Who Are You Believing Lies About?
No one thinks they are believing lies.
Of course what you are thinking is correct and true information, otherwise you wouldn’t think it, right?
But many of us are believing lies without even realizing it. They become ingrained in our regular thought processes and feel “true.” And the enemy loves this; in fact, it’s one of his best strategies. He’s the first and biggest liar and he wants us to believe the things he whispers to us. After years of listening, we have a hard time discerning what’s true and what’s not.
I believed lies for years. And I consider myself a reasonably intelligent person.
But they made me miserable.
Lies About Me
Some of the lies were about me; about who I am, gleaned from childhood. I believed I was an annoying nuisance that no one wanted to have around. I believed that I was untrustworthy and botched everything up. The message I heard was that I wasn’t ever good enough. I thought that I didn’t merit forgiveness.
Lies About God
I believed lies about God, even though I was raised in a Christian home and church. In my mind, He was like my father, disinterested and critical. He was disappointed in me and wishing I would just get my act together, for crying out loud. I was getting into heaven because I believed the gospel, but only on a technicality. I sometimes imagined myself arguing with God (as I often did with my father), saying, “You have to let me in, the Bible says so!” (And then I would quote the appropriate scripture to Him. Because He doesn’t know what His Word says?!)
Lies About Others
I also accepted lies about the world in general. I thought other people were generally hostile towards me and I needed to be tough, smart, and able to defend myself. (This attitude did serve me well at times when I lived in New York!) I worked hard in the business world and thought if I moved up to a respectable position, I would be satisfied and could prove my father wrong. Then I got married and thought that having someone to love me all the time would fix everything. All the cravings of my hurting heart would be satisfied through this great guy! (Poor Dave.)
Believing lies is the enemy’s strategy for robbing me of joy and satisfaction. I will run after the things of this world – relationships, money, reputation – and find that they ultimately leave me empty.
Just examine the lives of celebrities. Marilyn Monroe’s compelling beauty and charm is still celebrated 50+ years after her death. Elvis Presley’s voice and persona are recognizable, even today. The music of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston will doubtless live on for decades. Robin Williams was a comic genius and had a successful movie career. These people “had it all” in terms of what the world values. They had fame, talent, beauty and money; yet they all died alone in tragic circumstances. They caused their own deaths by self-destructive habits or suicide. They seemed to have everything the world offered, but it wasn’t enough.
The Truth
Psalm 37:4 says, Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.
I love this verse because it’s kind of ironic. When we delight ourselves in Him, He becomes the desire of our heart. He comes to be all we want. He gives us more and more of Himself, satisfying our every need. So the ultimate answer to my hungry, needy heart is to fix my eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:2) and follow hard after Him.
Psalm 90:14 says, Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
True Satisfaction
This verse states that we will find satisfaction in the love of God our Father. Have you ever been truly thirsty? Maybe after a run or a long hike on a hot day? Because I can think of times when all I cared about was getting a cool glass of water. And how refreshing it was when it came! It was so, so satisfying. If I equate that wonderful feeling with being filled up and satisfied with Jesus, won’t I more readily run to Him? Won’t I make it a priority to spend time with Him and in His Word?
However, this verse also tells us God’s love is unfailing. That means never ending, never stopping, always reliable and there underneath us. It’s not dependent on our performance or our mood or how lovable we feel. It’s dependent on God’s character as God. God’s love is unfailing. I must let that sink in and believe it!
And the result? It will generate gladness and joy in our hearts.
What lies are you tempted to believe?
