So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 NIV
I hung up the phone, tears stinging my eyes. Head buried in my pillow I let it all out. I haven’t cried like that in a long while. It was as if my soul was weeping. One comment from a friend sent me spinning.
And in that moment, I heard the lie that I wasn’t good enough or even enough yet again. I wrote about that very lie in my book Stop the Lies – 30 Days to Freedom.
As I nursed my wounded heart with more tears, the lie grew louder. “You are releasing this book on overcoming lies and you’re a mess. You are a fraud.” But I’m not a fraud. I am a child of God. I am a new creation.
Victory over the Lies: I am Free
Friends, in that moment, I did what the Holy Spirit has been training me to do. I began to declare who I was in Christ. Two things happened. One…I silenced the enemy, the lies stopped. Two…I stopped crying, took a few deep breathes, washed my face, and went to sleep.
The next morning I woke with a sense of mission. In the stillness of the morning, I remained quiet and still before the Lord. I invited Him to examine my heart. Staying in bed a few extra minutes, I soaked in the silence. There is nothing like knowing that the God of the Universe is taking inventory of my heart and preparing it for the work that lies ahead.
After about ten minutes I was ready to greet the day. I jumped into my routine of recording my blessings, reading my Bible and a devotional, praying over my prayer team and listening to a podcast sermon while walking my neighborhood. And all the while, I’m asking the Lord for direction to work through the pain of the night before.
I finished my walk and headed to my prayer mat. I asked the Lord to show me where this lie first took root. It felt different than the other times I had prayed about not being good enough. “Show me where I first heard the lie of not being good enough. Show me where I began agreeing with the enemy. Show me where I opened the door to the enemy and allowed him to take territory from me.”
The Lord tells us if we ask for wisdom, He will give it to us. I needed wisdom. I want to be free from all the lies I believe and something in me said, “This is a big one.” I wanted to repent from my unbelief.
Repentance is a Gift
God did not disappoint. Within a few minutes, He brought back a memory from 25 years ago, then another one from 14 years ago. They were similar. I could see how they were linked and how they fed each other.
I asked the Lord to forgive me for agreeing with the enemy. I repented off leaving a door open when this first happened 25 years ago. I replaced that lie with Truth, the truth of Scripture.
By now, I was standing over the stove making oatmeal. Eyes closed I prayed blessings over all the people involved. Both the people who had hurt me with their words and the people I had been compared to as not good enough. I prayed over them like never before.
The timer went off and I opened my eyes. To my astonishment, I saw that my oven has convection settings. I have had this oven for over a year and I never realized I could both bake and roast using the convection feature. As someone who loves to cook and the kitchen is probably my favorite room in my house, I was elated.
It was not lost on me that when my eyes were opened. I was able to see what my oven could do. I had been “blinded” to the capabilities of my oven. This lie had taken up residence for 25 years. It blinded me. I opened my eyes. I could see. I am free!
I am Free Steps to Freedom
Friends, when your buttons get pushed, rather than manage them, which I had done unsuccessfully for 25 years, take the thing that triggered you to the Lord. Go before Him and ask Him where did it all begin. Sometimes we don’t even know what lie we are believing. If that’s the case, ask Him what lie you are believing and when it first took root.
Then, simply wait. Wait on the Lord. There have been times I’ve waited minutes like this incident, but there have been other times I’ve waited weeks. Don’t give up if it takes weeks. Hang in there. He’s waiting for the perfect time to show you. He’s on a schedule. He will not be rushed. He will show you when you are ready to receive it. Sort of like Tom Hanks character in You’ve God Mail. If you’ve seen the movie, then you get my reference.
Once He shows you the lie and the memory, begin the beautiful process of repentance. Repentance is a gift not a curse or a shaming practice. Repentance is a beautiful package neatly wrapped that once opened allows you to see and be free. Repent of believing the lies and agreeing with the lies. Replace that lie with Truth from God’s Word. Finally, speak a blessing over the people involved. Call on the Lord’s favor over their life.
That may seem like a scary proposition, speak blessings over someone who has wounded you. But when we release those who hurt us, we get free. What I find is that when I begin to do that, I start to smile. It’s counterintuitive, I know. Smiling over the many blessings God can pour out over those who many would say don’t deserve it, but it’s so worth it. There is no greater feeling than when the Lord sets you free from a bondage that has held you for a long time, maybe as long as 25 years, maybe longer.
Go Deeper
If this post spoke to you and you would like to go deeper, I would encourage you to get my book Stop the Lies – 30 Days to Freedom. I walk you through how to get free and I give you declarations and scriptures you can declare every day to help you.
“So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through.” John 8:36 The Message
