Five Truths To Give You Hope
My own mind likes to lie to me.
It’s amazing to me, that I could believe lies and that those lies are coming from me. But there it is. Maybe this happens to you too? I’ve been fighting against myself for a while now, trying to combat the lies one by one, trying to identify them, and it’s been exhausting.
I so easily forget that though the Christian life may not be easy, it is simple. It always comes back to the same few basic principles. It’s just trying to remember those principles in all areas of life.
So I made a list. Five truths that I want to see every day to combat the lies in my head.
1. The joy of my salvation outweighs all difficulty. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. | Psalm 51:12
No matter what I’m going through, no matter how I feel today, no matter the depression, the sadness, the difficulty, I always have the joy of my salvation. Does it erase the sadness? No. But it does outweigh it. No matter what, after a short vapour of a life, I will spend eternity with God in Heaven. And that joy allows me to get through anything down here on earth.
2. God is always good. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. | Psalm 27:13-14
We say the phrase, God is good, easily in the good times. We say we believe it in the hard times. But I have to ask myself, do I really believe it? Do I live like I believe it? Is it a truth that I preach to myself, no matter the road God has asked me to walk?
It can be a hard truth to swallow when it seems as though nothing in my life is good. How can God be good in the middle of difficulty? I think that the Psalmist in chapter 27 is preaching this truth to himself. He’s reminding himself that God is good, no matter what is happening. That leaning on the Lord will get him through.
If I don’t believe in the goodness of the Lord, I will faint. I will fade away.
3. I am never alone. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with
such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. | Hebrews 13:5
This is a hard one for me. I often feel so alone. The lies I tell myself are that no one could love me, no one could understand what I’m going through, that I have to get through things on my own.
And while this is a lie on so many levels, the most important one is that Jesus is always with me. I will always have His strength, His comfort, His presence. He will send others, there will be people who love me along the way, but no one ever cared for me like Jesus.
4. I can do all things God has asked me to. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. | Philippians 4:13
At first, I wrote this out as, I can do all things through Christ. But I needed to tailor it a little more. You see, sometimes I ask myself to do all the things that God has not asked me to. And then I wonder why I’m running out of strength.
God has given me tasks. They are not the same as yours, they might not even be the same as what I want. But He has asked me to live a certain life, and He has given me just the right measure of strength to do whatever He has asked. Nothing more, nothing less.
5. I can control my thoughts. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. | Philippians 4:8
Well, I needed this one. My thoughts like to grow feet and run away with me. I can find myself dwelling on a situation, or a lie, or even sin, and before I know it, that thought has grown and grown until it’s hard to control.
I memorized this verse as a little girl, but it is so powerful. It starts right off reminding me to think only what is true. The list continues, but even if we stopped there, whatsoever things are true, it would be enough.
This is a simple, yet difficult to apply principle. But one I’m determined to do through Christ’s strength. And I know that it’s possible, because He said it is.
Would you like to join me in preaching these five truths to yourself?
I made them look nice and printed them out for my fridge so I see them every day. My goal is to remind myself of these truths so often, that there is no room for the lies. I’d love for you to join me! Just click on the picture below and sign up for the newsletter and I’ll send you the PDF of these truths for your fridge too!
Let’s fill our homes and our minds with the truth of God’s Word this week.
