Duck Syndrome Part 2
When I wrote the original article in October 2021 on Duck Syndrome, I thought it was a cute new way of saying that many people live with a mask on, they project one image on the surface – like a gliding duck on a calm pond. But under the “mask” or in this case, under the surface of the water the person is pretending to be okay when their feet or flippers are going a million miles an hour to stay on course. They are faking an existence that looks one way on the surface or outside, and another under the surface or inside. Why? They are listening to the devil’s lies – “you’re not that great”, “you’ll never measure up” or only people that look this way mean something in this world. They live a lonely life comparing themselves to snapshots on Snapchat that are filtered and changed. They fantasize about having millions of follows on Instagram or attempt to post a false reality but live in a silent hell not able to live up to the image they have created or strive for.
Tired of paddling so fast?
This topic drew me in so much so that I created an entire mental well-being challenge called Duck Syndrome! I’m creating blog posts from information I gathered so that everyone can benefit from the research in that project.
I am going to devote the rest of November to this topic in hopes it might help transform your mind, body, heart, and soul so that the paddling stops or calms down. It’s about removing the mask, getting in touch and being real and losing the Instagram fake pose, life, and smile. Don’t say that’s drastic… look at your world, our world in the USA. Teems don’t know how to carry on a conversation with anyone, they’re depressed or anxious or whatever because their snapchats, IG handle, Twitter or other social media account isn’t getting hits, likes or solving their problems. They are lonely, disengaged and socially stunted by all the fake living…AKA Duck Syndrome. Teens aren’t the only ones; many people play the comparison game.
Nothing kills contentment like comparison.
So…read on, I’ll be sharing some of the insights gained from a deep dive into the subject and some God honoring ways to transform your life to one that is free, full of peace and joy! He never meant for us to carry our heavy burdens, compare ourselves to others or remain anxious in our thoughts. All that’s from the devil…the thief…he comes to steal, kill and destroy. God wants us to have an abundant life in Him!
As a Christian, we can take our burdens and cares to God because He cares for us (Psalm 55:22) and we are told to be anxious for nothing because He’s got our back and our fronts. The past, present and the future are in His hands, and we are promised that He is with us always. We have nothing to fear! (Isaiah 41:10 “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you. I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”).
This does NOT mean that we will be footloose and fancy free without a care in the world.
It means we are to turn to Him with those emotions. They are internal drivers to remind us we are sinful humans and in need of a Lord and a Savior. He will be with us always, even though a pandemic and the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). But we need to turn to Him, include Him and trust Him. If not, we are left to our emotions and end up paddling our feet to stay afloat and give off a false sense of “I’m okay”.
As fallen humans, we also need to be good stewards of our minds – that means what goes into it. Are you watching 24/7 news? Death scrolling in social media or escaping in an online fantasy world? Do you believe everything the news/social media tells you without checking on the source of the information? Are you allowing the media, gossip, social media or the lies the devil whispers rule your thought life? What do you fill your mind with?
Application time: How can you get rid of or reduce your symptoms of “Duck Syndrome”?
Songs and scriptures can start the transformation to learning truth, God’s absolute truth. Listen to/read the suggested songs and verses to that you can be reminded of God’s presence and can give Him what isn’t yours to carry.
Toby Mac has a song called Midnight that reminds us that God is with us at all times of the day. Midnight, mid-day, He’s never early and never late. Another great song is Anne Wilson‘s My Jesus. Lastly, listen to Lauren Daigle’s smash hit, You Say. With God - Help in on the way.
Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
What is getting in the way of your peace? Your joy? And being free in Jesus Christ?
Using His word and Christian songs that lyrically are infused with scripture or Biblical principles, can transform our faulty Duck Syndrome thinking to one of joy in Jesus. My prayer is that these November blog posts on Duck Syndrome can prepare your heart, soul, body, and mind (Matthew 22:37) for Jesus Birthday. It’s a modern-day advent preparation to celebrate the Good News of His Birth and look forward to the story of Hope being born into a fallen world!
