The Truth will set you free

This is not the woman I want to be; clinging to these words that the Enemy sneaks into my mind, to these lies rather than to what I know is true. Oh, he is so good at what he does... belittling me and making me doubt. He just loves that I carry these lies with me everywhere I go; he is so excited that they weigh me down. When I look in the mirror they scream at me, sometimes they can be all that I see: Worthless. Negative. Lazy. Depressed. Not beautiful enough. Not skinny enough. Obnoxious. Lonely. Selfish. My every flaw haunts me. My past creeps into my present and I cry out to my Father and I say, "Oh, Jesus, will I ever defeat these lies?"

He responds lovingly yet humorously, "No, precious. But I have." I am overwhelmed with peace. "But, you see, so long as you focus on these lies, you'll fall underneath their weight. But if, instead, you focus your attention on Me, because I am the Truth, I will lift you so far above those lies that the next time they creep into your mind, you will know to turn to Me. And then this will gradually become a habit, turning to Me when those lies attempt to bring you down."

So instead of focusing on the word 'negative' in an attempt to not be negative, I should just focus on the word 'positive'. This seems so simple writing it out, but the real struggle is living it out. And so, naturally, I am about to use a really cheesy musical metaphor.

I have played piano for about 6 years. And the funniest thing that I noticed while frustratedly pounding through a song is that as long as I am focusing on the part that I always mess up at, I will always mess up at it. But if I begin to play and just really let the music make me focus on the sheer enjoyment of playing, I end up making it through the song. When I cautiously play, dreading that one part I know is my weak spot, I always end up messing up and walking away frustrated. But when I go into it knowing the parts I'm good at and wanting to simply enjoy those, I accidentally end up not messing up.

So if, instead of focusing on these lies that the Enemy plants in my mind, I choose to focus on my Heavenly Father and the truth He declares over my life, I might accidentally become far less sensitive to those lies. Because, if I go into the "song" knowing my strong suits: Jesus' truth about me, I will accidentally end up so focused on those truths that I make it through the part I am not so good at: those moments when a lie is planted in my mind.

This is the woman I want to be; clinging to these words that the Father speaks into my soul, to these truths rather than to the lies the Enemy tries to fool me into seeing as true. Oh, He is so good at what He does... speaking worth into me and making me firm in faith. He just loves that I carry these truths with me everywhere I go; He is so excited that they vindicate me. When I look in the mirror, I can declare His truths about me and know that I, indeed:
Am a LIGHT. Am NEVER alone. Am able to find JOY in my weaknesses. Am a SELFLESS servant. Have so much worth that He lowered Himself to death... even death on a CROSS!
My every strength assures me. My past is NOT my present and I cry out to my Father and I say, "Oh, Jesus, thank You! When I am in CONSTANT communication with You, I have overcome the lies!"

The Father wants us to delight in our freedom; He already saved us from the bondage of our sin! Why do we still choose to submit to the bondage of our faults and our sins? Where the spirit of The Lord is, there is freedom!! (2 Corinthians 3:17)

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"

John 8:31-32