SCRIPTURE: For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26 ESV
DEFINITION: Merriam Webster’s “Word of the Year” 2022, Gaslighting: psychological manipulation of a person usually over an extended period of time that causes the victim to question the validity of their own thoughts, perception of reality, or memories and typically leads to confusion, loss of confidence and self-esteem, uncertainty of one’s emotional or mental stability, and a dependency on the perpetrator https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/word-of-the-year
THOUGHT: You know, I actually feel relieved that June is over, and, isn’t that sad? I’ve had that thought several times in the last couple of days, as if the so-called “Pride Month” and “Juneteenth” would suddenly disappear after June did. It used to be summer picnics and Father’s Day and gentler summer rhythms that colored the landscape of America, but to watch the news feed, you would think that is ancient history.
I don’t think I really need to explain what’s going on with gaslighting, or ponder why Merriam Webster would select it as their “word of the year” for 2022. It’s because a lot of people like you and I came to their online dictionary seeking to understand what’s happening around us. There is an onslaught against our minds and hearts, and against the minds and hearts of our children and grandchildren. Their partial victory is that we stop trusting our own sense of reality and begin to rely on the perpetrator. Their endgame is that we wake up and find ourselves enslaved.
But July – oh, July is the month of freedom. So in July, I’m writing a series of meditations that weave a Biblical worldview with the events of the day. The cold truth we confront with the fire started by gospel truth. It’s a heady undertaking and if you have time to pray for me, I appreciate it. My endgame is simple: unpack what James is saying to us when he says “faith apart from works is dead.” What is our role as Christians in a culture gone crazy? What is our responsibility when a federal government is mad with power to change, damage, and dismantle the Republic? Something we the people need to know.
PRAYER: Oh God, I ask for truth in my inmost being as I explore the works and words that must flow out of a faith that is alive.
Dear Reader,
I’m glad you’re along and I pray you will be blessed, challenged, and encouraged in your faith by something you read here.
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ABOUT ME:
Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
Check out Walking When You’d Rather Fly, and learn more about the book and Amy’s other ministries. You will also find her devotional work at Words of Hope.
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