I have believed a lie. Lots of them, actually. My therapist tasked me with writing them out and then writing out a corresponding truth from my heavenly father. I did this two years ago. Now, as He always does, God is taking me deeper, revisiting these lies and uprooting them. This will be the first of several posts sharing some of the lies I have believed and the truths God is offering me in exchange. Most of the lies originated in childhood, when I internalized messages that are pretty ridiculous at face value, but they nonetheless took root in my heart. Perhaps you have been captive to some of the same lies.

Lie: All difficulty, pain, discomfort, sadness (basically anything not right and good) is preventable. A few examples: physical illness, mental illness, car accidents, making mistakes (burning food, damaging or breaking things, making messes, losing patience). Since these things are preventable, you should prevent them, you should never have to experience them, and if you do experience them it’s appropriate to blame yourself and/or someone else for the undesirable experience. There are no accidents. I could have a perfect life if I just did everything right.

Truth: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:23-24. “In this world you will have trouble” John 16:33. You are a sinner saved by grace. Expect brokenness. You are a broken person in a broken world, surrounded by other broken people, believing broken theology and living a very broken life. Why else would you need grace? If you could just do it right, or at least do it right if you received my help “correctly,” what would be the need for grace? Grace is unmerited favor. Expect pain, expect difficulty, and sickness and sadness, and mistakes, and expect my grace to be sufficient.

“For when I tried to keep the law it condemned me. So I died to the law – I stopped trying to meet all its requirements – so that I might live for God. My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” Galatians 2:19-21

Lord I confess I have rejected your sacrifice by trusting in good behavior. Lord let me be hungry for a Savior, not good behavior. Teach me to live in the freedom You have provided for me.