Chapter Two ~ Lies Women Believe...About God

This week, we are covering Chapter Two from the book, Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

This chapter begins at the heart of the matter. What we believe about God...what we truly believe...not what we think we believe or what we say we believe...impacts how we react to everything in our lives. Realizing Who God truly is puts all the other things we may face in this life in perspective. This chapter begins with Eve, questioning what she believed about God. Like many of us, when life grows difficult and the consequences of sin start sinking in, Eve starts to doubt. There are several points that convicted me at the beginning of the chapter.

Here are a few:

1. Satan knows where you are most vulnerable to being deceived, and that is where he will target his attack.

Our enemy knows us. He knows us well. And, He strikes where we are weak. Unfortunately, we're not that complicated.

2. ...women who claim to believe the Truth of God's Word; but the way they live-their choices, their priorities, their response to pain- reveals that they do not really believe the Truth. However what we believe is revealed, not by what we know or what we say we believe, but by how we actually live. So as we walk through these lies, it's not enough to ask, "Do I believe this lie?" Each of us must also ask, "Do I live as though I believe this lie?"

Yikes! I have been guilty of this more times than I'd like to admit. I know the truth. I say I believe it. There have been times when life gets hard, that I have lived like I believe it. But...there have been other times, when I reacted to circumstances instead...times when I gave into feelings, instead of trusting what I know...times when I looked too closely at the size of the giant in front of me, instead of remembering the size of my God. Too many times.

3. Nancy writes, "I have chosen to start by dealing with lies that women believe about God because there is nothing more crucial than what we believe about God."

Let's look at Lie #1....
"God is Not Really Good. If He Were, He Would..."
It's hard to even type those words. Of course, we believe that God is good, right? I mean, from the time we are very young, we pray that God is good. It's one of the basic concepts of our faith.

Many of you have walked in the places that drive one to question God's goodness. I have witnessed the reaction in others, while mothers stand over the graves of their children, while watching tragedies in the lives of others, trying to understand a natural disaster or an act of terror. I've even, in the recesses of my heart, allowed a flicker of wondering about this very question exist as I watched my mother's terrible suffering at the end of her life. Just for a moment, it lingered.

You've heard people ask the question, "How could a good God allow this to happen?"

Nancy writes, "When turbulence, disappointment, or pain comes into our lives; when we lose people we love; when things don't go as we had hoped or planned, Satan tempts us to wonder, 'Is God really good? If He were, how could He have let this happen?' or 'Why would He have kept this good thing from me?'

I have been tempted by Satan in this area....meaning, He has dangled the question in front of me. In moments when I grow weary with the overwhelming amount of suffering that exists. But, each time, God reminds me gently and lovingly of all that He has done. And, I rest in His goodness. All lies must be combatted...taken captive...by the truth. And, the truth is: God is good, and everything He does is good. (Psalm 119:68)

The truth is: We live in a fallen world, where sin reigns...where death and disease, brokenness, illness, suffering, and sorrow exist in abundance. We live in this world, not because it was the will of our loving, good God...but because of our choice to bring sin into the perfect paradise He created for us. We have hope and redemption through Jesus, because He died for our sins and rose again. But, that doesn't take away the current predicament of living here, in the consequences of a world full of sin. Our time here is guaranteed to have some struggles. God never promised otherwise. He said not to be surprised at the trials, but to expect them.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

 Lie # 2: God Doesn't Love Me

Again, most of us wouldn't say this. Of course, God loves us. "Jesus loves me...This I know", right?

Nancy writes, "But for many women, there is a disconnection between what they know intellectually and what they feel to be true. And therein lies one of our problems: We trust what we feel to be true, rather than what we know to be true." Nancy talks about this being fundamental to the way women are wired. And, it truly is an issue for us...trusting our feelings instead of trusting in what we know.

We must remember, that God loves us...not because of who we are or what we have done. He loves us, because of who He is. And...nothing can change that love.

Loved this quote from Melana, who battled breast cancer: As His bride, we are also eaten up with cancer - sin- and are scarred, mutilated, and ugly, but He loves us because that is who He is.

It's not about what we do or don't do...whether we are deserving of His love. We aren't, but He loves us anyway.

Lie # 3 ~ God is Just Like My Father

This one stops me in my tracks, and brushes up against the most tender places of my heart. Nancy begins by saying, "As women, our view of God is often greatly influenced by the men we have known - particularly our fathers." It is a bit frightening to be as vulnerable as I'm about to be with you. In the darkest moments of my life, Satan has been there to whisper, "Where is your God, now?" I resist that lie, of course, but there is a reason that's the one He chooses. It's the fear of being forsaken...left...abandoned...rejected. I believe that God is good, and that He loves me. But, there is a weak spot for me...in the dark moments...when I'm told my baby is incompatible with life, when I'm standing beside the grave of my daughters on a cold November day, when my marriage was rocky for a season, when my mother...the one constant in my life, since I was born...slowly slipped away from this earth before my eyes. I don't have to embrace that lie. I can resist it, battle it with truth. And, I do...every time. But, there is a reason Satan keeps using it. He knows it's the most effective one for me. He knows, it's the one that just might put a chink in my armor.

Nancy's words are so true, "You must believe me when I tell you that God is not like any man you have ever known."

"The God of the bible is a compassionate, tender, merciful Father."

In Hebrews, He promises: I will never leave you, nor forsake you. 

Nancy's words: ...the Father loves us as He loves His Son. If we believed this, could we ever have an anxious or rebellious thought again? Would we not believe in every conceivable circumstance that the divine Father would care for us in the best possible way and meet our every need?

We can't stop Satan from questioning us...from tempting us to believe His lies...from using the places we have been hurt and weakened. We can't always stop ourselves from wondering if His promises are for other people, but not for us. But, we can control how we react to the lies presented to us. We can fight the lies with the truth.

Lie #4 ~ God is Not Really Enough

This is a big one. This lie tells us that God is not enough...that His word is not sufficient. We need God's word... plus tapes, books, conferences. We need God plus close friends, good health, a good job, children, a husband, a house with all the modern conveniences....etc.

This is the lie that causes us to look for comfort and fulfillment in the things of this world. I have shared that it's an issue for me, for sure. Any time we indulge in the things of this world to make ourselves feel better, we are believing this lie. The woman in the example shared that she went to food for comfort. It doesn't have to be food....there are many earthly things we look to for comfort and fulfillment when life gets tough. What are some of your pluses you go to instead of believing God is enough?

We must remember the truth, as God reminds us in His word...He is all we need. (Col. 2:9-10)

Lie # 5 ~ God's Ways are Too Restrictive

Obedience is a pathway to freedom. Is that how we see it? Do we understand that true freedom comes, not in doing whatever we want with disregard to the consequences but in obeying God's plan for our lives? Do we realize the bondage that entangles us when we indulge ourselves by doing it our way? Do we understand that the restrictions God sets are for our good....they are lovingly placed there to protect us and keep us from the bondage of sin?

The woman in the story shares that she ate what she wanted and felt punished when she tried to restrain herself or deny herself. It doesn't have to be food. There are many ways to indulge our flesh. Food is definitely one that I can relate to, but it may be something different for you.

Lie # 6 ~ God Should Fix My Problems

God didn't promise us a perfect life. In fact, quite the opposite. He tells us to expect trials and tribulations. His only promise is to never leave us or forsake us...to carry us and comfort us...through those times as we cling to Him. But, that's not the way the world we live in thinks, is it? We have immediate solutions to all our problems...or at least we think we should. God does not exist simply to solve our every problem. He is not a Santa Claus, if you will.  And, sometimes, there is a reason that a problem exists. It could be to work in our lives or the lives of those we love for good. It could be to draw us to Him. It could be that we have to walk through that trial in order to comfort someone else one day. Who knows? Our ways...our understanding are not His ways.

God never promised us a perfect life, free from struggles. In fact, when Paul cried out to Him to remove His thorn in the flesh, God responded in 2 Corinth. 12:9 that His grace was sufficient. He wasn't going to take the problem, but He would Paul the grace to endure it.

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There is so much to share this week, so many truths to delve into to combat the lies. I hope you are reading along with us, even if we don't hear from you. This book is such a wonderful guide in combating the lies bombarding us with the Truth from God's word.  There are many more scriptures listed in Nancy's book that I didn't list here. His Word is the most powerful weapon in battling the lies we struggle with. I will be leaving the linky off, but feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section or the Blog Frog Discussion.

Next week, we will be covering Chapter 3: Lies Women Believe About Themselves.