What Lies are You Believing?
Identify False Beliefs and Experience Breakthrough
One summer while exploring the beautiful state of Colorado, I stayed in a small attic apartment. The apartment did not have a ton of natural lighting, and the tiny kitchen in particular was quite dim. As I flipped the light switch that appeared to go to the light above the stove, I was annoyed to find that nothing happened. Thinking that the light bulb was burnt out, I spent the week cooking in the dark.
On the last day of my stay, I discovered another light switch that I had not noticed before. As I flipped it on, the bulb above the stove immediately lit up, providing the brightness that I’d been craving for the entire week. I stood there staring at it and shaking my head. A week of fumbling around and straining my eyes whenever I needed to cook or eat had been completely unnecessary!
I realized in that moment that I had unconsciously been believing some lies that had resulted in a negative impact on my daily quality of life.
The first lie I had believed without hesitation was that the original light switch I had seen was the one that was connected to the light over the stove. In fact, I was so certain of this belief that I did not even to bother to look for another light switch. Operating under this false belief, I made another false conclusion: the light bulb above the stove is burnt out. I accepted these lies as truth, and thus spent a week in a dark kitchen.
Okay, this might sound like I’m over-analyzing the situation. To be clear, I didn’t allow the dark kitchen to significantly dampen my travels that week. But I use this as an example to point out how easy it can be to operate under false or inaccurate beliefs without even realizing it, and how believing in these lies will unnecessarily rob you of joy for as long as you believe them.
While poor kitchen lighting is not the worst thing to live with, it was something I did not have to accept! What would have happened if had I questioned my original belief after flipping the switch had not provided the result I had hoped for? What if, rather than simply drawing a conclusion that the light bulb did not work, I had searched for an alternative switch? What if I had bothered to reach out to my airbnb host to ask for help? Likely, I would have been directed to the truth and not had to cook in the dark, resulting in an overall a better experience that week.
What lies might you be believing in your own life that may be causing you to draw conclusions and make decisions based on false information? Operating with false beliefs will ultimately have a negative impact on yourself and those around you.
Common lies I often come across in my work as therapist include beliefs about one’s own value or worth (I’m not good enough, I’m insignificant), beliefs about current circumstances or the future (things can never get better, my situation is hopeless), and beliefs about God (God is disappointed in me, God doesn’t really care about me or want to help me). Of course, there are thousands more. Belief in lies are often the root cause of depression, anxiety and low self esteem. When you pinpoint the lies, and replace them with truth, you will experience breakthrough and improvement in quality of life. Once I had discovered the truth about the light bulb, I was able to find the way to access its light and enjoy a much better experience in the kitchen.
Why then do the lies that we believe feel so much like truth? It’s because when we agree with those lies, we give them power to shape our entire reality. I agreed with the lie that the light bulb was burnt out and thus experienced my stay as if that were true. Just because the lie you are believing feels and looks like truth, doesn’t mean it is! You must break agreement with any lies in order for your reality to be shaped by the truth.
So how do we know what truth is? Fortunately, as Christians, we have been given an entire book full of God’s truths. Taking time to read and understand the scriptures for yourself is a valuable way to become aware of lies you may be believing. Not only do we have the Bible, but as believers, we have personal access to the very real person of God. The more you cultivate your own personal relationship with the Lord, the more you give Him opportunity to speak his truths in to your life.
When you discover the truth about who you are, who God is, and believe that you can have hope in your situation, things will start to shift.
Often, we need help from others to uncover the lies you may be believing that are causing unnecessary stress, hopelessness, and discouragement in your life. Consulting with a trustworthy and wise person can be pivotal in raising your awareness to the areas that may be blindspots for you. Christian counseling can be an excellent resource for identifying false beliefs and helping you break free from unhealthy mindsets.
If you are located in Arizona or Colorado, the counselors at Clarity Christian Counseling can help you uncover the beliefs and mindsets that are creating problems for you. We can help you understand where those lies have come from as we help you heal from past wounds, trauma, and experiences. Contact us today to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation call and to book your first appointment.