Toxic Cause and Effect - Encouragement Café - October 15, 2015

Toxic Cause-And-Effect

Café Menu for Thursday, October 15, 2015

Today’s Special is:  Toxic-Free Living

Carefully prepared just for you by your friend, Noelle Dey

Main Ingredient:

         Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 NKJV

Entrée:

It was gut-wrenching.  We circled around my Mom as Dr. Barth explained what to expect with the upcoming chemotherapy.  Statistics said my Mom would die within a year, but that initial appointment gave us a new outlook.

Although there wasn’t a cure for stage four colon cancer, Dr. Barth spoke with an air of confidence and we were desperate for that ray of hope. Our hope did come with a price tag, though, which was a laundry list of side effects.

Sure enough, she encountered almost every adverse event that we were warned about.  The nausea and vomiting started during her infusion and it lasted for days.  Her hair came out in patches and she silently cried as she gathered it from her pillow. 

We were cautioned about the life-threatening diarrhea caused by this chemo.  I became the president of Bowel Movements R Us.  Every time I called her, I’d ask about any “movement changes” right after saying, “Hi Mom.”  Oddly enough, she never had the problem.  She said, “It’s the Japanese rice!  It can plug anything up!”  It was devastating to watch my beautiful Mom endure such harsh toxicities.

I know you have your own heartbreaking stories of how cancer has impacted your life.  And I know you’ve witnessed the chemo’s toxic cause-and-effect, whether it happened to you or someone you love deeply.

Did you know that toxic cause-and-effect is not limited to chemo and cancer patients?  You and I are living that same equation on a daily basis, but it’s spiritual, not chemical.

We have an adversary who spews toxic lies at us.  He comes only to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10).  In my life, he stole the joy in my heart when my Mom passed away.  He has whispered lies in my mind which said I was worthless and it killed my self-esteem.  I was addicted to chemical-laden junk food which destroyed the energy in my body.  

He doesn’t want me to know God’s love, and he doesn’t want me to be effective in spreading it either.  So, the enemy aims to fill our hearts, minds and bodies with harsher-than-chemo toxicities.

But Jesus came for the exact opposite reason.  He wants to overcome those toxic lies and give us an abundant life!  Because of Him, we can pray Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” 

Take Out:

If you were to take an inventory of the toxicities clouding your heart, what would they be?  What do your deepest hurts look like?  Are you living by poisonous lies that contradict God’s truth?

God has the power to overcome each of those toxic lies!

What occupies your mind throughout the day?

Any thoughts which are not true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy are toxins (Philippians 4:8)!  The Holy Spirit can empower you to have a toxic-free mind!

Please tell me that I’m not the only one with body issues.  Tell me there are others who have struggled to cut back on their Flamin’ Hot Cheetos consumption!  It was a huge revelation to me that the enemy uses the addictive nature of junk food to destroy our bodies.  

How can you minimize toxic food?  Wouldn’t you agree that natural, clean food not only honors God’s temple, but also gives you better energy?

Jesus is greater than any of the enemy’s tactics to destroy your body!

Dessert:

Dear Heavenly Father, although we can unknowingly accept toxins into our hearts, minds and bodies… thank You that Jesus has come to give us an abundant life.  Empower us by Your Holy Spirit to break the chains of the enemy’s toxic lies which attack our hearts, minds and bodies.  Create in us clean hearts, minds and bodies so we can serve You amazingly!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen!

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Psalm 139:14 NLT

© 2012 by Noelle Dey.  All rights reserved.

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