Best Friend or Jezebel Spirit?
Let’s see how this place is, I thought as I looked around the congregation. One of my friends and I decided to go to a revival night at a local church in town. The next few minutes went by as the current church members filled the pews. I could tell they had come with expectancy and were excited. There was this lady sitting behind me and immediately we were drawn to one another, like two long lost best friends. She told me right away how beautiful she thought I was and I thought she was gorgeous too. We hit it off right from the start. Wow, I thought finally feeling like I had found a church I could attend after meeting this woman and being a part of such a powerful sermon that evening. It had to be for my good. I don’t disagree now with that thought even today. The sermon I most definitely needed to hear, but the “friendship” I was about to have with that woman was going to teach me a valuable lesson I would keep with me for the rest of my life.
The years past by as the relationship with this woman, now my best friend grew stronger and stronger. The test and trials of this life would hit me storm after storm and she was the one I ran too for comfort. She was also the one I ran to for wisdom and help. This woman was always waiting on me to stumble or be in crisis so that she could meet me with the answer, and I thought she had all the answers. If you would have told me then I was being deceived by this woman I would have never believed you. In my eyes she was the top of the line best person I had ever melt and I took pride in the fact that people knew we were “best friends”.
In 2015 I met my husband, I was so overjoyed and ecstatic at what the Lord had done in my life. My best friend had even told me she had a dream of this man and she just knew it was God confirming the union. As the next year flew by I began planning my wedding, and as any woman would be I was very excited! The more excited I became however my “best friend” was not. There began being time after time when I would come to her she would react the opposite of how I felt. She began questioning my union with my husband, telling me I didn’t look happy, or I didn’t look good in a picture. She would always follow up with the fact I had to believe her because she knew me better that anyone. She has me completely confused
and I was in complete turmoil over it all. The one person we want to be happiest for us in life is our best friend right? My husband and I were not on good terms at this point because while she would tell me one thing, she would go to my husband and say the opposite, sowing discord. My husband being the man of God he is arranged for us to go to counseling. It was hard at first and my “best friend” made me feel like it was a waste of time and almost laughable that my husband and I were trying counseling. I honestly think she thought she had such control and power over my mind she could convince me to leave my husband. When I would tell her we had a great session she would bring up anything to turn it into a bad experience rather than a hopeful one. This woman wanted to be number one in my life, before God and definitely before my husband.
During the next few weeks I began praying for God to reveal to me the truth of who she was, her true character. I asked God if she wasn’t supposed to be in my life to remove her from it. Amazingly enough God did just that! I was truly crushed, but I had made a decision to follow God and to guard my marriage. It also woke me up and opened my eyes to see how a Jezebel spirit had been working on me for YEARS!!! My days were filled with tears and trying to learn to live with that truth was one of the hardest trials of my life. Though I am so much better today my hardest time through it all was realizing how I placed her above God, my husband, my children, and even myself. She was an idol to me. That’s what a Jezebel spirit wants after all to be the god of your life, to have overwhelming power over you. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not thankful for God removing that spirit from my life. He rescued me again and again. You know what God never gets tired of loving us and I cling to that! There is an amazing God who loves me for me, just as I am. There will never be another friend like Jesus in my life that could ever take His place.
The scripture says in Proverbs 27:9 a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. It doesn’t say it robs you of your soul. There was a lot of repenting I had to do unto my Heavenly Father, as well as asking forgiveness from my husband.
This experience taught me how easily the enemy can slip into our lives being everything we’ve dreamed of.
We must be on guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. (1 Corinthians 16:13) Is there a friendship you need to reevaluate today that may be causing division in your life, or one that you’ve placed higher than God?
My prayer for anyone going through this today is for you all to be awoken by God through His word, Holy Spirit, and through experiences that cause you to see clearly. In Jesus Name, Amen!