Recovering from the Lie

Recently, someone told a lie about me.  Not one of those kind of behind-your-back, nasty kind of lies, it was a strange one.  He said it right to my face, and as the words invaded our conversation like so many armed soldiers, though I was shocked by them, I didn't immediately recognize it as a lie.  After all, this was a person of authority in my life, and I've been taught anything, it's to respect authority.  I respect it to the point where I don't even realize when someone in authority may have malicious intent, because people in authority are supposed to have my best at heart.  But sitting here, with a jar of antipasto and a box of cookies, I'm starting to think that the lie affected me even more than I originally thought.  Ok, I know I can't solve life's problems with a jar of antipasto, but on the off chance it's clearing my head, I'm think the old adage "Sticks and stones may break my bones..." might have been misquoted.  

Now, this is a lie that has bared itself as false, at least I can gather evidence from my own life and experience that show it as untrue, no matter how relevant or pertinent this authoritative figure believed it.  It has taken me a few weeks to sort it out, and it might take a few more picking off the residual pieces of this lie - but to ignore the power of it would be dangerous. This is not to say that the lie itself had the power, but as I heard it, and transferred it through my mind and my heart I gave it power that was damaging, and left unchecked could have made a casualty of my self confidence.  

This whole experience has made me think both about the others that have been influenced by lies told to them, as well as my own position of authority.  Have I told lies to students, believing I know what's best for them that were damaging? Of course, the ones that come to mind usually center around, Of course you need to know how to complete the metaphorical analysis of a poem, you will use it all the time... but I'm sure there have been others.  I am sorry for them.

What are the lies that you've believed about yourself? Where did you hear them, and what damage have they caused? Recognize them for what they are, and be prepared to do battle.  You aren't good enough. How could God ever use you? You're a screw-up. You're not worth anything. You're ugly, no one wants you.  These are evil words, and only some of them.  They sneak down deep into the recesses of your soul, and desire to tear you apart, to keep you from what God has for you.

SO, take the time you need.  Recover.  But as I have discovered, recovery is not a process where you sit back, relax and everything is made right.  Recovery is hard, you need to be active in it, so active that it sometimes feels like a battle.  But, know the truth! 

By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which he has called you, and how rich is his glorious inheritance in the saints. Ephesians 1:18

Beware of the lies that come cloaked in good advice.  Know who and what God has created you to be! I think the best thing - out of all of this, this process of recovery, that God has granted me the ability to understand that it's not these broken people in our lives, who speak over us - maybe with good intentions that we need to fight against.  In truth, they need as much love as we can give them.  It is the LIE itself, that we need to tear apart from its very root.  For the people we see every day...

But, he's already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women.  It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don't take yourself too seriously - Take God seriously. Micah 6:8 MSG