Thanks to everyone who contributed a "good lie" yesterday. If you have not read the post/comments from yesterday, you might want to do so. Hearing some of the comments from various readers surfaced lies that I think I’ve bought into at times. Anyway, these were very helpful. Please feel free to add a lie as you think of one today.
Yesterday, I went into a shop holding three pair of pants. I have been going there for years. Inside are Ruth, Rachel, and lots of clothes. All of these clothes have one thing in common: change. All of these clothes are there to be altered in some way. That is why I was there. These pants needed to be altered. It was very obvious to me that they needed to be altered.
Much of the time, our need for alteration is not so obvious to us. Think about the list of lies on yesterday’s post. When we buy into a lie, we typically don’t think, "I am living a lie" or "I am believing a lie." Rather, we just live according to the lie. It may even feel "normal" to us.
Sometimes we may even say, "I know this is a lie." Yet, the lie remains deep within us. We still believe it — and act upon it.
Breaking free from a lie that we believe (and may even desperately cling to) is not always a simple matter. This is true, especially if the lie has become ingrained. I do think it is important to at least begin to identify some of the lies that have become so important to us.
Earlier this morning, I was reading in The Little Book Of Hours. Today, there was a reading by Frederica Mathewes-Green:
The starting point for the early church was this awareness of the abyss of sin inside each person. God, who is all charity and light, wants to make us perfect as he is perfect, shot through with his radiance. The first step in our healing, then, is not being comforted. It is taking a hard look at the cleansing that needs to be done.
I want to take a hard look at the cleansing or alteration that needs to be done.
Right now I am wondering what there is within us that may even want to believe a lie. I do realize that sometimes we believe that the lie is true. Yet, at other times, in our more honest moments, we may even recognize that we are buying into a lie and yet we continue on, living as if it were true. What do we get out of such lies? Why do they have such a grip on our hearts?
Buying into a lie allows me to avoid the responsibility of facing the sin in my life. I can just pretend it’s not there or pretend I can’t help it or pretend it’s someone else’s fault. It allows me to continue to be lazy and irresponsible and, yes, sinful. Much more comfortable to live in illusion. At least it seems that way in the short term.
Hi Jim
Good post with good questions … I blogged about this a while back …
http://carpentershand.blogspot.com/2007/06/get-real.html
Jn 3 in the message talks about us being addicted to denial and illusion … I thought alot about that when I read it … wondering why we are … I came up with a few thoughts … copied a portion here that maybe sheds a little light?
Why are we addicted to denial and illusion? How does it serve us? There is a key in this passage. It says, “ … addicted to denial and illusion, fearing a painful exposure …â€. That’s it. We don’t want to be exposed. I think we think if people saw us as we really are, they wouldn’t accept us. This strikes at one of the core needs we are wired with. The need for relationship – to be understood and valued. The need to be loved.
Perhaps, if we admit our struggles and failures, we would have to admit that the beautiful facades we have invested in, the beautiful facades so carefully crafted and built, are just that. Facades. Facades built on a lie. The lie that we are good enough. The lie that we can make it on our own. Outside of Christ, our righteousness is as filthy rags. We are not self-sufficient. We are not self-made. We are completely dependent on God, whether we like to admit it or not. He is the reason we breathe! In him, we live, move and have our being. Acknowledging this, brings us face to face with who we are, and who God is. It’s a scary thing to stand naked and exposed before him, covered in the mud and grime of our everyday endeavours. But it is only when we step into the exposure of his light, that he can begin to clean us up. It is a humbling thing to put yourself in the hand of another.
Hope that sparks some more thoughts! Keep asking questions!
Peace
Sassiekiwi,Wonderful comment! I really like what you said regarding "facades." Well said. Thanks so much for coming by.