Lies

Clint and I were reading this book last night. It's about lies that we as Christians often believe. I've read the book once before, but as Clint was reading the first chapter aloud to me, I was struck by how strongly I believe certain lies. You'd think after 20 years of living on planet earth, I'd be able to discern my thought patterns and habits. Actually, I think the longer you live, the more you realize you're an idiot most of the time, at least in your thought life. Ok, so maybe that's just me, I don't know. It's not usually something I go around asking people, "So, what lies are YOU believing today???" But maybe I should start. Because lies are so incredibly destructive to each one of us.

I guess I've been thinking a lot on this lately because I've been seeing different things that I'm doing every day that are displeasing to God, yet I don't want to give them up because they feel right to my humanity. I feel like that bird that always flies into the window yet never gives up because it thinks there's another bird there. Dumb bird.

And then I look at my life and have to say, dumb human.

I mean really, sometimes we're so incredibly dumb. It'd be almost funny if it weren't so incredibly not. We whine and complain about the craziest things, all because we don't believe that God is really good. Everything He's placed in our lives has a purpose. He has a rhyme behind His reason. And we sin. All the time. Habitually. Returning to the very things we've vowed over and over to never repeat. How dumb is that? Again, we don't believe that God is really good.

Lies affect us so much. They cause us to do stupid things. Cause us to doubt God and therefore get all worked up about things. But we don't see them so often. Here are some that jumped out at me that I believe:

1. "I have to be perfect" Is that really a lie???
2. "My worth is determined by my performance" Yup, believe that one all the time
3. "Life should be fair" Well...shouldn't it? Good American lie right there
4. "I must have everyone's love and approval" .........um yeah guilty.......
5. "God's acceptance must be earned" ouch...looking at it makes it sound bad, but I know I act on it a lot

So yeah, lies definitely affect my thinking. I believe them without even trying. I want to get better at finding them. At weeding them out of the garden of my mind (yes, there is a garden. Not a very organized one, but it's there).

As John 8:31-32 says, "If you hold to my teaching, then you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

I want to be free.