Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Outlandish (05/19/11)
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TITLE: Denying Denial | Previous Challenge Entry
By Ennis Smith
05/25/11 -
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Uncle Joe is a habitual speeder. Put him in the driver’s seat of any four-wheeled vehicle, and he’s guaranteed to break the posted speed limits. He’s been pulled over, fined, and arrested so many times, the Secretary of State has revoked his license. Still, he drives; horrendously fast, I might add.
You’ve just become the proud owner of a 2011 Saleen Mustang. Now this high performance car boasts 425 horsepower, capable of producing 395 foot-pounds of torque. It’s a beast; pure terror on wheels. You pull into the driveway of your parents’ home, eager to show off your latest trophy, when you spy uncle Joe trotting down the driveway, headed straight for the driver-side door, you haven’t even opened yet.
“Woo-hoo!” He yells. The rancid scent of cheap whiskey invades your nostrils. “I have got to take this little baby for a spin, around the block!”
Of course, your Dad thinks this is the most outlandish idea he’s heard all day, and implores you to hide the keys.
“It’s OK, dad,” you actually reason. “Uncle Joe wouldn’t think of driving recklessly in my new Mustang, I JUST drove off the lot, not five miles away.”
“Of course I wouldn’t!” Uncle Joe agrees, as he backs the muscle car out of the driveway.
This example seems like a pretty clear cut case of denial, doesn’t it? In fact, I can see you sitting there, reading this with your mouth agape. It’s easy to see you made a critical error in judgment, by handing the keys, to your new car, over to your drunkard uncle. And yet, we Christians do battle with this type of denial, everyday.
Satan operates with a gamut of weaponry, friend. In his never ending pursuit to steal, kill, and destroy, denial is one of his greatest tools of choice. Denial blocks the flow of GOD’s grace through our lives, if left unchecked. It causes us to ignore our own flaws, thereby holding us captive. You can’t grow in the Lord, if you refuse to face flaws GOD wants you to deal with.
Personified, Denial can be likened to a saboteur. Once he’s dug into the consciousness of the spirit, he begins pushing buttons and rearranging default settings, previously initiated by the Lord. He is a dangerous adversary: Denial. He held me captive for quite some time.
I was addicted to playing the World of Warcraft online video game, for three-and-a-half years. In that time, my gaming skill increased so much that I began to covet the game. My wife tried to convince me of my addiction, but Satan had set up shop, and dug in deep. By the time GOD began to convict me of my addiction, Satan ramped up his efforts to keep me captive. I received anonymous offers for free gaming time, but the Lord refused to be defeated. He finally broke my addiction.
As soon as I gave up the game, GOD got involved in my life. He renewed my desire to read his word; rekindled my need to write fiction; and sparked a flame in my soul, for doing his will. He led me to this site.
I hadn’t realized how stagnant my Christian walk had become, while under the influence of the video game. I had been a captive of denial. That’s exactly how it works. It dulls your sense of right versus wrong. It desensitizes your spiritual barometer.
The cure for it is to trust in the Lord with all of our heart, and lean not on our own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 is awesome. GOD helps us to deny denial. Negating the negative manifests positive results. The reality, of not following GOD’s will, mirrors the tragic end of our hypothetical tale.
Uncle Joe blazed up the street and took the first corner…way… too fast. Apparently, the booze may have slightly impaired his judgment. Your brand new car was totaled. Your uncle was killed. You stood in the driveway watching the entire drama unfold, and was completely shocked by the outcome. Satan had managed to steal your sanity, for only a brief moment. But it was just long enough to complete his trifecta.
Steal, kill, and destroy friend; steal, kill, and destroy. That’s his game. Don’t let him play you. What are you in denial of, today? What blessings are you blocking? Deny denial and be blessed.
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