10 Lies To Throw Out in 2010
by Jacqui (with additional thoughts by Paula)
To be beautiful, I must be tall and skinny. The truth is, the average American woman’s weight is 163 pounds, and her average height is 5’3.8”. The rest of the world does not come too far behind. According to Jackie Esmonde, author of The Ugly Business of Women’s Beauty, “The weight of today’s fashion model is 25 percent below that of ordinary women. Few of us will ever achieve such proportions, nor should we if we want to be healthy and happy. Given that the images we now see of today’s fashion models were likely digitally altered, the beauty ideal has become so far from possible that it must be computer generated.” You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Get your facts from the Word of God, not from that movie theatre or commercial on the side of a bus.
If I’ve got it, I must flaunt it. Says who? We advertise items we want to sell. According to Nancy Leigh DeMoss, the foundation for your beauty lies in your purpose. To whom do you belong? The Bible says you are not your own. The fruit of the Spirit is humility. Take a good look in that mirror before you walk out of your house and ask yourself who you are doing it for, and if you would do it if Jesus, in His physical form, were walking right beside you.
My hair and clothes define me. They really do not. Pearls and “bling” will never wash away your sin. They cannot hold your hand when you are nervous or wipe your tears away every night. Jesus defines you. His death on the cross and resurrection define you. Every time you think about Him, you should understand that you were worth the God of the universe leaving majesty and wealth and becoming poor, and shedding His blood to buy you. You do not have to look like the latest celebrity. You will leave it all behind one day. Don’t covet your girlfriend’s hair or spend too many hours shopping to outdo someone else.
I can behave any way I want at least once a month. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that PMS is one of the issues addressed in the book Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets them Free. Regardless of your hormonal changes, you are still responsible for your behavior and accountable for the way you treat your brothers and sisters. You cannot make a habit of blaming every single outburst or malicious action on PMS. You will realize that you are becoming angrier and it no longer happens just at certain times of the month. Seek forgiveness when you go wrong and ask God to bridle your tongue and put His joy in your heart.
If we’re monogamous, it’s alright to have sex. No, it isn’t. Marriage (between one man and one woman) is the only legal grounds for sexual intercourse. Sex is first of all spiritual and sacred before it is physiological. It will cause problems for you before marriage. In the paraphrased words of Jon Courson, outside of marriage, it is disastrous, but within marriage, it is necessary.
I have to have a man to be happy. I told myself this one many times. It is a lie from the pit of hell. You do not have to have a man to be happy. You cannot be completed by another human being and any attempt to try and fill a spiritual void with a human being can only lead to disaster. That desire you have can only be met by God. He is your Provider, but the only rightful position He can take in your life is First Place. As you delight yourself in Him, your desires align with His. He will provide that man at the right time and place. Just trust Him. It is very difficult, but try it.
I don’t need a man – thanks to technology and the times, I can be successful and have children on my own. This is another lie many women tell themselves. However, singlehood is a calling and the grace to live it out comes from God. Your first calling on earth, as a woman, is to serve God. Your next calling, generally speaking, believe it or not, is to be a wife and mother. Raising children is the most satisfying thing a woman can ever do. That is what Paul means when he says, “she shall be saved in childbearing.” (1 Timothy 2:15.) This comes before everything else – education, career, fame and even ministry have to take a back seat to motherhood and being a wife. If a man approaches you for marriage, do not rely on your own understanding in responding to Him. Talk to God about it. You can adopt children, but the healthiest and ideal environment for a child is in the presence of both parents.
The number of friends I have determines my worth. This lie is fuelled by things like social networking sites and the world’s continued progression towards a “global village”. The truth is, it is better to have one true friend than to have 500 fake friends. The Lord is the Truest Friend you will ever have and abiding in Him takes away any desire to be approved of by human beings.
If it says it’s Christian, it’s good. Christian nightclubs, Christian movies, Christian fiction books and worldly trends that attach the name Jesus and Christian to themselves are not necessarily what they may claim to be. Many of these are attempts to fit in with the world and convince ourselves that what we are doing is okay. You can become all things to all men, but you are not supposed to be recognizable to the world. You are supposed to be different, unique, strange in your comportment and character. Paul exhorts us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds so that we can know what is that good and acceptable will of God. Branding evil as Christian and expecting God to be okay with it is compromise, delusion and self-deception.
Salvation is liberty, therefore I can behave any way I want. This, too, is untrue. Our works do not save us. But they change when we are saved. The results of salvation are evident in our character and conversation. We act right not in order to be saved, but because we are saved. According to Pastor Agu Irukwu of Jesus House in Brent Cross, London, you can take 8 tests to see if you are going to heaven. Taju Tijani documented these 8 tests. Check your heart for: Pride (1 Peter 5:5), a lying tongue (Revelation 21:8), anger (Ephesians 4:26), sexual immorality (Ephesians 4:3), gossip (Matthew 12:36), covetousness (Exodus 20:17), unkind words (Matthew 12:34-38), and unforgiveness (Mark 11:25). Jesus said many will cry unto Him saying they cast out demons and prophesied in His name. It is evident that a number of these “many” will be made up of people who walk around today calling themselves born again. Be careful!
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