off and put it off...even though when the idea first came, the spirit whispered, you should do that.
That's where I am. Months ago, my husband suggested I do something, but it's big and scary (for me.) I thought the idea would go away, but it's still here, months later, niggling at the back of my mind. I told myself I'd do it after my daughter's wedding when things settled down.
But life never settles down. There's always a reason to stay sitting on the sand.
The scriptures are full of encouraging words:
Psalm 23:4
"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of
death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they
comfort me."
John 14:17
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as
the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let
them be afraid."
Psalm 56:3-4
"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose
word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to
me?"
Ephesians 6:10
"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of
his might."
1 Corinthians 2:3
"And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much
trembling."
What fears will you overcome?
Love this! 💗
ReplyDelete