Don’t Believe Lies

Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.

“Honey, I’m confused. You enjoy math even though it’s a little harder for you. Why is math the lowest grade on your report card?” Layla’s dad asked as they drove to soccer practice.

Bursting into tears, Layla confessed that she hadn’t been doing her computer math homework. She’d quit after classmates noticed her slower than average progress and started telling her she shouldn’t bother because she was terrible at math.

Her dad reached a hand into the back seat for a quick pat on her knee, “Do NOT let them steal your future. They are telling you lies.”

As Layla wiped her tears, her dad asked if she had heard the story of the crabs in the bucket. “The story goes like this. If there is only one crab in a small bucket, it can easily climb out and escape. But when there is more than one crab in a bucket, they focus on pulling down any crab attempting to climb out and all wind up on the dinner plate!”

Some people are like the crabs in the bucket. They pick at people’s weaknesses, tearing down everyone around them because of their own insecurity and hurt. If they can make others feel bad, they feel good—even for just a little bit. But when we let people like that influence what we do, we give them a lot of power over our future!

The devil will sneakily use the hurtful words of others to stop God’s plans for us. He wants us to believe lies and give up trying to do our best. But we have the choice to be kind, compassionate people who, at the same time, do not allow the words of others to steal our future choices. Being girls who love and follow Jesus requires us to recognize and ignore the lies offered by a hurting, insecure world.

Things to Think About

• When have you quit trying after someone teased you? List three emotions you felt.
• When have you teased someone about not being very good at something that comes easily to you? How did you feel afterward?

DAILY ACT OF FRIENDSHIP

Ask God to help you know the difference between wise advice from those who love you and the poisonous lies sent by the enemy to try to keep you from God’s plans for your future.