It’s all lies I tell you.
No, I’m not talking about the news (I could, it seems.). I’m not talking about the Bible (the more I read, the more I believe in its truth). I’m not even talking about social media (say what you will, yes I actively try to reduce the sheer number of minutes I find myself glued to my phone, but it has also been a huge method of sharing hope, love, Jesus, comfort in this day-and-age).
No. I’m talking about the voices in my head. And in your head, I’d imagine. The thoughts that nearly drive me to distraction, my heart rate higher (so my watch tells me), my breathing more shallow (I suspect if you took a deep breath right now, there’s a good chance you’d realize you’re also not accustomed to taking deep breaths regularly and it felt good and…slow), my mind unable to focus (yes there’s a touch of ADD here, but this isn’t an ADD flare situation and you may not have ADD/ADHD), I’m snapping at all people (dear loved ones, I do love you, I really do) and I feel tearful and angry and…
So what are the voices in my head (and yours) telling me that have me just about to come out of my skin. Lies. Many lies.
I’m alone.
No one really understands me.
I’m trapped.
If they loved me they wouldn’t do that.
I’m a horrible person.
I am completely inadequate.
I do consider myself to be an expert on this, by the way. Proof? I am a woman. In 2024. These are nearly a daily occurrence for me.
So…since I’m an expert…and I’m writing this blog article…I must have all the answers, right?
Well, if by answers you mean I know how to identify and work on these lies, then yes. But if by answers you mean I have conquered all of the lies and I’m free from them then…no.
I think we need to first identify what happens if we do NOT identify these lies and do not work on them. Look around. These lies and more I’m sure are at the core of why so many people find life is no longer worth living. Why they seek out self-help from substances and dangerous living and professional help from medications and specialists (and please don’t think for a minute I don’t support these forms of professional help…praise God for these). Why they pursue a faster-than-the-speed-of-light life, jam-packing a life too full in an effort to drown out the lies. Why friendships and marriages and familial and religious connections fail. Why there is violence.
These lies are clearly destructive. Then why do I allow them in my head? I’m not saying I caused them…but I’m saying that I allow them to stay there. (The “why” here is far more vast than we’ll get to…but it’s a good idea to ponder if you’re having these same thoughts). So…what do we do about them? How do I work to get them out?
First step…I already said it…identify them. Look back at that list of feelings above…when you’re feeling these symptoms, stop and ask yourself “What’s the lie being told to me here?” And think back of the simplified list above…can you identify it? What lie is your mind telling you? This step may seem very simplified, but I cannot tell you how many times I catch myself with all the symptoms (remember, I’m an expert here) and the day is going from bad to worse…and if I can ask myself this question, I can often find the lie and suddenly I can breathe again. It’s like the boogeyman of yesteryear has finally been identified as an innocent toad simply trapped in a jar. Oh….it’s just you.
Now you have to have done the first step first. You may not be able to truly name it, but you can still identify it as a lie, whatever it is. Step two, you must identify it as a lie. In other words, after you identify the lie, you must ask the question “What is truth here?”
I’ll always try to point this back to a Christian point, as I truly believe I know the Originator of Lies (John 8:44). So this is where you pull out your (hopefully) memorized Bible verses…right here I’m going to tell you that this is not something I do well at all, memorization is certainly extremely difficult for me…or you pull out your Bible or book of Bible Promises or google and you start to fight back against these lies with the TRUTH (Ephesians 6:11).
God is with you always (Matthew 28:20)
Jesus is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, as He was tempted in every way as we are (Hebrews 4:15)
God is working and making a way even through our wilderness (Isaiah 43:19)
I am certain I am loved, if not by them (and maybe I’m just reading into it too much) then certainly by the God of the universe (Psalm 27:10)
We are all sinful. Whether it’s a thought or an action, purposeful or accidental, God covers us and guides us through whatever comes next and to a life of righteousness (1 John 1:9)
God promises us wisdom. Promises. (James 1:5)
Step three, now that we have identified the lie and have spoken the truth, we must then continue this process when the Originator of Lie (and others) bring these thoughts back up. We must remember the past so that we don’t repeat it, but we are to focus on the future by letting go of the past, and identifying the truths is how this is done.
And prayers. And taking deep breaths. And rejoicing because you have gone through yet another battle with the enemy disguised as yourself, and you will be stronger each time you come through such a battle. And helping others then identify their lies. And sometimes tapping out, asking another warrior to pray for you and with you and help you identify the lie that just seems too big or too dark or too hidden and will fight with you…
Just so you know…I’m on Step 3 today of this particular lie…it’s been tenacious…but I choose to conquer this battle so I’m praying and sure would appreciate your prayers too…
