Set Free to Live Free: Breaking Through the Seven Lies That Women Tell ThemselvesSample

Day One: Freedom is a Choice

It took many years of wandering around an emotional desert to reach a place of day-by-day, step-by-step working through the lies that limited me. As a physician, I have the privilege of intimate access into the lives of women from various age groups, educational levels, and socioeconomic conditions. Daily I glean information from these women who successfully overcame life’s challenges. My findings helped me to overcome my own personal struggles, and now it is time to share what I have learned.

One key component these overcoming women had in common was a grounded belief and trust in Jesus. They were certain not only that He existed but that He was able to do more in their lives than they could possibly ask or think. He was not a religious figure but a daily acquaintance, a confidant, a beloved friend. To these women, Jesus was not someone to be talked about but rather someone to talk to. While some women may find their way to a psychotherapist’s couch for consultation, this sisterhood found themselves on their living room couches confiding in the Great Counselor.

There are Five Stages of Freedom that serve as common ground for those who choose to overcome. We’ll cover the first stage today and the remaining four tomorrow. 

Stage One: Illumination—Peek Inside Yourself

The right light helps you see the true you. Every blemish and imperfection is laid bare beside every area of smooth complexion. After taking an honest inventory of your true self—not the person you present to people when you are made up, but the you in the mirror who looks back with vulnerability and hope—then the artist in you can visualize what you want your canvas to display.

As living art forms, we have the ability to move in and out of the light. We can choose to be illuminated for deeper examination by ourselves and others. Or we can choose to remain in the shadows where we will only see in part who we were designed to be, limiting our ability to inspire. You are the number one observer of your life, and you deserve an illuminated view. God’s approval is written upon you.

What patterns in your life keep you from opening the hidden places to God’s light? Confess the ways you try to live in the shadows. Know that God welcomes your honesty about this. He is here to heal you, not to shame you.