All of our anxieties, doubts, and fears are triggered by some sort of lie. In Part 1, we looked at how to test the thoughts in our heads to see if they are really true. Today, we will dig into one of the common lies that we struggle with and look at what to do about it.
Lie #1: The world lies to us about who we are.
“I am stupid.”
“I am ugly.”
“I am worthless.”
“I’ll never be good at _______.”
Have you ever heard these words in your head? In the counseling room, I hear clients expressing these thoughts regularly. But these are lies. Trust me – my clients are not stupid, ugly, or worthless!
Sometimes, the thoughts running through our heads are more grounded in the hurts that we’ve experienced rather than the reality of God’s Word. This can happen for many reasons – because people say cruel things, the culture is competitive, our hearts are superficial, media is unrealistic, or our feelings get hurt. But the deeper problem is when these thoughts start echoing in our own heads, triggering anxiety, doubt, and fear.
How are we supposed to respond? Test everything against the truth of the Gospel.
- Remind yourself that yes, you are a sinner.
Part of this lie is grounded in truth: we are all broken and sinful! God’s Word confirms this (see Romans 3:23 – we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God). But the world stops here. God continues.
- Tell those lies the truth: God has already taken care of it.
Your problems do not surprise or scare God. No anxiety is needed today – it is all finished. Jesus took all of your sin onto himself, and He also gives you his own righteousness. He gives us his own identify as God’s child, part of God’s family.
- Call on the Holy Spirit, because when you decide to follow Jesus, the Spirit of God comes to live inside of you.
We may get confused about what is a lie or what is true, but God does not get confused. And when you decide to follow Jesus, the Spirit of God comes to you as a deposit today. He can help you address the lies running through your mind.
The world does not understand truth, because it is strongly influenced by evil. But God does understand you – He created you! He knows every moment of your life, every thought, every hurt, every success.
When you feel anxious, have doubts, or you are fearful, take a moment to pause, identify the thoughts running through your head, and ask God’s help to challenge that thought. Is it true? Is it honoring to God? Fight back against the lies. You aren’t perfect, but you are a child of God. You are loved, redeemed, justified, complete – and God does not make mistakes.
If you haven’t decided to follow Jesus yet, check this out.
If you have given your life to Jesus but you worry that you aren’t following him very well, read your Bible, talk to your pastor, and surround yourself with your church community.
Check out the other posts in this series:
Part 1: Are Your Thoughts Really True?
Part 3: Engage in Deep and Meaningful Relationships
Part 4: Know the True and Living God