I wanted to hit somebody.
The person I wanted to hit was no longer around, but as I listened to my friend I wish she was. Not that I’d actually hit her, or anyone else.
I just wanted to.
You see, my friend had just told us that she had been told a lie from the time she was a little girl. Except she didn’t realize it was a lie. The people who were supposed to nurture her said she was different. They pointed out a physical feature that was beautiful and unique and said, “This makes you ‘less than.’ You aren’t like us, so this is ugly. It’s wrong.”
So she grew up trying to hide that about herself. She covered it up. She learned to do things differently so people wouldn’t know.
As she told us what it was, I sat stunned.
It was such an obvious lie, but to her it had become truth. To the point that it impacted her self-worth.
I hate lies. I hate what they do to women. I hate that children, who have no way of knowing what is true or not, are shaped by lies. I hate that we hold on to them as truth as we grow into womanhood. I hate that some of us pour those same lies on our own children, thinking they are truth. I hate that we struggle to let go of that lie because it’s so deeply ingrained.
But let me tell you what I love.
God’s truth replaces lies with freedom!
Download this beautiful truth printable
When I look at this month’s Spirit-led heart praying calendar, I think about my friend. Today’s prayer on the calendar says this:
Surround us with truth — because it is our spiritual defense, light, life.
Too many of us have been shaped by lies that hold no truth at all. It’s time to let those lies go.
How do we do that?
We surround ourselves with truth. We study the Word, for it is filled with truth. We gather with others who live truth, not distorted or man-made truth, but truth that sets you free. We read and study and replace lies with knowledge and wisdom and discernment. We ask for help to know what is true, what is not, and the difference between almost true and what is the whole truth.
The good news is that we have a Helper that knows the truth. Jesus shared with the disciples about that Helper, the Holy Spirit.
When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own authority, but he will speak of what he hears and will tell you of things to come. John 16:13 (Good News Translation)
He lives in you. He knows the heart of the Father over you. He understands what you’ve been told, but fights for you with truth.
[bctt tweet=”Just because you believe a lie doesn’t make it true. #SpiritLedHeart #livethepromise #livingfreetogether https://wp.me/p4jbdw-4BS {{sweet printables}}” username=”suzanneeller”]
I don’t know when my friend will totally abandon the lie that she is “less than” but she’s started that journey. Every instinct within says, “Hide,” but she’s asking for help.
To unlearn words soaked over her tender, young heart.
To look to another source for truth.
To surround herself with truth until she can walk and dance and live in it.
To show her what is true when that lie sneaks up on her.
I don’t know if you’ve embraced a lie as truth, but I know that many of us have. Today, invite the Helper to surround you with truth. To open your eyes. To unlock, untangle, and release any lies that have kept you stuck or made you feel like you had to hide.
What is one lie or half-truth that has shaped you for way too long? Let’s pray about that together.
Suzie
Related resource
Find help and encouragement in my new book, The Spirit-Led Heart: Living a Life of Love and Faith Without Borders
Suzie’s invaluable teachings will challenge your convictions, redefine your choices, and sculpt you into the Spirit-filled woman God created you to be! ~ Wendy Blight, author, Proverbs 31 Ministries, First5 writer.
- Download the beautiful Spirit-Led Heart calendar for your prayer time! CLICK HERE
- Download the Truth printable. CLICK HERE
- Read two chapters of my new book, The Spirit-Led Heart free. CLICK HERE.
Oh how I love your words Suzie. How precious is the word of God. I love your book The Spirit Led Heart. I appreciate the truths it presents as it casts down the lies. Like your friend, I was raised with lies about me. Looking back, I often wonder why did I believe them. Yet, as children you trust your parents. You love them and know they love you — why would a parent tell you a lie? I lived many, many years believing the lies and allowing them to dictate my life path. I have had to work through forgiveness. I have confronted and had my mother maintain they are not lies – it is what she believes. I can’t change that. I can choose to love her. I believe she believes what she believes because that is how she was raised and for her to let go of these “lies” would be to question her childhood — too hard. It was odd, I never looked at myself the way she did but I felt it. I too wanted to cover. Working on the team but not wanting to be “out in front”. When I had my own children, is when the lies really hit because I could NEVER imagine saying the things that were said to me to my children. I could never hate something more than I love my kids. Never. God is a redeemer. I have raised my kids in love and light and don’t want them living into lies but rather embracing His truths every day. Thanks again Suzie for writing with heart and wisdom.
Heather, Praise God you have been able to break the generational lies told to you and your children now live in love and truth. I, too, suffered from a parent, my father, that sprewed lies because they were sprewed to him. Thank you, Jesus that you set us free with truth!! God bless you and ,your children today and everyday!
Today’s blog was surely divinely appointed for me to read by God. I too have been struggling with shaking lies that were placed on me as a child and they became my truth. It wasn’t until this past year, in my late thirties that these lies were revealed to me for what they are. It’s hard every single day to try and change what I have always believed about myself. I pray I and so many other women can see ourselves through our Heavenly Fathers eyes instead of the enemies. Thank you for this.
Nicole
I grew up with a father that suffered so much mentally and a lot of what he said to me as a child was shaped by what he was told as a child. I would never amount to anything, It was my fault he was unhappy, I was stupid. As a result I lived in survival mode-I didn’t dare to dream, after all, I was too stupid to do anything. Through LOTS of Bible Studies and reading books by Godly women I have been able to forgive my dad, he didn’t know any better and I have learned many beautiful truths from God’s Word. One of my favoirite verses is Psalm 139:14 “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”When my friends son was born on Dec 7th, and I had the privilege to hold him lots on his first day I told him over and over how much Jesus and I love him and that he was fearfully and wonderfully made by God for a great purpose. I will continue to speak truth into Daniel-truth has set me freeand truth will keep him free of the bondage I lived with for so long.
I should not be surprised that I come across your post today. I am struggling with both physical chronic pain, but also the pain of growing up believing exactly what you did. You could’ve described mine and my sister’s world growing up! Thank you for sharing a painful part of your life and that there is hope for healing.
The is definitely hope Kathy and BTW I have lived with Chronic pain since a 2004 MC accident with failed back surgery followed by Lyme Disease-it is amazing how two lives can cross with similar backrounds-definitely a God coincidence. I don’t know how I would get by without Jesus!! Have a blessed night!
Words have a powerful impact, even if you don’t believe it. I pray for you all to receive the Lord’s deliverance from all those words that were spoken of you and became curses.
I am thankful I read this post. I also have a dad who is now dead say some very mean and hateful things to me growing up. Te last time he saw me he said he was proud of me, although his actions did not match is words. My husband was working on me to forgive him, he died after surgery on 12/18/14. I am struggling right now with guilt over an accident I ad with my dog Bob the beagle named after Bob the builder, he was 13 years old he ended up with a broken leg, I tried too make the best decision for him I had his leg amputated, my son and his friends were furious with me. He ended up dying in his sleep next to me on Saturday morning I work third shift,