The easy answer should be a flat resounding “no“. But how often do we let our situations define us and eventually steal from us? How often do we say, “I am so better than this, I deserve more,” yet we still stay and become a slave to the lingering doubt that has held our hearts captive?
LIES THAT DEFINE US
In my own life, there have been seasons where I realised I was believing the words that were coming out of my mouth. They weren’t just any words, they were poisoned lies that I believed:
“You deserve this, you can’t expect more, you’ve got to settle, you can only amount to this so stop trying, and stop dreaming!”
They were lies that made me feel helpless, fearful, and very overwhelmed! It’s a horrible place to be in, or should I say live in, and it can easily become a reoccurring living nightmare if we let it! What lies can you identify in your own life that influence the way you live?
Personally, I got to a place where I was just so tired of it all! I was frustrated and I was miserable and I was tired of feeling frustrated and miserable, and I loathed it! They were lies that were stealing from me in so many ways! I was tired of letting the lies rule my heart and I wanted it to stop defining the way I saw myself and the way I went about living from the day to day. Deep down inside I knew there was a little voice that was saying to me :
“Actually Cass, there is more to life than this; you are worth more than all of this!”
I wanted to believe this voice; I wanted to step out of that hole I was in and experience something far greater. I wanted to experience a shift in season, and I wanted to live a big and bold life that was filled with joy and expectation. I wanted to live a life that was far different from the lies that were defining the way I was living. Therefore I knew I had to take action – bold action, that is, especially if I wanted to go about redefining the way I was doing things.
REDEFINING THE LIES
1. Look out for the lies: Become aware of those sneaky lies that creep in from time to time. You will know they are lies when those lies make you feel downhearted, especially when they are thoughts about your self-worth and value.
2. Know who your God is: When we become intentional about knowing who God is, and knowing how God sees us, we soon start to realise that God has called us to live big lives filled with adventure and filled with His promises!
3. Replace those lies: When lies become familiar to us, they own a part of ourselves, in a sense. If we want to kick those unwelcome guests out of our hearts and minds, we need to replace them with some real truths. The Bible is filled with God’s promises and truth about how God sees us and how God values us. When those truths lay hold of hearts, it will redefine the way we go about doing things. Below are some biblical truths you can replace lies with:
We are strong
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13.We are wonderfully created
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Psalm 139:13-16We are loved
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16Our future is filled with Hope
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11We are more than Conquerors
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
4 . Speak truth: We often believe the words we speak over our lives and over our situations. The Bible says that our words have the power of life and death. That means we have a choice when it comes to what we choose to speak over our lives. We need to start replacing the lies with words that speak life, truth, favour, and love over every situation in our lives.
5 . Let love lead: When I went on the journey of replacing lies that I believed about myself, I knew that I had to let the unconditional love of God breathe over me and over my situations. I knew that I could not do the day-to-day without His love leading me, from daily decisions that had to be made at work, to how I spoke and dealt with others, to the dreaming of something new. I knew that I had to let the presence of God take hold of all the details. And you know what, that was the most freeing place to be in: it was a place of surrender, a place of peace.
The truth is when we let the love of God enter our hearts, and we let His love shape us daily, we start to live and behave differently. We start to lift of our heads, we smile more, we move forward with courage! Friends, the truth is you are called to live a big and bold life, because you have a God in heaven who created you with such love and detail; who created you with purpose! Start replacing those lies with some very powerful truths! Why not start today!
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