The Truth to the BS

I hate getting out of bed when it’s still dark out. Hate it. There is something about the darkness of winter that makes going back to bed in the morning ever so inviting. An invitation that I often accept too. 

More times than not that decision is then followed by a plethora of excuses.

It starts small with the time and true, “Just a few more minutes.” (Is it ever really just a few minutes?)

Next comes the, “I can do that this afternoon.” Or “I don’t really need to get that done today anyway.”

Gradually it becomes, “It can wait.”

But there is nothing more dangerous than the still small whisper in your head of, “It can wait.”

I can’t tell you the number of times I have said those exact words. In the morning when I want to sleep a few extra minutes, looking at the dishwasher that needs to be emptied, peeking at the laundry basket that’s overflowing, starting that book I bought a month ago, or picking up my computer to write. 

I thought starting this blog was hard, but continuing to give you all stuff to read has been even harder. 

Why?

Because I gave the enemy a seat at my table.

Have you ever played the card game “BS”? The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards, but sometimes to do this you have to “bluff” your opponents. You might not have the right card to lay down, so you have to be deceptive and lie. The catch is that people can call you out and say BS. If they catch you bluffing, then you have to pick up the whole stack of cards that has already been laid down. If you weren’t bluffing, then they have to take the cards themselves. 

Guys, if my life was this card game, then I was getting really good at bluffing.

In reality, I didn’t just give the enemy a seat at my table, but I invited him into my house. I hung up his coat. I set out the fine China. I cooked him a three-course meal and after dessert I invited him to stay and play a game with me. Round after round I thought I was winning. I always got away with bluffing. I never had to pick up the stack of cards. Man, oh man I thought I was good. So I let him stay and play for a long time.

Turns out he was playing a different game the whole time. One that he was really good at too. Because he wanted me to win. He wanted to keep his seat at MY table. He wanted me to keep saying, “All that other stuff can wait.”

That’s the funny thing about the enemy. He’s so good at lying that he’ll make you think you're winning, but bluffing is exactly what he does best, and “BS” might as well be his middle name.

This is what Jesus tells us in John 8:44 saying, “He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

All the enemy does all day long is lie to us. It is all he has ever done. In the Garden of Eden, he makes Eve question herself and God. He says things like “Did God really say that?” and “I don’t think you are actually going to die if you eat the fruit from the tree.” Through his lies he convinces Eve that God is the real liar. Now that is the biggest load of BS I have ever heard but like I said, the enemy is a really really good liar.

You know what makes him such a good liar? He knows our weaknesses. Right after Jesus is baptized, he is led into the wilderness for 40 days and nights where he is tested by the enemy. The whole time Jesus has nothing to eat. Like any of us, he gets pretty hungry. The enemy tries to use this against Jesus. He says, “Hey if you are really the Son of God, why don’t you just turn this rock into some bread?” Now I don’t know about you guys but if I hadn’t eaten anything for that long I would do just about anything for a big burger and fries. If that is me, I think I’m snapping my fingers and turning that rock into a BigMac. Not Jesus though. Why? Because He is the truth. 

In John, Jesus also says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

Stop playing with the enemy. Show him the door. Because that table is meant for you and Jesus and when you listen to the truth that He has to offer you are able to call BS. You are able to see that the enemy is always bluffing. 

So what lie is the enemy trying to tell you?

The lie? That you’ll never be good enough. That your dream is silly. That you don’t matter.

The truth? He’s bluffing. He’s lying. He’s scared of all that you might do.

For me it’s been that “it can wait.” But that’s what the enemy wants me to believe. Tomorrow is never promised, and life can change in an instant. It can’t wait. Telling others about Jesus should never wait. (No matter how badly I want to sleep in!)

Later in John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” 

If the enemy is filling your head with lies. If he’s at your table and won’t leave. Stop hitting snooze. Stop scrolling endlessly on social media. Go on a walk. Make a really good cup of coffee. And most importantly, pick up your Bible. Start in the Book of John. (Or anywhere really?) Just start. Because Jesus will always tell you the truth.  

***The idea for this blog post came from the book Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table by Louie Giglio. Add it to your list of books to read if it’s not already on there.