Letting Go of the Lies we tell ourselves is one of the most difficult Soul-work tasks we will ever embark upon. These are the beliefs hidden within us about our world and how we view people that come out when we are stressed that are just down right wrong or at their core self-loathing or self-seeking.
Our Entitlement to be Right - We often believe we are entitled and deserve to feel our feelings and our attitudes. But what we neglect to realize is that by allowing this anthem to blast between our ears, we allow a cascade of damaging after- thoughts that become behaviors.
Let Go of the LIES
Think through this and consider all of the things that your LIES are holding you back from (confidence, vulnerability, wisdom, awareness?) What would you do if you were just a little more confident or brave?
What would you do if you saw yourself as strong, powerful and capable?
What would you do if fear and the lies, insecurity and doubt no longer tagged along or appeared?
Would you have a conversation with a stranger?
Would you wear that red or black dress? Would you wear that outrageous yellow sweater or scarf?
Would you tell someone how much their words upset you? or how kind those words were to you?
ON ANOTHER LEVEL...there are lies that we can replace by acknowledging the Truth.
1. THE LIE: God is not really good.
THE TRUTH:
- God is good, and everything He does is good.
- God never makes mistakes.
2. THE LIE: God doesn’t love me.
THE TRUTH:
- God’s love for me is infinite and unconditional.
- I don’t have to perform to earn God’s love or favor.
- God always has my best interests at heart.
3. THE LIE: God is just like my father.
THE TRUTH:
- God is exactly what He has revealed Himself to be in His Word.
- God is infinitely more wise and loving than any earthly father could ever be.
4. THE LIE: God is not really enough.
THE TRUTH:
- God is enough. If I have Him, I have all I need.
5. THE LIE: God’s ways are too restrictive.
THE TRUTH:
- God’s ways are best.
- God’s restrictions are always for my good.
- Resisting or rebelling against God’s ways brings conflict and heartache.
6. THE LIE: God should fix my problems.
THE TRUTH:
- Life is hard.
- God is more concerned about glorifying Himself and changing me than about solving my problems.
- God has an eternal purpose He is fulfilling in the midst of my problems.
- God wants to use my problems as part of His sanctifying process in my life.
- No matter what problem I am facing, God’s grace is sufficient for me.
7. THE LIE: I’m not worth anything.
THE TRUTH:
- My value is not determined by what others think of me or what I think of myself. My value is determined by how God views me.
- To God, my soul is worth more than the price of the whole world.
- If I am a child of God, I am God’s cherished possession and treasure.
8. THE LIE: I need to learn to love myself.
THE TRUTH:
- By faith, I need to receive God’s love for me.
- I already love myself. I need to deny myself and let God love others through me.
9. THE LIE: I can’t help the way I am.
THE TRUTH:
- If I am a child of God, I can choose to obey God.
- I am responsible for my own choices.
- I can be changed through the power of God’s Spirit.
10. THE LIE: I have my rights.
THE TRUTH:
- Claiming rights will put me in bondage.
- Yielding rights will set me free.
11. THE LIE: Physical beauty matters more than inner beauty.
THE TRUTH:
- At best, physical beauty is temporal and fleeting.
- The beauty that matters most to God is that of my inner spirit and character.
12. THE LIE: I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings.
THE TRUTH:
- I will always have unfulfilled longings this side of heaven.
- The deepest longings of my heart cannot be filled by any created person or thing.
- If I will accept them, unfulfilled longings will increase my longing for God and for heaven.
13. THE LIE: I can sin and get away with it.
THE TRUTH:
- The choices I make today will have consequences; I will reap what I sow.
- Sin’s pleasures only last for a season.
- Sin exacts a devastating toll. There are no exceptions.
- If I play with fire, I will get burned. I will not escape the consequences of my sin.
14. THE LIE: My sin isn’t really that bad.
THE TRUTH:
- Every act of sin is an act of rebellion against God.
- No sin is small.
15. THE LIE: God can’t forgive what I have done.
THE TRUTH:
- The blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover any and every sin I have committed.
- There is no sin too great for God to forgive.
- God’s grace is greater than the greatest sin anyone could ever commit.
16. THE LIE: I am not fully responsible for my actions and reactions.
THE TRUTH:
- God does not hold me accountable for the actions of others.
- I am responsible for my own choices.
17. THE LIE: I cannot walk in consistent victory over sin.
THE TRUTH:
- If I am a child of God, I don’t have to sin.
- I am not a slave to sin. Through Christ, I have been set free from sin.
- By God’s grace and through the finished work of Christ on the cross, I can experience victory over sin.
18. THE LIE: I don’t have time to do everything I’m supposed to do.
THE TRUTH:
- There is time in every day to do everything that God wants me to do.
19. THE LIE: I shouldn’t have to suffer.
THE TRUTH:
- It is impossible to be holy apart from suffering. There is a redemptive fruit that cannot be produced in our lives apart from suffering.
- We have been called to suffer.
- True joy is not the absence of pain, but the presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of the pain.
- Suffering is a pathway to sanctification, a doorway into greater intimacy with God.
20. THE LIE: My circumstances will never change—this will go on forever.
THE TRUTH:
- My suffering may last a long time, but it will not last forever.
- My painful circumstances will not last one moment longer than God knows is necessary to achieve His eternal purposes in and through my life.
- One day, all pain, suffering, and tears will be removed forever.
21. THE LIE: I just can’t take any more.
THE TRUTH:
- Whatever my circumstance, whatever my situation, His grace is sufficient for me.
- God will never place more on me than He will give me grace to bear.
22. THE LIE: It’s all about me.
THE TRUTH:
- God is the beginning and ending and center of all things. All things were created by Him and for Him. It’s all about Him!
- My life is dispensable. I was created for His pleasure and glory.
Lies Women Believe (2001) by Nancy Leigh Demoss. Moody Press.
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