| FURTHER REFLECTIONS As I have shared this breakthrough with others, the response has been astounding. Many have shared their deep fears and doubts. It seems most of us carry around unconscious lies that have profoundly affected our lives. One lady said she never really believed God loved her, despite hearing it all her life in church and knowing the right doctrine. A very sweet lady wrote that she has dealt with rage for years and is excited to get to the root. Another man became aware that he was calling himself an idiot when he made a mistake on a project. Another told me he was always known as "dead end Bob." He couldn't really explain what it meant, but it wasn't positive. Others have taken on the guilt of their parent's failures having heard "It's all your fault." Others have heard, "why can't you be like your brother?" and have lived in a prison of comparing themselves with others and never measuring up. Otherwise successful people have never felt like they have measured up to the expectations of others. The amazing thing is that this all came from people who knew these things weren't true in their minds. If you asked them if they knew God loved them, they would say, "Sure He does." If you asked me if I believed I was an idiot, I would say, "No, of course not." If you asked someone if their parent's failures were all their fault, they would say, "No, my parents made their own choices." So what is going on here? Why did I think I was an idiot for sixty-eight years as a college graduate? Why do we believe the truth in our minds and believe lies in our hearts? I think it relates to Paul's prayer for the Ephesian church, "I keep asking the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people and his incomparably great power for us who believe." (1:17-19) It is a matter of revelation in our hearts. Our hearts must be enlightened. It is not a matter of believing "what we are supposed to believe." We must "see" with the heart. This insight has shed new light on old verses for me. For example, I understand how we are "sanctified (set apart) by the truth, your word is truth." (Jn. 17:17) When I saw the truth in my heart, I was set apart from the lie that was feeding my anger. The phrase "the Word of truth" has new meaning to me. "Rightly handling the Word of truth," means replacing lies with the truth in our hearts. And how about this powerful statement: "Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." (II Tim. 2:25,26) How does the devil trap us? By lies! "You're an idiot!" "It's your fault!" "God doesn't love you!" "You'll never make it!" Lies like these have been built up over the years and been reaffirmed in our hearts, and they have held us captive. All the devil has to do is have one of his lieutenants fly over us and throw a "fiery dart" lie into our brain and we are in his prison for another day. The good news is "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free... and if the Son sets your free, you are free indeed." (Jn. 8:32,36) Talk about a familiar verse that has new meaning for me! The truth has conquered the lie that held me in prison for years. Now I am free. The power of truth in our hearts, not just our minds, is amazing. Now my prayer is: "Lord, please enlighten the eyes of my heart with your spirit of wisdom and revelation to expose the lies I am believing and replace them with the truth." The cosmic battle is between lies and truth in the heart of every person. |