don't be distracted by the lies you tell yourself about yourself

Darkness in life doesn't always have to be some big horrific event that instantly and permanently topples a life. Sometimes darkness is the same little lie we tell ourselves every day. We tell ourselves the lie so consistently and believably that in the end, it topples our life every bit as destructively as that big horrific event ever could have.

We tell ourselves we aren't good enough or worthy of love. We tell ourselves my job situation will never get better. We tell ourselves the mistakes of our past define our present. And our future. We tell ourselves I was made to survive life, not thrive in it.

I believe every day is an invitation to be who we were created to be. I also believe there is a force in this world singularly focused on making sure we never discover what that is. That force wants to keep us so distracted by what we think we aren't and all the reasons we think we can't become someone new, that we never take the first step toward becoming who we were made to be.

This force celebrates regret. It loves getting us to the point in life when we look back and realize how much time we wasted telling ourselves the lies that kept us from becoming our best selves. This force knows a world full of people regretting life can never create the beauty in life God has intended - the beauty that comes from people thriving together committed to being their best selves.

God offers a force in our lives that is quite different from the force of distraction. God offers us hope.

I love these beautiful words from Bob Goff this morning:

Dawn waits until there is enough quiet to whisper for us to come back to God. Lies live in the dark. Lies about ourselves, people we love, and the God who is crazy about us. And even if the darkness doesn't destroy us, it can keep us distracted long enough to cause us to miss the hope that comes with the sunrise the next morning. Don't miss it.

As I write this, the sun is beginning to rise. That force that loves to distract us, it hates the sunrise. It knows the sunrise shines a light on possibility. The sun is a constant reminder that yesterday is gone and today we have the power to lean into a new day, and new being. That force knows the sunrise symbolizes hope.

When we look into that sunrise this morning, will we see God's promises - will we see hope? Or will we be too distracted by the lies we told ourselves in the dark?

With the sunrise comes a new day. A new week. And the possibility of a new you.

The truth is - this can be the week you step into being who you've been created to be. Just know there's a force out there doing everything in it's power to make you believe that is a lie.

Don't believe it.