How do you feel when you find out someone has lied to you? Angry, betrayed, hurt? Those are a few of the emotions I’ve experienced when the truth has finally come out. How do you actually respond when you discover you’ve been blatantly lied to? Do you confront the person? Ignore them completely? Cut them out of your life? Or after these array of emotions do you finally forgive them and then eventually forget about it?
The one liar each of us battles has been exposed, though we often fail to recognize him: “He [the devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44b).” Of all the things God could call the devil (the father of evil, hate, destruction…) He calls Him the father of lies!
Are there any lies you’ve accepted as truth? The lie that you’re not beautiful, desirable, worthy? The lie that this world would be better off without you? The lie that you’ll never be happy or amount to anything? How about the lie that if you looked like the cover girl of the month everything would be fine and chipper?
“Satan is the master deceiver. Subtly he speaks lies that steer us away from the voice of truth. He knows that physical beauty is fleeting but that the strength of a woman who loves God is powerful beyond measure. Obsessions with food and body are impediments to living the abundant life, and the enemy knows this. This is why he will do anything to keep our minds, hearts, and eyes fixed on our outer appearance.” -HEAL
We live in a blessed country. We have an abundance of food we don’t know what to do with. We have the freedom to vote, to worship, to be educated. We can dress ourselves in pretty clothes, have nice things, live a life of comfort, but yet we’re still not satisfied and believe we need more! We need to be thinner, tanner, richer, taller. As Maslow, the famous 14th century psychologist would put it, since our basic needs are met, we pursue self-actualization, which when applied to many (but not all!) women pursuing idealistic “beauty” is making us internally ugly, empty, envious and void of joy.
Shut out the noise and call upon your Maker, your Savior, and hear His loving voice. As you do, your true, unfading beauty will grow. Joy, peace, gratitude, and contentment will follow. The world is craving a taste of your authentic beauty, not the false Hollywood “beauty” that is causing girls to jeopordize their health and question their value, beauty and purpose in this world.
What lies from the enemy have you believed?
*photo by Katee Grace (copyright protected).
