Shark Attack

         Imagine the daily life of a seal. He wants to play with his friends and eat a little fish daily. Yet, there is danger lurking in the water, a deadly foe, looking to devour our seal friend.

It only takes one encounter with a shark for our little seal to meet his doom, or have a chunk of tail bitten off. The predator is a real threat to those who are the most vulnerable.

1 Peter 5:8 tells us “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” Be always on the alert for the devil; looking to consume you is Peter’s warning. Note his direction to remain sober-minded… how much happens to people when they are impaired and unable to use good judgment?

Children are the most vulnerable. While they want to play, they are at risk of a bear or shark attack. Both are predators looking to harm the prey. Satan (the Devil) not only orchestrates the traumatic events on the innocent, but he likewise twists the events using lies.

Our adversary aims to implant lies in a child's mind, and humans will reinforce the lie, directly affecting the iceberg. The lies have a sprinkle of truth but are so powerful they can devour a person, harming them for life. Common lies are:

    ·         You are worthless,

    ·         You are stupid,

    ·         You deserve to be treated poorly because you are trash,

    ·         You caused this to happen because you are…

    ·         No one loves you,

    ·         You are ugly,

    ·         If people really knew you and what you have done…

    ·         You are unlovable.

All of these lies directly affect the iceberg because they relate to our core beliefs, thoughts, attitudes, and emotions. The response becomes something like this: “Why should I try? No one loves me, and I don’t deserve love; I am worthless. I don’t care, so why try.”

This becomes a self-defeating cycle of lies, reinforced every time the person suffers a setback. The outcome is the behavior or actions resulting from the lies and trauma. This can seem hopeless; apart from an outside source, it will perpetuate itself forever.

 

These questions are designed for you to think about the blog. They are not intended for you to share the answers in the comments, but you are welcome to share them with me. 

Questions:

Take a minute and reflect on your life.

·         What Lies have you believed since you were a child?

·         Is this lie tied to a traumatic or other life event (memory)?

·         How has the lie shaped your lower iceberg?

·         Has the lie ever affected your actions or behavior due to believing the untruth?