Spend any amount of time with me and it quickly becomes clear that I prefer to enjoy the beauty of God's creation from indoors. I just don't do nature very well, so imagine my reaction to seeing a giant, mutant grasshopper clinging to my car hood as a drove home from worship team rehearsal. I don't know where the grasshopper came from, but I knew it was not going home with me. Call me crazy, but I was determined to get rid of it before I arrived at my destination... By any means necessary.
In that moment, all I could hear in my head was "GO FAST". So I went faster and faster, but that was unsuccessful in getting rid of the grasshopper. The road I was on allowed me to drive speeds up to 60 miles per hour, but I still couldn't shake him. The grasshopper was very clingy, able to hold on, refusing to let loose. Eventually I pulled over to a complete stop, put the car in park, and looked around for something to shoo it away. It took me a few moments to find a suitable shooing utensil, and I guess seeking took me longer than I thought because when I looked up, I saw the grasshopper leap off and go elsewhere.
Upon reflection, I was reminded about the story of the 12 spies that Moses sent to survey the land in Numbers 13:25-33. Joshua and Caleb came back with a good report, but the other 10 spies gave a negative report because they felt like grasshoppers next to the giants in the land. Joshua and Caleb were amped and ready to move forward with trusting God, but the grasshopper crew was spreading fear and doubt.
I love the bible because the stories speak to me right where I am today. 1 Corinthians 10:11 says "These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age." Personally, I am in a season of actively taking steps of faith in a land of giants; but if I'm being honest, I must admit that I often feel like a grasshopper. Too small. Too insignificant. I know God is for me and faithful to complete his promises, but the grasshopper mentality is very clingy, able to hold on, refusing to let loose.
So I decided to reflect a bit deeper on my grasshopper incident, and here's what came to me in hindsight:
1. Decide. I gotta decide who to believe. I choose to believe God's promises. That means on the way to my destination, I must be determined to meditate on the truth of God's word in order to combat the grasshopper mentality and not let it come with me.
2. Go Fast. I gotta resist the urge to go faster when I need to be fasting. In Mark 9:17-29 NKJV, Jesus said “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.” If prayer and fasting worked to expel the evil spirit from the boy in Mark 9, then I believe taking the time to go fast and make sacrifices will be beneficial in my battle against the grasshopper spirit.
3. Stop. When I get flustered by a grasshopper attack, I need to remember to stop, and park myself at the feet of Jesus, praying to replace the lies of the grasshopper mentality with the biblical promises of God.
These take-aways were big for me, but I would have missed them without reading and written reflection. So, if you ever experience attacks of "grasshopper mentality" that make you feel small or insignificant, I encourage you to do the following: A) read the bible passages listed here in full. B) Write down the areas where the grasshopper mentality tries to attack your mind. C) Use your bible index or bible app search tool to find scriptures by topic that can help replace lies with God's promises... and shoo, shoo your grasshoppers away!
Recommended Readings:
The story of the 12 spies: Numbers 13:25-33 NLT
The explanation of why the stories exist: 1 Corinthians 10:11-13 NLT
The story of Jesus expelling the fierce demon: Mark 9:17-29 NKJV