Mine is beautiful—the word, that is.
As far back as my minds memory chooses to go . . . the word beautiful has been ugly to me. Not in reference to things so much, but in reference to me. For years I hated to hear that word as my stomach churned in knots while another’s voice echoed from my past—the voice of selfish, abusive, betrayal.
A beautiful word, created by Beautiful Himself, to invoke beautiful thoughts and feelings means any thing but to me.
Do you have an ugly word? An ugly color? An ugly song? An ugly smell? An ugly something that summons ugly memories?
Many of us do.
Many of us have “uglies” of the past that affect the beautiful of our marriage today. It steals our joy—kills our desired response—and at times . . . it destroys the relationship altogether.
Did you notice three key words there? Steal—kill—destroy! The arsenal of the evil one—our enemy (John 10:10). He is behind your “ugly”. He is behind my ugly. Ugly is how he works!
I believe Satan's lies so readily, so easily—
yet hesitate and contemplate
whether I will believe God’s truth.
Amazing!
When my husband says to me, “you are so beautiful,” I shrink back—I balk—I reject his words and, in that instance, reject him. He had nothing to do with the twisting of its meaning and yet he’s held as captive by the ugly as I. Satan binds us both. And every time I cater to the enemy’s wishes he wins. That makes me mad! To think that I am agreeing with him in anything makes. me. mad!
From the moment we are born, Satan watches us. He studies our reactions and responses. He sees our woundings and injustices. He catches the cause of our pain, fear and anger . . . monopolizing it—he builds upon it. He gains access to our hearts when we respond to our hurt in sin and gradually, slowly, over time—because he knows it’s on his side—he structures a wall between us and God. Brick by brick . . . layer by layer . . . he builds a fortress within our heart to keep others at a distance, including a Savior. We don’t even know he’s done it. We can pinpoint the trauma, the abuse, the deep cutting into our soul—but we don’t recognize the materials of the brick layer until the fortress—the stronghold—is created.
Do you have an “ugly” separating you in your relationship with your spouse? With others? An ugly that recalls memories so strong that they usher from past to present so quickly they seem almost touchable, audible—so vivid you almost reel and wretch, swallowed in its depths once more?
It is escapable! I promise!
Claim the Name! Plead the Blood! Take the power and authority given to you by God through Christ Jesus and rebuke Satan (Col. 2:9-10; John 14:12; Luke 10:17, 19-20; Eph. 1;19-22, 2:6; James 4:7)—out loud!—in this area he holds over you. Bind him from holding you any further!
Take all thoughts captive when your “ugly” shows its ugly head (2 Co. 10:3-5)! Don’t entertain any lies concerning it. Cast them out immediately and replace the lie with the truth!
I am still working on this—but it’s better!
One day the word beautiful will once again be, completely beautiful!
So, too, can your ugly!
So, too, can your ugly!
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Joining . . .
Time-Warp Wife
Women Living Well
What Works For Me
Far Above Rubies
Joining . . .
Time-Warp Wife
Women Living Well
What Works For Me
Far Above Rubies
