The Voices

The Voices on Your Shoulders

Have you ever noticed that it feels like there are two people standing on your shoulders or in your mind arguing back and forth constantly? I like to sum that up to the devil and Angel on our shoulder.

Camarie Roorda (author & PPC Owner) and her daughter Wylie at the ProRodeo in Buffalo, MN.

In rodeo, horses, life, sometimes it is just hard. Period. But here’s the thing, we all experience hard times. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US!

If you’re thinking right now that my time CAN’T be as bad as yours, or (insert name) just doesn’t understand, or (insert name) has never had anything bad happen to them, that is the devil talking on your shoulder and you need to reach back in that brain of yours and shut him down! I mean take control of that little booger and shake him until he understands that he needs to stop talking. (Obviously, figuratively because this voice is only in your head.)

In all seriousness, we must work on taking control of the voices on our shoulders. When things expected, intended or worked for, aren’t going as planned, it’s easy to let the devil on your shoulder start talking louder than the Angel on the other side.

The nastiness inside of us can quickly creep out. The temptations ⁽¹⁾ to blame, make excuses, pout, give up, compare and project your problems on to others start boiling up. The desire to lash out verbally, physically towards our horses or on social media become hard to resist.

When you feel these urges, PAUSE! ^2,3,4 Breathe! Go somewhere you can be in your own zone for a few minutes. Start searching for that Angel voice. Start praying. Ask God to help you navigate the truth in these moments. Ask him to rebuke the devil who is yelling in your ear. ^5,6 Find that person who can be the light in a moment that’s turning dark.

Remember, we are not nasty people by nature, but we have to put our armor on daily ⁷ to fight that devil on our shoulders. We must fight the good fight! We must turn to the voice telling us, this is the way. ^8,9 We must remember not to speak carelessly or judge others quickly. ¹⁰ We get to look for the lessons in the obstacles and turn them into opportunities.

We get to let things that suck, that are hard, that we don’t understand, be where they are, in that moment that they happen. We do not have to let those moments seep into the rest of our thoughts, relationships (horse and human), or actions.

Now, don’t let me fool you, this isn’t easy. The devil makes it seem easy in the short term, but when we take control of our moments, the Angel in us knows, reacting negatively and without thought, leads to long-term damage.

So the next time something happens that is less than favorable to you, to your child, to your animals, friends, etc. pause, breathe and pray through it. Take control of your thoughts.¹¹ Shut down the devil on your shoulder and turn to the angel on your other shoulder.

Lastly, know you’re not alone. We’re all fighting silent battles in our brain. We all have those voices on our shoulders pulling us back and forth. The one that gets stronger is the one we turn to the most. Turn to the Angel.¹² 

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1.       1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

2. Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still"

3. Deuteronomy 20:4 “For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”

4. 2 Chronicles 20:15 “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's.”

5. James 4:7 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"

6. Zechariah 3:2 “The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan!’”

7. Ephesians 6:11-17 “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

8. Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

9. Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

10. Matthew 12: 36-37 “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified”

11. 2 Corinthians 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

12. Psalms 91:10-12 “For he will command his angels concerning you    to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”