Pinprick

WORD PICTURE: PIN

Scriptural Reference: John 10:10a The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;

1. Show a sharp PIN and have someone(s) read John 10:10, comparing translations if possible.

2. Discuss idea that the enemy doesn’t care how tiny the entry to us — he’ll start with a tiny “toehold” and turn into a “foothold” and eventually into a “stronghold.” The enemy is very patient — he just oozes in, gradually and increasingly, like black oil taking its time to spread and infuse.

What I Shared

An enemy stronghold in me has been FEAR OF MAN (a.k.a. people-pleasing). I recently shared how God has been working on me to conquer this tendency I have to “should all over myself.” There I was actually thinking that, finally, my FEAR OF MAN had already been conquered. Then, whammo, I ended up saying yes to something to which I needed to say no! My clue was my resentment and my inability to sleep that night. My conclusion: God wants me to work from my heart — he doesn’t want deeds from me that are “because I should” — He doesn’t want hollow. This stronghold of people-pleasing detours me into hollow stuff. I get “guilted” and the next thing you know, I’m doing something because I think I should.

How do I get guilted? Sometimes via scripture! An example: Jesus telling Peter (basically) if you love Me, serve Me (John 21:15-18). The enemy twists that into me and -- voila -- a prick. Tiny, but enough for him to start oozing in. For me, people-pleasing has largely been conquered, but the enemy can still prick me there. I have to be vigilant to keep him from getting a toehold, turning it into a foothold, and then back to that stronghold.

Another pinprick for me is worry, which can start out small and end up as WORRY!!! This gets into “Let Go and Let God” because some things I just pray about until I’m blue in the face -- I just pray about it and pray about it and can’t let it go. Example: a friend of mine has what I call “broken ears.” In Twelve Step programs, it is called Denial. I’ve already had the opportunity to speak my heart, and I’ve said hard words like “elephant in the living room” and “course correction.” But she just doesn’t hear it — she says everything is fine, except for these attacks from Satan who is trying to mess things up. I don’t agree that it’s an attack from Satan. I think God is trying to speak conviction here, but she doesn’t. I’ve prayed God’s will for this, so there’s nothing more I can say or do. Even praying about it is just wearing me down. I’m POOPED, so I believe it’s time to “”Let Go and Let God”, but that pinprick allowed worry to ooze in and it is now WORRY!!!!

Hopefully this has stirred up the pot enough to get YOUR ideas flowing. Have any pinpricks started to ooze something unwanted into your life? Are you fighting one — or have you conquered one? Please share anything you have to relate to this scripture (John 10:10) from your real life.

All Scripture references from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV).

Getting Real with God

(and with each other!)