WE need the truth

We all tell little white lies… Probably everyday. And some of us more than others. A quick google search will reveal some of the most common lies people tell:

“I’m on my way…” When you’re actually just getting out of the shower. 
“I’m only 25…” When in reality you are 30!
“I’m in a relationship…” Your dog doesn’t count. 
“Cute dress…” Not! 
“I’m not drunk… I’m just buzzing.” 
“Everything’s fine… I’m fine.” But are you? 

People lie all the time. In fact, I’ve known several people who lie for no reason at all… A little white lie here, and another there. They think they aren’t harming anyone, but in reality they are harming themselves, because they end up losing everyone’s trust. 

But more dangerous than lying to others is lying to ourselves You might be able to get away with lying to others, but the lies you tell yourself will certainly catch up to you. I remember being in high school and finding out that I wasn’t going to be starting on the basketball team anymore… And in my mind I told myself it was because the coach had it out for me, not because the new players were actually better than me. 

When we lie to ourselves, we often place ourselves in the best light and everyone else in the worst light. Because the problem couldn’t possibly lie with us. It must be someone else’s fault. And as a result we destroy relationships, quit jobs, move away, or gossip about others. 

But in reality, the fault lies with us. No amount of running or re-directing will fully deal with the lies that we believe about ourselves. And when it comes to Jesus, the enemy wants us to believe lies about ourselves and Him as often as possible. Shan Wood recently pointed out four lies that Judas Iscariot (the one who betrayed Jesus) believed that led him down his own dark path of self-deceit and betrayal: 

We convince ourselves that there is no God. And justify selfish behavior. 
We don’t think God is worth following. And lose our purpose in life. 
We believe God doesn’t care. And turn to other things for fulfillment.
 We believe God can’t love us. And enter into deeper levels of depression and negative self-worth. 

All of these are damaging lies that we tell ourselves. They keep us from fully experiencing Jesus and delighting in His love and power. And when the enemy has us believing lies about God, he can convince us anything about ourselves, our friends, and other people. It’s the oldest trick in the book and he’s been using it since the Garden. 

So what do we do? If we are prone to deceive ourselves and believes lies, how do we overcome the lies? One preacher says, “If the devil’s greatest weapon is a lie, then you and I need the truth.” So here’s how you combat the lies that we so often tell ourselves: 

Psalm 8:3-9 — Everything you see on Earth has a Creator.
Philippians 2:5-11 — Jesus gave up Heaven to save you. 
1 Peter 5:6-7 — He wants all of your burdens… Because He loves you. 
Romans 10:10-13 — Everyone can be saved when we trust Jesus.

​Don’t fall into the trap of believing the lies about yourself and about God. Lean into the truth of Scripture and cover yourself with God’s love, care, peace, and concern for you. The Psalmist says in 139 that God created you, God knows you, and God loves you. No matter what thoughts or lies may come into your head, hold onto God’s overwhelming love for you. ​