Christian readers may recognize that the title of this piece is a rarely quoted rebuke of Jesus. Strange as it sounds, this harsh quotation has become perhaps my favorite of his expressions. What’s even odder is that I don’t even believe in Satan in the traditional sense.
To explain why I like this expression and how it could possibly relate to your success at receiving, allow me briefly to tell the story behind this command. Jesus had 12 particularly devoted students who loved him and for whom he cared deeply. He spent three years working with these followers, and toward the end of his time with them, he began to prepare them for his leaving. One day he told them that soon he would be arrested and put to death. As you can imagine, they were distraught over hearing this, and the most outspoken one said to him, “Oh no, don’t say such a thing!” The master teacher looked at him and replied, “Satan, get behind me!”
Although I’d heard this story many times over the years, for a long time Jesus’ reaction shocked me. That was until I began to see Satan in a new way. The word “Satan” literally means “an adversary,” or one who opposes us in the accomplishment of our designs. Because I believe in only one Power, one Presence, God the Infinite Good, I see Satan not as being, but rather as anything that blocks us from achieving our goal, our good. It could be a distraction, a temptation, or an obstacle.
Viewed this way, Satan could be the snooze alarm which tempts you to stay in bed and be late for work. It might be the sound of the television distracting you from a conversation your loved one is trying to hold with you. Frightening news stories often act as Satan, preventing people from feeling safe and at peace. In the case of Jesus, he saw Peter as obstacle standing between him and his mission. In telling Peter to get behind him, Jesus is literally putting Peter behind him, where he is no longer visible or able to block his way.
I’m grateful for this new perspective, because I encounter “Satans” frequently, especially when it comes to receiving. They take the form of people talking doom and gloom about the economy or job market, those who suggest the blessings I’m experiencing are too good to last, or those complaining about their bodies or the latest health care reform. Be on the alert and follow Jesus’ example. Don’t condemn these naysayers; just put them behind you where they’re no longer in between you and your intended good. As Emma Curtis Hopkins put it, “There is good for me and I ought to have it.” That goes for you, too!