Are you at risk for being deceived?

When Satan tempts us or accuses us, we know it, but when he deceives us, we don’t know it.

Gulp.

 I guess I always considered temptation and deception as synonyms, or at least close cousins. But they differ. Deception is harder to detect, more nuanced in its appearance and more insidious in how it enters the back door of our lives.

What’s the best way to recognize a deception? Know the truth.

You probably know the analogy that bank tellers don’t need to be trained how to recognize counterfeit money. They handle real money so often, they know the instant a fake bill lands in their hands.

I wanted to know if this was true so I did some research. Here is my favorite article on the subject, written in two parts (part 1 and part 2). In short, tellers do more than handle real money. They are trained about real money…really trained.

They are taught to “touch, tilt, look through, and look at” real money.

The spiritual parallels are clear. The more of God’s Word we know, the less likely we are to be deceived because we won’t recognize the lie.

So here’s the problem.

It’s been a really long time since I have heard a Bible verse referenced in hours and hours of podcast conversations between Christians.

Uh-oh.

Jesus says, If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).

The word abide is a verb that means to to stay, abide, remain. The word cannot live in us like that if we are not reading and praying it, studying and reciting it, memorizing and pondering it. In other words…i if we are not handling the real thing so we recognize a counterfeit truth the instant it lands in our brains.

Let’s not be deceived.

Let’s be relentless in knowing the truth of God’s word. AND let’s be careful even as we listen to a lot of great people doing lots of great things. They are as susceptible to deception as any of us are.

A small mistake off course may not seem like a big deal today, but the further we travel with that small deception, the more off course we become.

Let’s all be standing firmly and wearing the belt of truth around our waists, the first item of spiritual armor God asks us to put on (Ephesians 6:14).

Picture Explanation:

My sweet girls. The day you were born, I became a mom. You literally changed my life forever. You have taught me about love and life. You have made me a better person as I have had to seek God in order to face my frailties, seek wisdom and figure out how to love you well without that elusive parenting manual we all wish someone had given us.

You are a melting pot of delight to me. It has been so fun watching your lives evolve. I had no idea 24 years ago that I had given birth to athletes, students, beauties, friends and strong women. How this communication professor gave birth to two future graduate students pursuing degrees in the medical field, I have no idea. The surprises keep coming. 

My love and prayers go everywhere you go, for always. Momma

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