What Does It Mean To Walk In Truth?

The Lies Began

“If you’re so damn smart, why ain’t you rich?” Those are the words I read hanging above the mini fridge at my grandmother’s house. This sign always made me smile because my grandmother would tell me she pointed at that sign everytime her late husband upset her. I stood in front of the fridge, savoring the coolness coming from it. It was a hot summer’s day in southeast Texas and I had just finished mowing my grandmother’s yard. I went inside to grab an ice cold Dr. Pepper and as I closed the fridge door and popped open the can, I sensed tension coming from my great-grandmother.

This woman was all of 4 foot 11 inches and about as round as she was tall, but you could feel her Italian temper across the room. “Why did you get that, Dr. Pepper?” she asked me. I replied, “Because it’s hot outside and I just finished mowing. I am really thirsty.” She glared into my ten-year-old eyes and said, “You don’t deserve it! What else do you want?” I told her I was looking for my grandma so I could get paid for the yardwork.

The words that followed pierced my childish heart. “I don’t know why you think you should be paid. You don’t deserve anything! All you do is take our money and want more, more, more. Your sister is so good. She sits in there watching TV, minding her own business, and all you ever do is want more!” This was not the first time I had heard these words, but everytime they cut to my core. She found any way to attack me.

Beliefs We Hold From Childhood

A few weeks ago I was watching a zoom call for my stocks class. The teacher helps us to understand our relationship with money. She began talking about beliefs we hold because of things we were told or witnessed as children. In a split second, I went from my zoom call back decades to my grandmother’s kitchen. The Lord was letting me see why I felt I deserved nothing. The teacher said things that were spoken over us as children can affect our relationships and the things we think about ourselves as adults.

The words my great-grandmother spoke over me, I knew, had affected me, but I did not know the belief system she created in me that day. Throughout much of my life, I have felt I had little worth and deserved little. I believed God caused things to happen to me to keep me humble. I believed God would allow me to always be broke, so I would have to rely on Him. Going through this class and spending time in prayer with my friends who have a deliverance ministry, I see the lies for what they are. Lies the enemy has reiterated, and I have believed.

In The Garden

From the moment Eve stood before the enemy in the garden, humanity began believing his lies and having a distorted view of God. The enemy spoke God’s words to Eve and tweaked them just enough to sound right, and made her doubt what she knew was the truth. It worked in the garden and the enemy is still trying to do this to us today.

But God…

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

John 1:14 NIV

God sent His Son to come and live out the truth. Not only do we get to read truth in His Word, but we get to see truth lived out on the pages of the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

I don’t share this story with you to make you feel sad for ten-year-old Jen. I share this so you can celebrate with me because I have seen the lies for what they are and know that God’s truth about me is so much better. God wants to do the same for each of you.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

3 John 4 NIV

The Truth

The single page, fourteen verse book of 3 John mentions truth five times. He opens the book with, “To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.” Truth is God’s word. Everything God says about us, even if we don’t believe it, is truth. The enemy has done an incredible job of convincing us we can have more than one truth. You can even find coffee mugs that say, “Live your truth.” Truth is truth. If is true for one, it is true for everyone.

God wrote us a love story, sharing with us everything He loves about us and wants for us. The Bible, His Word, is truth. Everything else is what the enemy has distorted.

Without thinking about it or praying about it, you probably already know a lie you believe about yourself. The insecurities you feel are a quick clue as to where the enemy is speaking lies to you. I wrote once about “Jesus Filters” and if you have not read that you can read it here. The more you focus on hearing God’s voice, the more you will distinguish the voice of lies.

Discerning His Voice

The other night I had just finished writing my class on Romans and sat down to watch TV. As soon as I sat down, I felt off. In my mind I kept hearing, “That was terrible. You need to re-write it.” Over and over were messages of how bad the class was. The next morning I looked at what I had prepared with fresh eyes and God confirmed this was what He wanted me to share. The voice of the enemy usually sounds like mockery, and creates doubt. When Jesus speaks, He speaks words that bring encouragement. Sometimes they are words of conviction, but they come with love. We must learn to discern His voice.

I encourage you this week to look at the lies you may have been believing. Write them out. Bring them before God and ask Him what truth He wants you to replace the lies with. You may find you will need to speak with a therapist. Sometimes having someone help discern the lies and rewrite your thought process is something we need help with.

I am so glad I’m taking this class I mentioned earlier. Every day she says things that challenge my beliefs. In the challenging, I have come out stronger, closer to my Savior, and much more confident in who God wants me to be. Most of all I get to walk freer in Jesus.