How to Dig Deep and intentionally root out toxic deception
updated March 5, 2023
When a tiny seed of deception becomes an overgrown weed of rejection!
Have you ever had one of those days where so many things were on your mind? Trying to put on a fake smile out of sheer exhaustion? Just to get through the day and get home? Well, this past year has seemed like one long, miserable day like that. Your mind is not in the place it needs to be. All the things that need to be done seem endless, and up spring the roots of deception. We are unaware that in these moments; we need to dig deep and root out seeds of deception. Well, this my friend was one of those days.
My husband had a long day of doctor’s appointments and tests. We needed to stop by the store to pick up a few things. He waited in the car while I went inside before heading home. After doing my shopping, I loaded the groceries into the trunk of the car. Then returned the cart inside the store, as I generally always do.
I had a lot on my mind and was not “present” to my surroundings.
As I pushed the cart inside the doors, a gentleman approached me and said hello. I replied: “Hello, how are you doing today?”. He smiled and said: “I am great, I just want to tell you I watched you put your groceries in the car and your hair, your hair is so beautiful.” I said: “Oh well, thank you so much.” As I walked back across the parking lot to the car, I smiled and thought how nice it was of him to say that. Then I had two thoughts after that.
First was how rare it is to even say hello in this day and age. Let alone take the time to say such a nice thing to a complete stranger. Most often, people have their face buried in their phones, with a total disregard for where they are even walking. I could not remember the last time anyone complimented me on my long, now deeply graying hair.
Random thoughts are not always so random, they have a purpose: seeds of deception. ~ Revelation 12:9
The thought entered my mind. “Why would this man who was African American pay me such a compliment?”. Now let me just say some of my closest friends are of varying races and ethnicities. I am not speaking from a place of racism or judgment. There was nothing sexual, flirtatious or inappropriate about the compliment or the intentions of his words. The thought of his race immediately caught my attention as a weapon of the enemy. To even allow the thought of color or race to enter my mind. I am generally the first person to ask someone else, “what does their race or color have to do with it?”
My husband often tells me about someone he met or talked to. He would point out their race or color if they were anything besides Caucasian. To which I always say, what does their race have to do with it? Are they not still a child of God like you? My husband is not racist by any means, it is just the generation he grew up in. But it is a subject that has always bothered me when someone makes such statements. So, for that thought to enter my mind, I knew the enemy was attempting to plant a seed. Which I quickly rebuked and dismissed.
Angel on assignment? ~ Hebrews 13:2
I could truly see the love of Jesus in this man. No, he did not speak of being a Christian, but the glory of God shone all about his face. I actually thought and wondered if he was an angel on assignment for the Lord. I truly needed his kind words on this day. After all the things on my mind with my husband’s health concerns. It did not even cross my mind that I needed it until he spoke it. I had literally been inside myself in my thoughts until he said hello. When he spoke of how beautiful my hair was, my countenance changed. His kind, sincere words pierced my heart like a ray of sunshine from heaven. I carried that big smile all the way back to the car and told my husband about the encounter.
And then it happened. The enemy was unhappy. I caught on to his tiny seed of deception, so he attacked my emotions, knowing full well I was weak on this day.
As I pulled out of the parking lot, my next thought was quite the opposite. I thought to myself, “wow, it would be nice if my husband would compliment me like that once in awhile”. A total stranger took time out of his day to stop and tell me how beautiful my hair was. Why is it so hard for my husband to do that like he used to? I parked right there on that thought for several miles down the road as I drove. Not immediately realizing the enemy was still working to plant the seed of a lie.
Then I heard the Holy Spirit say:
And just when was the last time you told your husband how good he looks? Yes, his health is not the greatest with fighting cancer for 5 years, and it has taken its toll, but he is still the same man you swore to love and cherish. Do you think maybe he would like to hear how good he looks now and then, too? Did you stop to think maybe just like you, he has a lot on his mind, and never gave it a thought to compliment you with all he is dealing with?
The tears began to flow as I continued to drive down the interstate toward home. My heart cried out, oh Lord, forgive me. When did I last tell him how good he looks to me? When did I last stop to wrap my arms around him? To tell him that no matter what we go through in this battle called cancer. He still looks good to me, and he will always be the love of my life? I continued to repent for my selfish thoughts. My lack of concern for how my husband might need affirmation and acknowledgment. For the total disregard of his needs. Allowing the circumstances and busyness of all the doctor’s appointments, treatments and medicines to so totally consume me. I never stopped to think about his needs to feel loved and wanted despite the diagnosis and the disease.
Yet here I was thinking, oh poor pitiful me, and entertaining ugly thoughts that were not even true. I knew that my husband loves, honors and cherishes me completely. But I had taken my gaze off of God. Placing it totally on the circumstances of the trial we were walking through. (Luke 21:8) The lack of sleep, the countless miles driving from one doctor’s appointment and treatment to another. The overwhelming stress of it all had consumed my thoughts.
Why do I let my mind entertain such thoughts? ~ Hebrews 12:15
I’ll tell you why. The enemy did not want me to feel the love of the Father in that moment. He wanted nothing more than to turn my joy into accusations, wondering thoughts, and bitterness against my husband. To bring about division between us. He knows that if he can plant that tiny seed in our mind, we will most often run with it. Especially when we are stressed, tired, and dealing with things out of our control. Even when it is only for a few minutes, the seed has been planted, and we have chosen to entertain it.
The enemy prowls around, hoping we do not see his seeds of deception.
His hope is that we will not hear the Holy Spirit bring us back into alignment with right thinking. His hope is that we will let that little seed of lies, deception, and rejection grow into a giant weed of division. (John 8:44) Grow into bitterness, strife, anger, quarreling and dishonor to ourselves and our spouse. He is so cunning and sneaky to just drop a tiny seed, and we grab hold and run with it.
How many times have we allowed the enemy to enter our mind? To send us on a tangent of empty thoughts, and what if’s? How many times have we entertained those negative thoughts? Made a mountain out of something that never even was a molehill to begin with? Boy, I sure can think back to a bunch of times. I have entertained wrong thinking and things that the enemy dropped on me that were not even true.
Friends, can I tell you? The only way the enemy can deceive us is if we get our focus off of God. Then we open the door and let him in! ~ Deuteronomy 11:16
And that is exactly what I did on this day. I had so much weighing on my mind. The beautiful compliment from a stranger meant to be a holy kiss from the Father. Intended to lighten my load and bring me joy. Yet, it had turned inside out for several miles of the road I was traveling. Because I lost my gaze of the Father. Letting the seed of the enemy come into an open door and grow.
Now in the past, I would have let that little seed grow into a monster of a weed. I am so grateful that I heard the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Before, the seed began to grow, and take root. Before it became an overgrown weed that needed to be dug up and rooted out.
A tiny seed planted, cultivated, nurtured, watered and entertained grows into a giant root of rejection and offense.
That tiny seed of deception and lies can become a stronghold in our life. That can cause destruction to our self image, our worth, our identity. It is fully capable of dismantling relationships, intimacy with our spouse, and intimacy with the Father. (Ephesians 5:22-24) God’s Word commands us to honor our spouse and love them the way Christ loves us. (John 15:12) Entertaining vain imaginations, seeds of deception, lies, and bitterness are just the beginning of a stronghold in our life. That can and will affect our walk with the Lord and our relationship with our spouse and those around us. How do we dig deep to the root of all these things?
Have you ever watched a weed grow from seed to full maturity?
It starts out so small and insignificant. Then you start to see a small sprout of leaves forming, and then more shoots and stems. It starts to branch out and become fuller. Before long, when you’re not watching, it becomes tall and bushy. Often it will even bloom tiny flowers. That is part of the deception. It wants to look like a beautiful flower. It is still just a weed. We have to press in and dig deep.
The longer we let it grow and take root, the harder it is to remove. Sometimes you pull it up and think you got it all. Only to come back a few days or a week later, and there it is. It’s taller than ever, growing and thriving as if you had never removed it. Unless you dig deep and remove the complete root, it will just keep coming back bigger and bigger.
Rejection, offense, bitterness, vain imaginations all work the same way.
From the minute we open the door and allow them in, they start to grow and take root. We have to press in and dig deep down to the root of the matter to remove them completely. Otherwise, they will continue to bring turmoil, deception, and division into our lives. (Galatians 6:7)
Are you ready to get to the root of the matter? To dig deep and root out deception? Fix your gaze on God, and see things through his lens? His lens is often clearer than ours. Our lens is often cloudy with the muck and mire of our flesh.
When I need to get down to the root, I have allowed to grow in my life; I go to the true vine: Jesus!
I get into the secret place with the Father. I ask him to show me where I lost my gaze on Him, where I lost my focus. To show me the door, I need to close. Lord, how did this start? When and where did this come from? Lord, help me dig deep and root out deception.
We often don’t even realize we left a door open. Or even when we allowed the seed to come in and be planted. The only way to get to the root is to go to the true vine Jesus! He will lead us and guide us to the truth of the matter. To show us the deception and lie we believed. He will help us dig deep, and root out deception.
You see, we made a choice to believe the lie, just like Eve did. (Genesis 3:4)
The seed cannot be planted and grow unless we choose to allow it to come through an open door. Seek the Holy Spirit to find that open door and close it. Dig deep, and root out deception. (Luke 21:36) Put a guard around your heart and mind to not leave a door open for the enemy to enter. Fill your mind with the Word of God. Renew a right spirit in you and cultivate a relationship of intimacy with the Holy Spirit. (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) When the mind is so full of God’s word, and prayer is constantly on our lips, there is no room for the lies and deception of the enemy to be planted.
Dig Deep root out deception
I pray you cultivate a deep relationship with the Father and be truly led by the Holy Spirit. As you walk through the trials this life often brings, keep your gaze on God. Dig deep, and root out deception. I pray the Lord will renew your mind. To guard your thoughts from the lies and deception of the enemy. May God wrap you in complete peace. May He fill you with His love today, and pour out His abundant blessings upon you. God cares for you, He sees your heart, and He has refreshing waters waiting for you.
I love you, my friend. I pray you know that you are beautiful and worthy. If you need prayer, I would love to pray for you. You can send your prayers through the contact form. I will pray over them and reply to your messages. Leave me a comment and let me know how this spoke to you today. To learn more about the roots of deception, check out this article.
Love & Hugs,
Teresa
