Lies with Truth

<p>I set my Bible on the podium and stared at the eager faces waiting for me to begin the message. I&rsquo;d prayed and prepared. Why couldn&rsquo;t I speak?</p> <p><em>You&rsquo;re worthless. No one will ever listen to you, especially if they know your past. And God would never use you.</em> Seared into my heart and mind, the words spoken in various ways over my life ignited a decade-long war against the lies I so easily believed. Though I knew the words weren&rsquo;t true, I couldn&rsquo;t seem to escape my insecurities and fears. So, I opened my Bible.</p> <p>Turning to Proverbs 30:5, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before reading out loud. &ldquo;Every word of God is flawless,&rdquo; I said, &ldquo;he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.&rdquo; I closed my eyes as peace overwhelmed me, and I began to share my testimony with the crowd.</p> <p>Many of us have experienced the paralyzing power of negative words or opinions others have of us. However, God&rsquo;s words are &ldquo;flawless,&rdquo; perfect and absolutely sound. When we&rsquo;re tempted to believe spirit-crushing ideas about our value or our purpose as God&rsquo;s children, God&rsquo;s enduring and infallible truth protects our minds and our hearts. We can echo the psalmist who wrote: &ldquo;I remember, <smallcaps>Lord</smallcaps>, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them&rdquo; (Psalm 119:52).</p> <p>Let&rsquo;s combat lies we&rsquo;ve accepted about God, ourselves, and others by replacing negative-speak with Scripture.</p>