A few months ago I wrote a post called “If I’m Being Honest” where I just shared a lot of random facts about myself that I was learning to accept in an attempt at being more honest about my identity.
I also was challenged before leaving the states to make a list of “Agreements” or basically lies that I believe about myself. This was in an attempt to identify them and to use truth to combat those lies. To fill myself with my real identity and not the one that I believe of myself. In a matter of speaking, it was another version of “If I’m Being Honest” but a bit more serious. I didn’t have a very lengthy list, but today, it got pretty real. I’ve been listening to a lot of lies that I’m believing and are not truth based. I also want to encourage you to get out a journal and your favorite colored pens and write down what is bringing you down. What are you believing that isn’t truth? Your identity fuels your heart and your heart fuels your words. I’m learning that the key to a beautiful heart is a solid identity in truth, and the product of a beautiful heart is encouragement and edification.
AGREEMENTS I BELIEVE (but shouldn’t because they’re total crap)
- You can’t change anything.
- Love isn’t worth it if they don’t love you back.
- If you don’t possess certain gifts of the spirit, your faith is weak.
- If you question anything about your faith, you are weak.
- If you were only more outgoing, you’d live up to a lot more expectations.
- If you need community, you aren’t strong enough to follow God on your own.
- You are incapable of keeping relationships together.
- No one cares about your hurts.
- You should be over it.
- How can you counsel others when you don’t have a better hold on what you believe?
- Yeah, God loves you, but you still need to have it all figured out or he’ll be disappointed in you.
- You could do it if you just tried harder.
- You shouldn’t have to confess it – just fix it!
- Other peoples’ struggles are worse than yours.
- Just get over it – push harder – work more.
- If your convictions aren’t the same as those around you, you must not really be listening to God.
Guys… lies are often just a little twist of truth. Most of these lies are directly debunked by the Gospel. By the sheer fact that I can not gain or lose love from LOVE. I can be convicted but I will never be condemned. No amount of “trying” will get me anywhere. I can’t not be who I was created to be. No amount of keeping things to myself will set me free.
Writing them down is the first step. Write down yours, and seek TRUTH to learn your true identity.
BE 