“WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE MAKING ANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS”
Kathleen D. Mitchell
Dec. 26, 2019
Soon after the holiday
gifts are opened … whether Christmas or Chanukah … whether one observes
those holidays or not … a new calendar year is waiting to begin. New
Year’s resolutions are a traditional part of that January 1st event.
Many people wait until moments before the midnight hour on the last day
of December to start thinking about the changes they want to make, or
need to make, in the emerging new year.
Interestingly, as of January 1st,
we will be entering into the year 2020. You likely recall that 2020 is
often heard in the offices of eye doctors and vision specialists. 20/20
vision is considered to be normal, uncorrected, vision. Someone with
20/20 vision can see what an average individual can see clearly on an
eye chart while standing 20 feet away from it. No glasses or vision
correction is needed. It is possible to have better than normal vision
or less than normal. For instance, if someone has 20/15 vision, it means
that this person can see clearly, standing 20 feet away, what the
average person is able to see only by standing 5 feet closer to the
chart. On the other hand, if someone has 20/40 vision it means that what
the average person can see clearly at 40 feet from the eye chart,
requires this person to stand only 20 feet away. Thus, the vision of
the 20/40 eyes are half as good as normal vision. Then, for the one with
20/40 vision to see something clearly without corrective lenses,
objects must be at half the normal distance for this individual.
I find it noteworthy, that
we can fairly easily accept that our physical vision may need to be
corrected, but seldom do we consider that our soul or spiritual vision
needs the assistance of corrective lenses. We’re OK with wearing
glasses, and do not judge others for needing glasses or contact lenses
to see clearly. There is no condemnation about people having faulty
physical vision. On the other hand, we human beings frequently look at
the lives and actions … even at the words of others … through our flawed
view of things. We often accept our perspective as the accurate “norm”
for evaluating the lives and behaviors of others. We aren’t frequently
inclined to test our soul or spiritual visual acuity (or ability)
against the true Authority and Standard. We don’t seek to change how we
see things, nor do we pursue a “check-up” to possibly acquire new lenses
for viewing life and individuals more accurately. Yeshua spoke about
our faulty vision when He said these words recorded in Luke 6:42:
"Or how can you say to
your brother, 'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,'
when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.” (NASB )
The Messiah is telling us
that our “presumably accurate” vision/view of others can be
perverted/skewed by things that we carry around in our own soul;
blinding us to the realities in our own lives, while we criticize and
correct others for what we see as their errors or sins. He uses the
harsh word, HYPOCITE, for those, who do this. So, as we begin this new
year of 2020, I believe the Lord would like each of us to reflect upon
those things in our life and experience that have left us in need of His
corrective lenses.
What are some things that
can skew our vision, and why do we fail to be aware of these things? Why
do we insist that we have clarity about hearts, intensions, and motives
in others, when we need vision correction ourselves? Also, what is the
impact on our relationships, on our own hearts, and on our communities
when we go around seeing things incorrectly, but yet defend our view as
the true reality regarding situations or individuals? How do we get the
logs out of our eyes to see correctly at the 20/20 level (or sharper) in
the year 2020? And, how is our vision of YHVH impacted by our faulty
view of Him, through erroneous, religious, beliefs?
WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT CAN SKEW OUR VISION?
--Wrong programming, bad information, and false teaching can
mess with what we see and hear in other people, or in life situations.
These sources of error can arise from as far back as childhood, or as
recently as our last conference, our last gossip session (or social
media post), or the latest news report.
I believe that we very
often underestimate the impact of critical little comments that we (or
someone else) make about another person, and which we unconsciously log
into our thinking; incorporating that perspective as actual
truth. Additionally, wrong religious doctrines, traditions, and
mandates can set us up to have religious thinking that is demanding,
judgmental, controlling, condemnatory, and graceless. Errant input,
whether from a parent, a teacher, a conference speaker, a pastor, or a
news broadcaster, etc. can cause skewing in our thinking and in our
perceiving … and ultimately in our processing of reality.
--Hurt and wounding,
particularly unhealed and historical in origin, may provide the
filters/lenses for interpreting what we hear (or think we hear), and
what we see from (or perceive within) others in the present day.
Unhealed hurt and wounding can put others into a position of never being
able to gain our approval, or even to gain any positive evaluation from
us. The reason is that we cannot truly see or hear the person engaging
with us right now, may be because of the lenses and filters that were
set up by, or adopted from, our painful past experiences. Unhealed
wounds can put a spin on the words and actions of others that are not
truly there at all. Something called transference occurs, where
historical pain is accredited to an innocent person in the present day.
As a result, the negativity and the misplaced responsibility for pain
(which, being unresolved, is still alive in the heart and mind) is
accredited to the wrong person in the present day; causing all words and
actions to be processed through that historically established filter or
lens. People with unhealed wounds can hurt others, who don’t deserve
retaliation.
--Unforgiveness … keeping a record of the wrongs and failures of others, according to our memory of the incidents … according to the standards and understanding that we hold …
greatly impacts our view of others, as well as our ability to hear what
they are actually speaking. When we remember more of the “bad things”
that others have said or done, over and above the good, helpful, and
loving things that the person has contributed to us (and to others) over
time, we fall into the likelihood of having a large log blocking the
vision in our own eye; presenting a skewing reality, which we
vociferously claim to be truth. Satan greatly manipulates memory, and
the interpretation of painful history, to create bitterness, division,
estrangement, suspicion, jealousy, mistrust, and hatred of others. Given
that one of satan’s popular games is the blame game, we fall
in line with satan’s agenda whenever we blame others. Falling into his
trap, we become tempted to reject the idea of loving someone (in the way
that the Lord requires of His own), while being self-deceived that we have forgiven that other person to the degree that he/she deserves. In
the midst of our hardened heart toward someone, we forget the critical
warning and the requirement that Yeshua declared in what we identify as
“the Lord’s prayer”. FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE, WHO HAVE SINNED AGAINST US. It’s a scary reality to understand that as much as the Lord has freely forgiven us, He cannot apply
that forgiveness to our sin, if we refuse to release another person (of
what we feel is the debt owed to us because of the sin of another,
committed against us). Full, Godly, forgiveness extended to someone by
us means that we are not OWED even so much as an apology from our perceived offender, before we
forgive that other person. The Lord didn’t require repentance and
penitence from us before He died for our sins. True forgiveness means
that whatever might be “owed” to us from another person, we entrust to
the Lord for Him to be in charge of that account. Thus, we become free
to love and to offer grace as the Holy Spirit leads us in our
relationships. No longer will our flesh be allowed to lead us in our
interactions with others (who are people just as imperfect as we
are). Too often, goaded by satan, we hold on to the “accounts
receivable” and feel justified in withholding love, contact, kindness
and generosity; particularly for minor offenses. True forgiveness is
setting people free to the accountability of the Lord; for Him to
determine and to collect whatever we think might be due us. The Lord
alone has perfect vision of every hurtful or sinful event in our lives.
He alone sees the depth of hearts and histories. He alone is qualified
and authorized to condemn or to cut off an individual from forgiveness
or love. Unforgiveness will only increase our already imperfect vision
of whatever has taken place against us. Unforgiveness puts us in a
dangerous position before the Lord; concerning His forgiveness of our
own shortcomings. I wonder how may unforgiving “feuds” might cost
individuals their eternity with Him. It’s not worth the risk. Forgive!
--Pride and arrogance have
the power to not only blind us to the truth, but these things can also
cause our errant mindsets to be set in stone, and the emotional
conclusions that we make (about ourselves and others) to seize ascendancy over
the Lord’s perspective, and over His determinations in any situation.
Pride causes us to think that we have it all figured out … that our
recollection of words, motives, and actions are correct. Pride leads us
to believe that we cannot extend shalom toward (or enter into
relationship with) other people until things are done our way, or viewed
according to our perceptions. Arrogance causes us to think that we are
better, more righteous, more qualified, wiser, more correct in our
thinking, more accurate in our memory, and more acute in our perceptions
of situations or individuals. Pride and arrogance establish the largest logs in our eyes, while insuring our total inability to see them or to remove them. Some
wrongly apply the Amos 3:3 text, which is often translated as “How can
any walk together, except that they agree.” They use this as an excuse
to be estranged from those, who see things differently than we do. In
reality the text translates as: “How can two people walk together unless
they make an appointment to meet?” How can we walk in the same
direction, pursuing shalom, unless pride is set aside and we humble
ourselves to meet with an open heart in the presence of the Lord, to
discover peace, truth, vision, and understanding in that divine meeting?
So much misunderstanding and estrangement could be ended if this was
the chosen course. So much ground could be taken back from satan! Sadly,
pride often just doesn’t want to let things go until our flesh is
satisfied with what we demand from others. As long as we operate more in
flesh than in spirit, this will be a problem for us. Divisions will
remain intact, and skewed vision will prevail wielding unholy
power. The Kingdom of YHVH will be dishonored, and blind error will
continue to prosper. In addition, spiritual growth and maturity will be
stunted at best, and thwarted most likely.
--Assumptions that
form from a lack of truth or understanding of reality, can totally get
us off track through skewing our vision. Filling in the blank spaces
between facts, when forming our conclusions, rather seeking truth and
understanding, is foolish and destructive. Eccles. 10: 13 (In the New
Living translation) says: “Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions, so their conclusions will be wicked madness.”
Perhaps this text could read, BLIND FOOLS BASE
THEIR THOUGHTS ON FOOLISH ASSUMPTIONS. Surely the act of making
assumptions is a manifestation of blindness, as well as one of foolish
arrogance. It is often quoted (a proverb that has been traced back to
1546 by John Heywood) that “there are none so blind, as those, who will not see”
… meaning, those, who REFUSE to see are indeed the most blind. When an
assumption is established and takes root, it’s often very difficult to
unseat it with the truth, because, in reality, an assumption is a
falsehood (a lie). Satan works relentlessly to fortify all lies. Rather
than doing the work … i.e. investing the time to sit with a person to
hear the heart and intentions of that person, or doing the research
regarding a negative report, it’s so much quicker/easier to assume, to
conclude, and to cement a response, or an unsubstantiated position, in
our heart and mind. An assumption can be the application of a baseless
falsehood; establishing it as our take on reality. Assumption are the
fruit of laziness as well as of pride and deception. If satan can’t get
us to swallow an obvious lie, he will create an assumption that we can
nibble on until our heart and mind are skewed in the direction of his
intentional deception. Can we assume correctly? Yes, sometimes we can …
but assuming is a very risky course to take for dealing with daily life,
and when dealing with troublesome situations, and interacting with
people around us. Our assumptions will be more often wrong than right.
When they are wrong they can really create a mess for us and for others.
--Fear can
totally distort our vision, perceptions, and hearing regarding reality.
Fear of being wrong … fear of being less than someone else … fear of
loss ... fear of being robbed (particularly of love or honor) … fear of
being abandoned … fear of being out of control … fear of being a victim
or of feeling unsafe … fear of being judged, etc. etc. etc. Fear has
the tendency to seriously throw our view and perceptions of reality into
a spin of error. It’s very difficult to process truth where fear has a
platform to speak loudly. Where fear abides, love is stunted. Where
fear speaks, faith, truth, and love are often shouted down. We know that
perfect love casts out all fear, but we forget that perfect love (and
perfect anything) is found only in the Messiah … never in people. Fear
often demands perfection of others in order for the insecure to
maintain control … to feel safe … to feel qualified … to feel
capable. Fear blinds individual to the truth that we have a good
Father, who loves us unconditionally, and who orders all the elements in
our life to take us through difficulties, and on into blessings, if
only we allow Him to be the sovereign Lord over our life. If we forget
that HE is totally in charge of the final outcomes, the world (and life
in general) is perceived as totally terrifying. Meanwhile, lovely people
are often seen as a threat rather than being recognized as the vessel
of provided blessing, which the Lord intended for our lives.
--Insecurity can
really blind us and mess with our perceptions. When insecurity demands
“self-proving” to establish one’s worth or power in the eyes of others
(or in one’s own eye), it may demand victory; thus, inventing perceived
competition scenarios with others in order to win. Insecurity
can cause a skewing of vision toward secure and strong individuals;
seeing them as a threat and as competition to be bested. Insecurity
often tries either to dominate others, or it tries to hide. Insecurity
may cause people to view others with a jealous, caustic eye, or it can
close one’s eyes toward others, in order to keep the insecure one from
seeing the truth; fearing a negative comparison. Insecurity can
manifest in argumentativeness, boasting, and legalism, or on the
contrary, it can inspire someone to crawl into isolated silence. Either
way vision and perceptions are manipulated to support a wrongful sense
of power or of worthlessness. The Messiah already declared everyone’s
innate value by dying a horrific death to buy us back from sin and
death. Keep in mind that the spirits of Comparison and Competition are
the servants of satan (and the propagators of insecurity) to deceive us
into thinking that we have be more, or to do more than others in order
to be qualified or valued. If we don’t “make the grade”, the skewed
perception is cast into our self-vision that we are worthless. Nothing
could be farther from the truth. Our security is totally in the Lord,
and that is where our total identity and capability must reside.
I have just listed 7 common
factors in our impaired vision of life and of other people. There are
many more. However, now we need to give some attention to getting these
influences out of our reflex responses, habits, and operations of heart
and mind.
1: RECOGNIZE THESE THINGS IN YOUR OPERATIONS AND INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS
2: ASK THE LORD TO SHOW YOU THE IMPACT OF THESE THINGS IN YOUR PAST AND PRESENT RELATIONSHIPS AND IN THE PAINFUL CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR LIFE.
3: REPENT OF ALLOWING SATAN TO MANIPULATE YOU IN THIS WAY. ASK FOR FORGIVENESS FROM THE LORD, FOR THINKING AND BEHAVING THIS WAY.
4: FORGIVE … FORGIVE YOURSELF AS THE LORD FORGIVES YOU. FORGIVE ALL THOSE,
WHO HAVE TAUGHT YOU WRONGLY, OR WHO GAVE YOU WRONG INFORMATION. FORGIVE
ALL THOSE, WHO HAVE HURT, DISRESPECTED, BETRAYED, OR WOUNDED YOU. ASK
THE LORD TO BLESS THEM. RELEASE ALL PAYMENT AND ALL RIGHTS OF JUDGMENT (THAT
YOU HAVE CLAIMED AS BEING OWED TO YOU) INTO THE HANDS OF THE LORD.
RELEASE AND CHOOSE TO LOVE; LETTING GO OF ALL BITTERNESS AND ANGER.
5: ASK FOR THE LORD TO HEAL THE WOUNDS AND TO RESTORE YOU FROM THE BROKENNESS SO THAT TRUTH, UNDERSTANDING, AND CLEAR VISION CAN COME.
6: ASK HIM TO HEAL THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE HURT WHILE YOU WERE OPERATING IN YOUR BROKENESS, BLINDNESS, AND SIN. ASK THEM FOR FORGIVENESS WHERE THAT IS NEEDED.
7: RENOUNCE AND REJECT THESE BEHAVIORS, ATTITUDES, AND STRATEGIES THAT HAVE BEEN OPERATING IN YOUR LIFE OR RELATIONSHIPS.
8: ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO CHANGE YOUR HEART AND MIND TO
CONFORM THEM TO THE HEART AND MIND OF THE MESSIAH. ASK HIM TO GIVE YOU
NEW WAYS OF RESPONDING, SEEING, HEARING, SPEAKING, AND ENGAGING. ASK
HIM TO TAKE OFF AND TO DESTROY THE OLD, SKEWED LENSES AND FILTERS YOU’VE
BEEN WEARING. GET USED TO A NEW WAY OF SEEING, THINKING, AND
RESPONDING.
9: SEEK AND RECEIVE AN ANOINTING OF HOLINESS, HUMILITY, SUBMISSION, OBEDIENCE, AND LOVE FROM THE FATHER.
10: BEGIN TO TAKE DOWN THE WALLS YOU HAVE BUILT, AND BEGIN TO LIVE IN FREEDOM AND VICTORY IN 2020.
In closing, I want to share with you an image that the Lord gave to me very early this morning.
He showed me two people
facing each other and standing about three feet from each other. They
were laughing together and speaking to each other with love in deep
friendship. Two demons appeared above them, and started spitting down
on their uncovered heads. Slowly, the light of love surrounding the two
friends started to dim. A small cloud of mistrust began to form over
them, right underneath the demon duo. When this happened, the demons
conveniently provided each of the two people with their own pile of red
bricks. When some misplaced, misunderstood, words were spoken, each
person took some bricks from their individual pile, and created a
single, end-to-end layer on the ground; marking out a boundary line
between the two people that MUST NOT BE CROSSED. The demons began to
rejoice. Then, the evil spirits drifted down onto the ground so that
they could speak directly into the ears of the two people. Very quickly
stronger suspicion, and deeper offense became embedded within their
hearts. Two more layers of bricks were laid upon the boundary line;
fortifying that which separated the two. At that point each demon
wrapped an arm around his personal victim on opposite sides of the
growing wall. Instantly a dangerous level of trust and credibility
developed between each human and his influencing demon. The power of the
lies being spoken grew in dimension. As the negativity in the
environment increased, more gleeful demons were draw to this scene of
conflict and division. They poked at the humans in their lower back
areas, as well as jabbed them with rods in their heads and hearts. This
activity brought an increase in pain; particularly bringing up
historical pain, as many old images of offense and hurt now filled their
minds. That increase in pain caused the two former friends to harshly
accuse each other, as they began shouting attacks so that others might
be able hear their hateful assessments. By now the demons were dancing
in delight. Several more layers of brick were added to the boundary line
until it formed a high wall between the two former friends. Even though
they could not see each other anymore, they could still hear the
bitter, angry, words being spoken. Soon these former friends began to
lob bricks over the wall in the hope of hearing a cry of pain from the
other. The image ended here, but a strong rhema arose in my
spirit. Here is what I heard:
“If I was the chief
priority in this relationship … if My children had been attentive and
disciplined enough to apply the armor, which I have provided … this
would not have happened. If they had sought and chosen to see with My
eyes, and to hear with My ears, the deceptions would have been
discerned, and these dark strategies would have utterly failed. Instead,
raw, unhealed, human flesh was accessible to be seduced into sin by the
ploys of the Enemy. These two friends chose to ignore the depth of love
which I had provide for them over many years. Their offended flesh felt
more comfortable in the embrace of the darkness, than in My embrace.
Rather than calling out for My embrace to deliver them into the truth,
they allowed the Accuser to have a voice to utter falsehood through
them. They did not withdraw into Me together to consider that truth.
Instead they reacted in the flesh. Rather than drawing from My Spirit,
they chose to draw from their own shallow, polluted, insufficient supply
of human understanding. They each held their ground in blind, foolish,
pride. They could have chosen to forgive at the first small insult.
Instead, they allowed the spin of the Enemy to drown out the warnings,
found throughout My word, regarding the dangers of harboring
unforgiveness. These two became weak as soon as they created a boundary
to fortify their offenses, fears, and assumptions about each
other. Their actions sought to make sure that no meeting place for
peace and reconciliation could be established.
This is the trick of the
Enemy!! Divide and conquer! Stir up pride, jealousy, offense, rage,
suspicion and competition among My elect, so that they can be divided
and conquered … so that their testimony to the unbelieving world is
tarnished or stripped away The fear of being defeated by the one, who
was shouting on the other side of the wall, allowed historical memories
of weakness and pain to threaten both of these two with projections of
assured failure, if they were to give up the battle against each
other. Their minds and hearts … their emotions and their assumptions
were stirred up so that they felt justified in cutting each other off
totally. Their hardened hearts were a demonstration of the mortar
hardening between the bricks supplied by the Enemy. These two were
unable to see the spiritual realities of the attack, because the lenses
of love and holy truth had been removed.
Be aware and alert, little
ones! This same strategy has been applied to each one of you. How will
you respond? Will stubborn pride call the shots, or will love prevail?
Will you lay down all self-justification, all demands for apology, and
set aside your right to be given a hearing to vent your spleen? Will you
be willing to cut off all accusations harbored within your soul
(regarding the other person) in order to walk away together from the
grip of the Enemy … in order to renew a bond of love and peace;
regardless of what transpired? Will the false lenses, supplied by your
flesh, and which were fogged up by the spittle of the Enemy, be allowed
to assume the place of authority and influence above My love and truth
bestowed upon all of you? Stop now, and choose to love; giving grace to
each other in all misunderstandings and failings. Do
not give any credence nor any ground to the Enemy! Call out to Me
quickly! Discern what flies over your heads and what seeks to wrap a
comforting arm around your soul. Reject these things and cry out to Me
to lead you through your conflicts and concerns. Stop keeping records of
wrongs done to you. That is never justified and it is never loving. Do
not pick up the first brick against each other. Drop it! Forgive, let
go, and choose to love with a full heart. Do not reserve one fragment of
offense for future reference. Give it all to Me, for I shall keep you
safe, as I apply My wisdom to any infractions committed against
you. Extend mercy and grace to each other, or you make a sham and a
mockery of My love, which has been freely given to you without
conditions. Trust Me more than you trust anything, including your own
thoughts, perceptions, and emotions … more than the words and viewpoints
of anyone else.
The battle is on. The enemy
is making his move against all of My anointed ones, with the goal of
stripping you of your anointing. Full well he knows that when love grow
cold, he has a legal right to stake a claim in human affairs …
especially within My Body. In this hour he comes to rob, divide, steal,
kill, and disinherit. Use all the facets of My love to defeat him. Stay
close to Me, and stay close to each other, forming a protective
perimeter that can be breeched only if you would choose to depart from
My way, will, word, and heart. Stay with Me. Stand together and do not
be moved by false images, by false accusations, and by deluding words.
Be humble. Finally, as was recommended to the congregation at Laodicea,
ask Me now for holy eye salve that you may see. You must see each
other as I see you. Your insufficient ability to see correctly, and
your incorrect perceptions regarding each other, have been costly to
this point, but these things shall be far costlier in the coming days.
Ask for Me to give you My heart for each other, and I will happily give
it. Ask Me to side with your flesh, and I will refuse. Abandon your own
lenses, and apply Mine. Then watch, Beloved … watch and see My Kingdom
advance in giant steps!”
I pray that all of us will
take this call of the Spirit to heart as we enter into 2020. Please
feel free to share this message with many … with anyone that the Lord
calls you to share. The Lord has told me to set it free across the Body.
The indication is that the Body of Messiah will be severely tested this
year, and possibly from now on into the coming years until the Messiah
returns. Satan has become more effective in dividing people during these
past few years. Families of faith have members that no longer
fellowship with each other, no longer tolerate each other, and no longer
demonstrate true love toward each other. Trust has broken down very
often because of political differences that have been accentuated as
being plumb lines. As a result, hostility has risen in the hearts and
minds of the people because of the lies of the Enemy. Within the Body
of Messiah, we have pro-Trump people building walls against
“Never-Trumpers”. We have Remainers in the UK angrily walling off the
Brexiteers. We have anti-Bibi Netanyahu people angrily shunning
believers who still support Netanyahu. Many are taking the choices of
others (that conflict with their own), as a person affront … and as
evidence of a lack of wisdom and love. All the while, satan is dancing
in glee; watching his hoards gain access and power, where before they
had been denied these things. We simply must have our vision restored,
so that our priorities can be restored to holy order; based in YHVH’s
truth, where skewing has prevailed. Pettiness and offense have been
given too much power. Pride is running wild, while offering
justification for sinful attitudes, words, and actions within the Body
of Messiah. If we have been building walls, it’s time to stop. Drop the
bricks, and start demolishing the walls. Remove the unholy boundary
lines that have been established by pride, unforgiveness, assumption,
and offense. We are NOT THE AUTHORITY. We do not have 20/20 vision, but
we have One, who can provide that for us, through applied corrective
lenses comprised of His Word and Spirit.
As we consider our New
Year’s resolutions this year, let’s resolve to seek after the healing
eye salve and the corrective lenses that are so readily available to
those, who earnest seek them. Let’s resolve to deal with those things
that have been obstructing or skewing our vision. And most of all, let
us resolve to put love above all the failings and offenses; giving grace
to each other as never before. The Lord has marvelous things planned
for us. In order for us to apprehend those things, we have to make some
vision changes. May it be said that when the year 2020 ends, 12 months
from now, that it was the most amazing year of clear vision and unity
that has ever been seen. May the Kingdom indeed advance in giant steps,
and may the name of our God be glorified above all else. Have a
marvelous 2020! Good things lie ahead!
In Him,
Kathleen