“Look!”

This isn’t a lie in the proper sense. It’s not telling me a false statement, misrepresenting the truth, or unfairly comparing two concerns. No, but it’s a hollow promise, which is why it’s such a useful tactic of the enemy voice.

“Look!” That’s it. That’s all the enemy voice has to say. “Look!” is a distraction technique—to do anything other than the thing you know you ought to be doing.

Here’s the hollow promise: “There’s something you would like to be doing more than what you are currently doing.” The enemy voice doesn’t even have to work hard. All it has to do is point because there are an unlimited number of available distractions out there.

That advertisement in the right column of the website. “Look, weren’t you interested in backpacking tents?”

That new series on Netflix. “Look, all eight episodes were just posted.”

That notification ring. “Look, someone probably just commented on your picture.”

That vacation idea that's been swirling. “Look, it’s never too early to look at pictures of Belize.”

All the enemy voice has to do is slow down your progress just enough for you to be discouraged. Because discouragement is the fertilizer for the seeds of self-doubt.

The enemy voice has it so easy. It only needs one or two distractions each day over the course of a few months to succeed.

Ignore the distractions and watch your self-doubt atrophy.

[This concludes my daily scouting report of the enemy voice. That is, until it comes back with a new tactic.]