Anyone feeling a little weighed down yet? All these statements are not a help, but a burden. These are what I like to refer to as a SSS necklace. An SSS necklace is Satan’s Strangling Should necklace. It is Satan weighing us down with shoulds that are not from the Lord.
Sometimes, like I just did, others try to put shoulds on us, but more often we put them on ourselves. So how do we know if a should is from the Lord or not? That is what I would like to help with the next couple of posts.
A first test is something a friend shared with me recently, “God’s conviction is specific, where Satan’s condemnation is often vague.” Many of the above shoulds are vague. For example, what does it mean to get in shape? Are we talking training for a marathon or going for a walk three to four times per week? Vague condemnation never feels satisfied. When God asks us to do something we understand what He wants us to do.
This is not a fool proof test though, because I could be very specific in what you should do and still be wrong. So there are more ways of discerning the value of a should to follow.
Secondly, there are shoulds in the Bible, but one thing is clear about what God asks us to do verses what Satan lays on us. The Lord says His burden is light and His yoke is easy. On the other hand, Satan wants to weigh us down and keep us ineffective.
Matt 11: 29-30 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Galations 5: 1b “do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
This is easy and light verses burdened and slavery. I did not say life will be easy, because it will not be. In this life we will have trouble. (John 16:33) Notice these are both yokes, we will feel some weight, but with the Lord it will not be burdensome. When God leads us, He strengthens us. Phil. 4: 13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
Here is an example: You are constantly being reminded that you should pray more. After all, the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing” I Thes. 5:17. Satan wants to hang this necklace with an extra,”You are a bad Christian, you should pray more.” Again, what is more and what would ever satisfy that should? While, on the other hand, the Lord is inviting us to be in His presence. His yoke is
light, it might sound like this, “Daughter, I am here, talk to Me about your every thought. I love you, when you need Me just call out my name.” This is still pray without ceasing, but the yoke is easy not burdensome.
Tomorrow, I will go into three verses the Lord has given me to help discern the shoulds in my life.