Lies, Half-Truths, and Truth that Sets Us Free
(Featured post by Suzanne Eller)
My friend and I sat on the curb, sweaty after a long walk. For the past few days, we had been studying Romans 8. As we walked, she spoke out loud the words in Romans 8:38-39.
Nothing can separate you from God’s love.
Then it became personal.
Wait, nothing can separate me from God’s love.
These were words that, until that moment, felt like they were for everyone else. Have you ever had a moment when truth is suddenly clear? You’ve tried to figure it out on your own, perhaps for years. It feels as though everybody else “gets it” except for you. That’s how my friend felt until the message in Romans 8 leaped from the pages and settled into her spiritual DNA.
Why did she believe it?
The reason that any of us fall for a lie is that it feels true.
For my friend, a lie had led to an assumption, which becomes a belief, which produced actions (or inactions) that impacted her life and identity.
This is one lie we often believe.
You can never change.
Maybe an adult spoke that over you. Maybe you started to believe that lie because you tried to change, and it didn’t work. Perhaps that one mistake still haunts you, even though you have changed.
So you begin to tell yourself: This is just who I am. That’s the assumption. It settles into your identity as truth. You hear scripture that tells how much God loves you, and you point out all the ways you don’t deserve it. You try to do everything well, but you make a mistake so you beat yourself up. Or maybe you just give up entirely.
How do we counter these lies?
We counter them with truth. The lie might be, “You can never change,” but this is the truth:
When I was younger, I didn’t let women get too close. If I was in a grocery store and saw someone I knew, I’d make a beeline for the dog food aisle, hoping they’d go the other way.
Why?
Because of a lie.
The lie was that I didn’t have a lot to offer. I didn’t have anything important to say. I worried that I’d say something goofy. I was shy. I was introverted. . . the list of my beliefs was long.
Some of these held some truth. I was a little shy. I am an introvert. I might even say something goofy (that can still happen). The problem is that I had accepted the lie that I didn’t have anything of value to add to a friendship. That somehow I was “less than.”
The truth is I am free to be who God made me to be. Sometimes shy. Mostly introverted. But also a really great friend. Loyal. Fun (that’s the goofy part). As I confronted the lies and assumptions with truth, my belief system shifted and so did my actions.
The words I spoke over my own heart changed. As I accepted me, I was able to accept others as sweet friends, because the truth is we all have quirks or differences, and we all have strengths. There is no perfect friend or perfect woman.
What is that half-truth or outright lie that has weighed you down?
Ask God to help you recognize it. Confront it with truth. As you do, it will begin to shift the way you think, which shifts the way you live, for when you know the truth, you are free to live the truth.
Suzanne (Suzie) Eller is a Proverbs 31 Ministries writer, a bestselling author, speaker, and blogger. Suzie has written a new book, The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith Without Borders. This book shares that we have a Helper. We have what we need to live with a Spirit-led heart.
Download two free chapters at www.tsuzanneeller.com/spiritledheart
Suzie has also shared a free downloadable printable to help you confront lies with truth. Download this beautiful printable – God’s Truth Replaces Lies with Freedom. http://tsuzanneeller.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/303000-SL_Freedom-REV.pdf
