The Lies We Believe

First, a teensy bit of housekeeping. I hear some of you have submitted comments, but they have not actually come through to me. I've addressed this with Google and they told me that it must be that your browsers are either old, buggy, or have third-party cookies disabled. Whatever that means. I do know you should make sure that you see the little "your comment is awaiting moderation" message. So, if no comments come through in the next couple of days (Please load up the comments section so I can test the changes I've made on my end!), I'll probably set up an email for y'all to send comments to. Okay, now that that's out of the way...

Today has been rough. I've felt triggered, or on the edge of triggered, all day long for no good reason. Ever have days like that? Days where something just feels wrong?

I've come to the conclusion that these days are frequently a result of our believing what someone else has told us. For example, I am overweight, and my believing what society tells me, that this makes me unattractive, can send any day into a tailspin. I also sometimes fall into believing that my marriage defines me, which would not be a good thing; that my cutting, depression, or other issues keep me from being worthy of anything; and, even worse, that my weaknesses mean that I can't be Christian, that I can't be saved.

So, let's address the one common theme, here: shame - shame about our bodies, shame about our beliefs, shame over recent actions, shame about our relationship status, shame about our job, shame about our illnesses or struggles. In the words of one of my favorite songs, "Let no one caught in sin remain inside the lie of inward shame" (Matt Maher, "Christ is Risen"). Did you catch that - the lie of inward shame. That shame you feel, it's not true. Should you ask forgiveness for things you do wrong? Absolutely, but then it's over. No shame. Should you strive to be healthy in all ways? Yes, but that does not mean being ashamed of your current body or mental health state.

What lies have you caught yourself believing? Do you have a way to combat them? Share away in the comments!

Oh - and don't forget the song challenge! Find any song, any genre, that addresses self injury, depression, and/or related issues in a positive way and share the title and artist below. You can also create a song and share the link to a recording of it!