One of the tricks of the enemy is to use patterns in your life to establish a false narrative. If something happens over and over again to you, it is not just the something, it is the narrative attached to it. I sat in a meeting with a leader, I highly respect, yesterday and I shared a narrative I have and he immediately said, that is not the truth. He quickly challenged my narrative and it instantly shifted my perspective on the conversation we were having. We need people in our lives that can challenge our narratives.

Another tactic of the enemy is to shame you so the narrative you are believing is one that is only in your head, where no one can hear it or see it. We live tormented lives in our thinking, not because we are evil, but because we have been lied to. We need people up close and personal to challenge and help us change our narrative, for what we have been believing is not serving us well, it is actually shaming us consistently. The narrative must be changed. Romans 12 says, “Do not allow this world to mold you in its own image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your mind.” The devil is the god of this world, his narrative is never for you, it is always against you. He tells us our allies are our enemies and it is a lie, but he is the father of lies so we should not be surprised by this.

This new year is demanding we repent of faulty thought processes, negative narratives, familiar patterns that have not served us well. We are being invited to come up out of lies and into the truth that sets us free. I am thankful for a leader who calls me up, doesn’t put me down. May we do this for each other all day every day, and may we receive people as our ally not treat them as though they are our enemy.