faith unfaded

I was thinking about people while driving earlier today, annoyed at the vile things that come out of their mouths, particularly on the internet.

Negativity begets negativity.

But then my mind turned to the wicked woman who tried to destroy my life when I left Mississippi. That was worse than anonymous people hiding behind computer screens spewing evil.

Because this evil wore a Florence Nightingale mask to masquerade her Jezebel spirit.

Most think of seduction only when talking about a Jezebel spirit but it is also one of manipulation and control. It is an insidious, murderous spirit. The wicked Jezebel tried to have Elijah killed, hating his prophetic words of the Lord. She falsely accused Naboth of blasphemy, leading to his stoning and Ahab’s acquisition of the vineyard.

This woman literally did the same thing, falsely accusing me and trying to kill my ministry so that she could acquire my home and the church building.

Spoiler alert: She didn’t succeed because my God is stronger than her god. She did cause a great deal of harm and anguish though. She destroyed relationships and caused innocent people to suffer.

She is not alone. It is not the wicked openly causing division in our nation that we should be worried about. It’s the women heading up church committees and the men receiving distinguished awards hidden among the truly godly that cause the most damage.

It is why the Lord warns us in Matthew 7:15:

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

“At least I was always a good person even when I was sinning,” I told the Lord.

The admonishment was swift.

“No, you were NOT a good person,” He replied. “You had a good heart because I gave that to you. But when you followed your own desires, you did some very dishonorable things.”

His words are gentle but they cut to the quick sometimes! He has no problem setting me straight when my thought process is skewed.

He then reminded me of the behavior color charts I’d use when I taught. Each child started on green and as the day progressed, the colors would change with misbehavior. Each day was a new start- on green- but unlike the methods of some other teachers, I didn’t allow my students to “earn back” colors throughout the day. You couldn’t do three bad things and three good and still have A behavior.

Nor can we make up for our sins with works.

We need a clean slate, a do-over on green, and we need to walk uprightly.

Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death. Isaiah 57:2

He that walketh uprightly walketh surely. Proverbs 10:9

Good people leave legacies, their words and actions changing lives and making a difference in the world. The wicked are remembered for a moment, their infamy fleeting.

Good people are remembered as a blessing, but evil people will soon be forgotten. Proverbs 10:7

Are you walking uprightly? Do you try to make up for sin with works? Can you discern the truly godly from the pretenders?

The closer you draw to the Lord, the more evident those answers will be.