Chances are that you are really good at lying to yourself. In fact, there is no one who is better at deceiving you than you. But, although I know this about myself, I seem to fall for it all the time.
Most of my adult life I have dealt with discouragement. I would seem to go through seasons of high’s followed by unpleasant and unrelenting low’s. For years I simply accepted it. I said things like, “I am just a passionate person.” I would justify the repeated seasons of discouragement by convicting myself that my “passionate personality” gave me an excuse. Honestly, I just accepted that this was just the way things were.
Eventually, this became one of my greatest fears in my ministry. I would wonder if someone like me, with my “passionate personality,” could really plant a church and navigate the up’s and down’s of church planting ministry.
Well, couple months after our church launched, I found myself face to face with this fear.
It was early July, and God spoke to me in a way I will never forget. His message was clear, “You are believing lies about yourself.” It’s as though God spoke, and lovingly, gently, and clearly said, “Start telling yourself the truth, and stop believing the lies.”
The lie… I am a passionate person who is subject to repeated seasons of discouragement…
The truth… I am a passionate person who walks in the joy of Christ through all seasons of life. (Psalm 28)
The lie… I need to accept that I will face seasonal discouragement…
The truth… I need to stand on the truth that through Christ, I am not destined to discouragement. (Philippians 4:7)
The lie… I don’t know if I have what it takes in ministry…
The truth… I have everything that I need to accomplish all that God has put before me to accomplish. (2 Peter 1:3)
The lie that I had believed for years was a lie about my identity. I had grown content with believing a lie about myself, and I had been ignoring the truth that God has told me about who I am in Christ.
I will never forget that moment last July when God reminded me about the truth about myself. It has made a profound impact on my life, and by the grace of God, I have seen victory in this area of my life. Do I go through difficult things in life and ministry? Of course. But, do I go through repeated seasons of discouragement? No. For the first time in years, I am able to lean into my identity in Christ and identify a lie that I have believed about myself for so many years.
What I tell myself about myself matters… But, what God says about me matters even more.
I write this post in hopes that it may help you identify the lies that you have believed about yourself. So to that end, I encourage you to do something that will take only a couple minutes. Take a moment, grab a sheet of paper and pen, and think about who you are. How would you describe yourself? How would you identify yourself, the good, the bad, and the ugly? How would you describe yourself to a friend? Better yet, how would a close friend describe you? As you think, write them down. This may be difficult at first, but be honest.
Once you have your list, look at it and compare it to what God says about you. If you are unsure about what God says about you, I encourage you to honestly and joyfully search God’s word. Look at what he says about you and compare it to what you believe about yourself. After you do this, as a follower of Christ, a new creation in Christ, what are the things that don’t match up? What are the lies represented on your sheet of paper?
Now, this may sound simple, but I promise you it is profound… Ready?
First, you have permission to not believe the lies.
You have been bought with a price through the work and person of Christ. You are a new creation. The Spirit lives in you. The person you were before no longer defines you… You are NEW in Christ. And through Christ, you have permission to no longer believe the lies about yourself.
Second, read the truth about yourself often
Take those scriptures that tell you the truth about yourself and stand on them. Quote them. Write them. Memorize them. This is God’s truth about you.
Third, tell yourself the truth about yourself often.
As odd as this may sound, tell yourself the truth. Chances are that you have become proficient at convincing yourself of the lies, and it will take intentionality to rely on the Holy Spirit to become proficient at telling yourself the truth.
As always, there is is grace in God through Christ. Stand on the truth.
– Justin