You Are Not Behind: How to Start Building a Life You Love TodaySample

Day 4: Identify the Lies You Are Believing

What makes you feel behind?

Is it your relationship status?

Where you are in your career?

The amount of money you have, the things you own, or the place you live?

Or is it something less visible?

Is it how insecure you feel? Despite your age, do you still find yourself walking into a room and feeling small or left out?

Is it a lack of confidence in who you are? Even if you can fake it on the outside, do you worry you’ll never be good enough?

Or is it another struggle you’ve yet to outgrow? No matter how many times you’ve tried, you just can’t seem to overcome that same cycle you’ve been in for years—and you’re starting to wonder if you ever will.

Maybe it’s your relationship with the Lord. Do you still have questions and doubts? Do you feel like this whole Christian thing should be easier? Does everyone around you seem to have a handbook on how to get close to God, but you somehow missed that class in Sunday school?

When everyone around us seems to have it all together, we can feel like we are falling apart in comparison.

It’s okay to be honest with yourself and God about what you hope could be different. Being honest with Him is where we find out who He really is, which is faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3), good (Nahum 1:7), and kind (Romans 11:22). Then, you can start to untangle the lies you believe about yourself and about him that rob your heart and mind of seeing what is true.

So we return to what is true. We open our Bibles and find out what God has to say about the lies we believe. I’ve found three simple steps to do this:

Acknowledge something is a lie. If it contradicts God’s Word, it’s not true. Sometimes we need a faithful friend’s help, so send the text or make the phone call and ask someone if what you’re believing is a lie.

Replace the lie with what the Bible says is true. (And there’s no shame in googling to find a verse if you don’t know where to look.)

Repeat God’s words over and over until they feel real. Which sometimes feels crazy, but eventually the words will stick. Then the next time the lie creeps back in, the truth will more quickly come to mind.

That’s it. If the enemy whispers in your ear, you can tell him and yourself of what’s true:

God has a good purpose and plan for you. (Jeremiah 29:11)