Sweet Little Lies
“More” and “better” messages are everywhere. There’s no escaping them.
These are the messages telling us to achieve contentment by being more and better. You know - earn more, buy more, have more, be better, do better - the basic premise behind everything the world says we need in order to find more satisfaction and joy in this world.
Without even recognizing it, I find myself buying into these messages all the time. Before I know it, I’m wondering how many years Juvederm could take off my face. I’m trying intermittent fasting to see if it can help me drop a few pounds. I’m looking for the perfect dress for the summer wedding season. I’m tweaking my work schedule trying to maximize my quarterly bonus. The list is endless.
These thoughts invade my life as naturally as oxygen fills my lungs. And I hate it. Why? Because these messages so easily replace the countercultural truths of the Bible. Without sustained effort, I am living by the world’s truths instead of God’s truths.
What does this mean on a daily, practical level for me? It means that I have to be pondering God’s word in some way every day. Sometimes I sit with it and journal what it’s saying to me. Sometimes I listen to it when I’m driving down the road. And sometimes I sit with a couple of different versions of the Bible to see which one resonates with me in a new and meaningful way.
Whatever way I can get it, I simply NEED God’s truths to wash over my mind and heart to remind me of what God says brings contentment.
Secondly, it means that I am in constant communication with God in prayer. I want to be freed from the stronghold of the world’s messages and I cannot do this on my own. Only with God’s grace and divine power can the Holy Spirit move to uproot the lies and the destruction they bring to my life. I am so thankful for a God who created us for relationship, who wants to hear from us, and who wants to help us understand that it is His love that completes our joy.
Finally, it also means that I surround myself with other believers who love me enough to help me replace the world’s messages with God’s truth. Mostly women, they can tell me when I’m being too tough on myself. They can challenge my “why” on how I’m spending my time, money and resources. They can gently remind me that, despite what the world wants me to believe, God says I am enough.
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.” What ways do you find helpful in renewing your mind? I’d love to hear!