Lies That Woman Believe Chapters 1 and 2

For a while i have been going to a bible study group and reading and discussing the book Lies Woman Believe. I have really enjoyed this book and this bible study group, so i thought i would write down some of my thoughts about the different lies and the Truths that go against them.

The first chapter of the book goes over what a lie is and how lies affect us. The author, Nancy Leigh DeMoss explains that "anytime we receive input that is not consistent with the word of God, we can be sure Satan is trying to deceive and destroy us". We become deceived by many things that look good and right, but are completely against God's word. The example the author uses is when satan tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. If the fruit had been rotten and crawling with worms, Eve would not have considered disobeying God. However, Eve's first mistake was listening to the serpent's words (which were inconsistent with the word of God). We can't always help what we hear, but we can control what we listen to. The point the author is making is that "every act of sin began with a lie. We listen to the lie, we dwell on it until we believe it, and then we act on it". Each time we sin, it becomes easier to sin again until there is a groove in our hearts. We need to identify the lie at the root of our behavior and than replace those lies with the Truth. We can find all the Truth we need in the Word of God.
So, i'm just gonna go over the first group of lies during this post, and they are called--Lies Woman Believe About God:

1. "God is not really good. If He were He would......"
Many of us believe this lie, even if not consciously. It is important for us to remember that good is not just getting our own way. Even when God's choices do not seem good to us, He is still good. God's word says, God is good and everything He does is good (Psalm 119:68). In my opinion, this is where I need deep, sturdy faith. If i believe that the Bible is God's word, than i have to have faith that what the bible says is true. Even when i don't understand why certain things happen, I need to have faith that "All things work together for good..." even if i don't see the good, i believe it is there.

2. "God doesn't love me"
Much like lie number one, many of us believe God couldn't love us, because if He did, things that cause us pain would not happen. The Truth is--God loves us whether we feel loved or not, or whether we deserve it or not. Not because we love Him or what we may "do" for Him, but because He is love. He loves us with a love we will never, ever be able to reciprocate or earn. God's word says that He loves me so much that He gave up His son to die for me, just so I can be with Him (John 3:16). That's love.

3."God is just like my father"
A woman's view of God is often greatly influenced by the men she has known, especially her father. This puts a huge burden on our fathers, and many times they don't even realize the influence they have in that area. No matter how wonderful or godly our father's may have been, they will always fall short of who God is. God is not like any man we have ever known. If we want to know who God really is, we must turn to the Word of God!! If we take the time to get to know Jesus, then we will know what God is like. Compassionate, tender, merciful, forgiving and worthy of our trust. He is wise enough to not give us everything we want, as no father should, and even disciplines us in order to teach us, as all fathers should. "God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness"(Hebrews 12:10).

4. "God is not really good enough"
Again, few of us would consciously believe this, but the way we live shows that we do. We don't really believe that God and His word are truly enough to help us deal with life. We say, "I need God plus close friends; I need God plus a husband; I need God plus good health, or children, or a job that pays enough, or I need God plus these Christian books, or tapes or counselors". We can not base our joy on our circumstances. If all of our "things" were taken away, we still need to have joy in the Lord. When there is nothing else left, will God be enough? When there is nothing else I can do, there is nothing else to do than to turn to God and let Him take care of it. This is a biggie for me and the lie that hit me hardest in this section. I struggle to fix every problem my own way, and I'm usually wrong, and my way never works in the long run. God's ways are the best, and even though at first it may be hard to accept the way in which He wants me to approach a problem, in the end, it always works out for my (and my family's) best. How do we find out what God's ways are? Read His word.
Almost done......

5." God's ways are too restrictive"
The world tells us to "have it your way", and "no one has the right to tell you what you can or can't do". The Truth is--obedience leads to freedom. God's laws are for our own good and protection. Deuteronomy 6:24-25 tells us that God commands us to obey His laws so that we might always prosper and be kept alive. He is not being an ogre, He is our creator, and He knows what's best for us. We are free to choose our own way, but we do not get to choose the consequences. God doesn't want us to hurt and have negative consequences, so he gave us laws to follow. When we choose to disobey, we get the consequences.

6." God should fix my problems"
As the author puts it, "this kind of thinking reduces God to a cosmic genie who exists to please and serve us...and it sets us up for disillusionment and disappointment with God: if our problems are not fixed than apparently God has not come through for us". Another thing this kind of thinking does is suggest that the goal in life is to be free from all problems or difficulties. The Truth is that "Living an obedient life does spare us from many problems that are the natural consequences of a life lived apart from God and His ways, but that does not mean that those who follow Christ will be exempt from problems". The Truth is-life is hard. We live in a world that has fallen. Becoming a Christian does not make us immune to pain. The good news is God is not detached from our problems The Bible says that God is "a very present help in trouble"(psalm 46:1) He doesn't make our problems go away, but He uses them to mold and shape our lives. God has a purpose for our problems. He wants to use our problems to change us and to reveal Himself and His grace and power to us and to the world.

So, that's the first section. I kind of made it a little longer than i wanted to, but there was a lot to cover. Next time I will go over the chapter "Lies Woman Believe About Themselves" and i'll try to make it shorter. I hope you enjoyed. I did. The biggest thing i got out of this chapter is that I really, really need to read God's word more than i do. I can not live my life the way i want to without knowing what direction God wants me in. I can not know who God is or how I should respond to life's challenges unless I listen to what He has to say.

Today, i am thankful for:
1. God's Word
2. God's love for me
3. God's peace that passes all understanding, even when my circumstances are making me anxious.