Blinded by the Lies [Series]

Ladies, we have permitted the lies to go too far. Much too far.

A series on our blindness to lies has been on my mind for a few weeks. The more I talk to other women, the more pressing the issue becomes. Some of the words I have heard lately:

"The hurtful words she said really affected me...and now I'm starting to believe they are true."

"That particular sin was just too strong for me to overcome."

"I feel like God has completely abandoned me. I am so alone."

And on and on and on the lies go. Penetrating our souls, sinking our spirits, and altogether twisting our identities into an ugly image we can no longer recognize, let alone face with dignity. How does this happen? It breaks my heart to see such lovely, purposed women--created in God's own image--believing such lies.

And yet, one of those women is myself. 

During the next few weeks, we will be writing on being Blinded by the Lies. Let's face it; we all struggle with believing things about our self-worth, our beauty, our accomplishments and our very lives that simply drag us down...and that can only be the enemy's defeating work. To grant us a Biblical framework about the lies we believe, as well as how we are to overcome them, let's take a look at John 10:

1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”...

Before Jesus utters these words, we see in John 9 that He heals a blind man by granting him sight. The Pharisees, religious leaders of the law, attempt to condemn Jesus for healing on the Sabbath. They continuously badger the healed man with questions about how Jesus healed his blindness, only to get the same response: “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” (9:27).

The Pharisees refused to see the truth. They allowed themselves, in their own selfish ambition and law-based righteousness, to be blinded by the truth set right before their very eyes. In response, Jesus says, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains" (9:41). 

How could they be so blinded to the truth when a healed man stood before them?

And yet, we are like the Pharisees much of the time. As I began praying over the lies I believe, I honestly could not pinpoint any specifics for some time. It took me a good deal of introspection and prayer to begin seeing the lies for the falsities they are! The lies are so interwoven into the fabric of our days that we can hardly even recognize them as impostors. 

But recognize them we will. How? Read John 10:4-5. We will follow Jesus so closely--His words, His actions, His life, His truths--that we will learn His distinct voice and be able to recognize the counterfeit voice...the voice of the enemy doling out lies, misdirection and falsehood. 

I have heard it said that the way to recognize a counterfeit bill is to start by carefully learning the intricacies of an authentic bill. Once a person has spent enough time, energy and focus examining the real thing, they are much more likely to expose the counterfeit. 

Let's expose the counterfeit, ladies. Let's look so closely at Jesus and Scripture that we can begin to tell when a foreign, false voice speaks lies into our days. Let's put off the blinders and let's being to truly see. 

Who's with me?

Stay tuned this month for several posts about specific lies to which we become blinded:

What lies do you believe? How can keeping your eyes on Jesus and learning Him heal you of your blindness?