I’m pleased to welcome my lifelong friend, Heather Dismuke, to the bench today. I love Heather’s perspective on life. She calls things the way she sees them and rarely gets her feathers in a ruffle—which is a good thing for a pastor’s wife and mother of three! Her boldness and pure desire for Truth inspire and encourage woman all around her to do the same.

Enjoy!

Have you ever had anyone ask you to believe them?

Without proof. Just their word. Especially, if it’s a he said/she said , or a she said/she said.

Those are the worst.

Or, if your kid is looking at you and saying, “Mom, you’ve got to believe me! I’m telling you the truth!” 

Well, are they? Being a mom of three for the past twenty-two years, I have needed the wisdom of Solomon, at times, to discern when those three go at it. 

Who’s asking you to believe them? 

Well, let’s name a few things. The media, social media, television, radio and the internet. Did I get them all? Every day, we are bombarded by voices that are screaming for us to believe them on every subject imaginable. When I take a moment to step back, turn off every device, and spend a minute in quiet, it is shocking at the amount of things we are being asked to believe. 

If I have any discernment about me, just seeing the source of where all this is coming from, should be enough for me to say, no thanks. 

Sometimes, my own mind and heart will lie to me — tell me negative things about myself, and I just eat it up.

I’m amazed at how encouraging and positive I can be toward someone else. I can see the good in them, their potential, and how beautiful they are, but when it comes to me, it’s nothing but criticism all day long. 

If I don’t catch it and turn it around, it will be a never-ending stream of criticism in my mind towards myself. And I believe every word of it. And, why wouldn’t I? It’s usually 100% true, with just a little exaggeration thrown in for good measure! 

It is just recently, that I finally had a talk with myself. (By the way, I love talking to myself. Do you know why? Because, I don’t have to explain anything.)

And I gave myself a good talking to, and told myself to start talking to myself the way I would a friend. Nothing but encouraging and positive statements from now on! That is definitely a work in progress for me. 

People can tell you things about yourself that aren’t true, and if you hear them long enough and loud enough, you will believe them as truth .

That is a difficult battle to wage. That takes a strong individual who knows who they are, and who can combat the voices that this person is filling their mind with. That is something to battle with in prayer definitely. And having a true friend who can counteract those negative statements with loving statements will be a balm to your soul. I pray you have a friend like that! 

So, who or what is left to believe? 

This past Sunday morning, I was sitting in church listening to what I thought was a Father’s Day sermon, and when the pastor read this verse in John 4:21, “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me . . .” 

Well, that was it for me.

The whole world stopped , and I didn’t hear anything else, because the Lord was speaking to my heart. Jesus said to me, believe Me.

That’s it. That’s everything. That’s enough. 

What have I believed the Lord about? 

First of all, I believe He saved me. I spent the first twenty-two years of my life not knowing that , and what a difference the peace and joy that have come after knowing this truth. 

Amazing! 

Secondly, I have believed the Lord about where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing. I believe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. There is great comfort in knowing that when things get rough, and when you want to cut and run.

It helps to stay and learn to conquer battles when they rise up, instead of running to the next greener pasture, because you know, without a doubt, you are where you should be blooming! And, if you don’t know where you need to be, ask the Lord. 

He will tell you. I promise. 

Lastly, I believe what the Lord is telling me about my life. I’m going to leave this ambiguous , because I’m going through some personal battles in my life that no one knows about .

I’m sure you’re going through things in your mind, heart and life that no one knows about either , or very few people know about, or it’s very hard for you to talk about. 

What is everyone else telling you to believe, and what is the Lord telling you?

Jesus made one very simple statement to a woman who was at a well, and who was thirsty in every way possible.

He said, “Believe Me.” 

That’s it. That’s all we have to do. 

What is it that the Lord has told you about yourself, or that you need to do, that you haven’t believed Him for? What is it? The turmoil and the storm that you find yourself in, may very well be made calm, if we just choose to believe Him.