Monsters Inc.

My almost two year old son loves the movie Monsters Inc. I was a little reluctant in letting him watch it. I was afraid some of the scare scenes might frighten him. Well, I was very wrong. The first time we watched it, he laughed at the funny scenes and the scare scenes. It tickled him, instead of scaring him. My little man was fearless!

The more I thought about that, the more I envied his fearlessness. Why do I let the "monsters" in my life frighten or paralyze me? We all have our own monsters in the closet. You know, the ones that you keep hidden away, and hope no one finds out about. Well, I guess you could say "it's closet cleaning time" for me. I face one really ugly monster daily. My monster's name is anxiety. Just typing the word makes me nervous. This monster rears its ugly head in the form of worry, nervousness, doubt, low self esteem, and more. I have battled with this monster for many years, and it seems that it has only gotten stronger in the last few years. I have not been as consistent with my quiet times with God, nor have I spent as much time and energy in prayers as I should. The less time I spend with God and His Word, the stronger this monster gets, and the more my family suffers. It is up to me to care enough about the people in my life and my relationship with the Lord to do something about this. If I continue living the way I always have, it is foolish to think things will get better. Today, I will fight back. I will put on the armor of God, and wage war against this enemy in my life that is not flesh or blood.

What are the monsters in your life? What is hindering you from becoming fearless? Is it depression, gossip, worry, temptation, or something else? I challenge you to give that monster a name, face it, and do something about it.

Isn't it amazing how God can use a wonderful children's movie to convict me in such a strong way. God is good.