The impostor

            We’ve had an impostor living in our home for quite some time now. He showed up one day, uninvited, and I made the mistake of letting him into our house. Since that fateful day, he’s consumed most of our energy, he’s sapped us of our joy and has contributed nothing towards the well-being of our family.

            His name is Worry. He has a large family and many of his relatives have come to visit; Doubt, Anxiety, Apprehension, Disruption, just to name a few. They also thought they could sneak into the dark corners of our home and take whatever they wanted.

            Until today. Today I kicked Worry out along with all of his relatives. I opened the door, booted them out onto the curb and told them to never come back again. You see, I suddenly realized who had sent Worry in the first place; his father, the devil. He loves to see us stew and fret and wonder why God isn’t answering our prayers. Worry sneaks in and takes over, if we let him. He’ll whisper “did God really…? in our ear. He’ll interfere in our marriage, our relationships with our children and break apart friendships. He’ll wake us up at two in the morning and stop us from getting back to sleep. He even keeps us company throughout the day. If we let him.

            So I decided to take action. I’m tired of his lies; about my finances, about my relationships, about my children’s futures, especially my son with autism. He lies about my capabilities, my choices, my health and well-being and, most of all, he lies about God. Time to take some drastic action.

First of all, I kicked Worry out of our home, once and for all. No more sneaking back in through windows or the chimney. I’ve got all possible entries blocked and installed a new home security system. I even posted two signs on the fence; Beware of Angels and This Home Protected by Prayer.

Second, I’ve learned to turn a deaf ear to his knocking. When I hear him at the door, I turn instantly to prayer. I ask God to remove Worry from my neighborhood and to chase him far, far away. Because those issues that give me concern are in God’s hands. I’ve surrendered them to the one true God who is also my Savior. He is in control of the world and my life. He’s never failed me before and He won’t fail me now or in the future.

Third, I am building a support group. The individuals in this support system listen, they pray with me and offer guidance and accountability. I know they’re going to ask me if Worry’s still knocking at my door and I know there’s only one correct answer I can give them:

Never again.

For further reading:

Matthew 6: 25-34

Matthew 11: 28-30

Luke 12: 24-34

John 14: 27

Philippians 4: 6-7

1 Peter 5:8