The choice to trust God is made easier when we immerse ourselves in the truths found in the Bible.  Believing what the Bible says about you is just one option though. Unfortunately, many of us choose to believe lies about ourselves and others instead of the truth.  

All lies and deceit originally came from satan.  He is the king of liars and seeks to destroy us all.  John 8:44 We have an enemy and he is quite real and extremely crafty.  He can convince you that the negative thoughts you’re having are coming from you and not him – this makes you feel all the worse for having them.  At this point, he can practically leave us alone to torture ourselves with self-loathing, pain, offense and pride.  We become prisoners to our own negative thinking and stymie our growth, robbing ourselves from a satisfying life of purpose and healthy relationships. We build strongholds around our heart and are often unable to be vulnerable in our relationships.  We take on a posture of pride, arrogance, insecurity, etc… all of which are rooted in fear. 

I wanted to touch on this reality to contrast the attributes of your loving heavenly Father with those of His adversary and yours – satan.  Choosing not to trust God is essentially a choice to believe the lies satan has crafted to deceive you.  Lies you have grafted into your way of thinking about yourself and others.  Here’s what Jesus had to say about satan:

“He (satan) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”  John 8:44

You’ve been lied to all your life.  Everything we are exposed to in this world whether that be negative relationships, TV shows you watch, music you listen to, books you read are seeds sown in the softest part of your souls.  These seeds can grow into a harvest of weeds that cloud our thinking about ourselves and others.  Here are just some of the lies you may have been told or believed about yourself:

You are not enough

You are ugly

You are a failure

You are not loved

Why bother

You don’t matter

There is something wrong with you

You won’t ever change

You’re not worth it

You’re a mistake

You’re alone

You’re never going to amount to anything

God loves other people but not you

God has rejected you

You have a right to be offended

You can’t trust anyone

You can never forgive that person

Lies like these can cripple our thinking and rob us of confidence, security, value and so much more – dooming us to a cycle of self-loathing and stagnation. I wasn’t considered one of the cool kids when I was little.  I tended to be introspective and kept to myself a lot.  One personality test I took in my early adulthood noted that I was an introverted extrovert.  This means I enjoy being around people, but need my alone time to recharge my emotional and physical batteries.  

Give me a remote control, a fuzzy blanket and a great sci-fi show to watch alone and I’m in my happy place.  I do however feel the need for community through friendships, like a buddy to go grab coffee with or take a walk and talk.  I’m generally a very kind and accommodating person and I can easily make friends and enjoy the company of people around me.  But it always seemed like I was the one arranging get-togethers.  I’d go for days or sometimes a week without a text or call from a friend.  I began to feel isolated and unloved.  

I asked myself questions like “what’s wrong with me?” or “why don’t people want to be with me?” I wondered if there was something about me that turned people off and kept them from reaching out.  In short, I was choosing to believe lies about myself, lies like:  I’m unloved, I’m rejected, people don’t really like me… and the list goes on.  What a drag huh?  With that kind of thinking, I wouldn’t want to be around me either!  I was being so “me” centered instead of focusing on others and what the Bible said about me.  This is where that cycle of self-loathing comes in.  Eventually, I reoriented myself and began to feed my spirit with actual truth.  Reading my Bible, listening to worship music, being mindful of God’s presence in my life.  My thinking which had been polluted with offense and feeling sorry for myself began to change.  I reminded myself that I was safe and secure in Christ.  I began to pray for a few close friends who had the time and desire to build a relationship with me and over time, I developed some great relationships with some wonderful women.  

In short, any life experience comes with a multiple choice of decisions you can make.  Which answer will you choose?  Will you choose to believe and nurture a lie about yourself or others or will you seek God’s heart on the matter?  Choice is our greatest power as individuals and the decisions we make define us and shape our present and future.  Truth – lies, light and darkness, right and wrong…   Who will you choose to believe?  Will you choose to believe what God your Creator says about you or will you choose to believe lies you’ve heard from others or simply think in your own mind?  Life is too short to be stuck in a rut of negative thinking.  You are who God says you are.  In that same spirit, I’ve taken the list of lies from above and paired them with truths from the Bible.  Every time you’re faced with an option to believe a lie, refer to this list… or better yet, print it out and add to it, seeking out your own truths from the Bible!   

Lies

You are not enough	“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13
You are ugly	“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” Song of Solomon 4:7
You are a failure	“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26
You are not loved	“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8
Why bother	“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
You don’t matter	“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 ESV
There is something wrong with you	“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
You won’t ever change	“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
You’re not worth it	“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
You’re a mistake	“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 ESV
You’re alone	“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
You’re never going to amount to anything	“The LORD will work out his plans for my life–for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” Psalm 138:8
God loves other people but not you	“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.” Ephesians 2:4-5 NIV
God has rejected you	“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” John 15:16
You have a right to be offended	“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11
You can’t trust anyone	“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5
You can never forgive that person	“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:14-15

You have what you need to fight the lies of the enemy or the voice of your own insecurities and the power they can have over you.  Focus on God and His goodness.  Choose to trust God and the father of lies is rendered powerless in your life!