Combating Lies

In this day in age of the takeover of social media, it's becoming increasingly hard to not get caught up in the "world" and get lost in a distorted view of ourselves.

I'm ALL for social media when you are cautious about how you use it.

However, there are times you realize you are just as swept up in the hoopla as the next person.

Today, I'm keeping it real.

In this social media hyped world, I think we get inundated with images of perfection.  "She" is the perfect mom.  "She" is the perfect wife.  "She" always looks like a super-model. "She" never loses the juggling act and drops the ball.  "She" has it easy.  "Her" kids are prim, proper, and well-mannered.

Yes, those don't really exist.  We just tend to see the good because that is what is most often posted or written about.

Yet, we live in a REAL world.

Keeping it real says:  I'm not like that and it's OK.

Keeping it real says:  I'm struggling.  I'm failing.  I'm far from perfection.

Today, I'm keeping it real.

I've got caught up in the comparison trap.  I've been comparing myself to too many others and feeling as if I don't measure up.

It doesn't matter that I know the truth.  I've still fallen into that trap.  A lie of Satan.

We've embarked on an incredible journey with our elementary kids (about 85 1-5th graders) on Wednesday nights.  Our staff put together a FANTASTIC program this semester that we call Combat 607.  We get all decked out in our camo gear and show up READY to combat the lies of Satan.  Spiritual warfare.  We are going through popular lies that Satan tells us and we learn how to combat it with the truth of God and scripture.  My heart has been overwhelmed seeing the enthusiasm of the kids and listening to them repeat scripture that is hidden in their hearts.  I'm not talking little 5 or 6 word verses.  I'm talking passages.  Some of these kids can put us as parents to shame!

In the teaching, which is obviously meant for the kids, I've found that I'm learning just as much as they are.

I'm realizing that I've been in a battle and I've not been pulling out the power that LIVES inside of me.

I've been listening to lies.

At the risk of being more vulnerable than normal, I admit that I have abandonment issues.  I have confidence issues that stem from being an in process reformed perfectionist.  I just now am fully embracing the meaning of unconditional love.  I greatly struggle with balancing what forgiveness means and what it doesn't (that's a HUGE one!).

I realized that I was allowing the lies of Satan in my own heart.  For me, it was most apparent in my responses to what I would see on facebook.

Because of my own struggles and past (they do shape us!---we just have to learn healthy ways to respond), I was getting so caught up in the comparison trap that I was crushing my own spirit and blocking my connection with God.

Why does that person support him/her, but totally ignore me?  How does that person always keep it together?  I can't do anything NEARLY as good as that person, so why bother? That person clicks "like" on EVERY one of that person's posts....but if I had put the exact same thing, they would have avoided my post like the plague.  I could go on and on........

It was breaking me.

It sounds ridiculous to write it out now, but at the same time I KNOW I'm not the only one facing it.

We want people to like us.  We want to be seen as having it all together.  We want to be connected.

THAT is why social media sites like facebook and twitter have exploded.

We want our voices to be heard.

We want people to support us.  Acknowledge us.  We want people to see inside of us and still like us.

Yet, we are ending up disconnecting.  We end up discouraging ourselves and others.

I've been caught up listening the the lies of Satan.

You don't matter.  You aren't good enough.  No one sees you.

LIES.

The truth is found throughout scripture.

The battle is won with the truth of God.

I just failed to embrace it fully enough.  I "know" the truth.  I just haven't been applying the truth.  I've not been waging war against the lies.  I've just been accepting them as normal and as reality.  Lies may hurt.  Lies can destroy if allowed to take root.

Yet, TRUTH is MORE powerful.  Today, I choose to embrace the truth.  Even if it means repeating it over and over so that it moves from my head to my heart or from my heart to my head.  Even if it means shutting off the outside world for awhile.  Even if it means avoiding relationships that are toxic.

Embracing the truth.  Combating the lies.