The Fruit Flies of My Life

I’m convinced that few things are more obnoxious than a fruit fly infestation.

Sure, a few tiny fruit flies are hardly noticeable, mildly annoying at most, but left unchecked for a few days, those seemingly harmless pests multiply faster than crumbs in the carpet!

Landing on your food, flying around your face, crawling on every surface— it makes my eye twitch just thinking about the endless swatting. 

(Can you tell this happened to our family recently?)

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My fed-up husband marched himself into Lowes and out with a pack of gunky, gluey fly-strips, two adhesive, poison window strips and a decorative bottle-like trap. He placed them strategically, and we waited.

After only a half hour, one of the fly strips was literally covered from top to bottom with the bothersome bugs. Gross.

Eventually the infestation subsided and life returned to usual, but it wasn’t easy. Since then I have been relentless about killing off even one fruit fly once it’s been spotted.

Sometimes my thoughts are like those fruit flies.
Bear with me--I know this may seem like an off-the-wall analogy, but think about it, really-

On any given day I probably have 653,273,299 thoughts…

(Yes, I totally made that up, but it has to be close, right?)

And do you want to know something? Not all of those thoughts are truth.

Shocker, I know.

Satan is the “Father of Lies” (John 8:44)— He plants the lies and would love nothing more than for me to let those seemingly powerless thoughts make a home in my heart.

The problem is this: unchecked lies lead to skewed perceptions that cause me to believe and respond in ways contrary to the Word and will of God.

Let’s think about Eve. Poor Eve takes quite a rap for her major misstep we read about in Genesis 2:

"The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”  “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied.  “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’”  “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman.  “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”  The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too.” (Verses 1-6)

Satan’s strategy here was to plant just a tiny smidgen of doubt in Eve’s mind, “Did God really say…?”

Left unchecked, the woman was convinced.

What am I convinced of?

"Did God really mean…?"

"I could never do ______."

"I’m a bad mom."

"It’s okay if it’s just a harmless white lie."

These skewed perceptions didn’t just happen overnight— they started as little lies that were allowed to run rampant-- Like my fruit flies. We’ve got to get relentless with those “little” lies.

See them, squash them. Set up a security check at your mind’s door, pitting each entrant against God’s truth and stopping them in their tracks.

I love what The Message version says in 2 Corinthians 10:5: “We use our powerful, God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ."

Ladies, It’s time to hang truth traps from the ceilings of our heart that capture anything contrary to the Word of God that happens to find its way in. That means getting in the Word, and getting the Word in us. 

Today let’s take some time to sit with God and simply pray that He would help us identify any lies we’ve allowed to inhabit for far too long. After you identify the lie(s), take some time to search for God’s truth on the subject.

Jot down verses. Dwell on them. Internalize them.

Let’s be women who are unapologetically rooted in God’s truth so that the next time one of those sneaky “fruit lies" tries to make its way back in, you’ll be ready to smash it with truth. Immediately. Relentlessly.

Word of the Day

And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Prayer

Dear God, Help me to be diligent to check my every thought against the truth of your Word. Reveal to me, today, any lies I have allowed to make a home in my heart. Help me to overcome these lies with your truth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Author: Katie Gibson