The ‘i’ of the Lie

I was raised with my folks telling me things like;
“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
I heard little quips like that all the time.
My mom & dad didn’t know better, they just taught me as they were taught.
And how was that? Like it has been since the beginning of time.
With complete faith in myself.
Without knowing, or meaning to, they taught me the ‘i’ of the lie.
 
Like I said, my parents weren’t bad people, they just didn’t have a Christian upbringing.
They raised me as they thought was right.
They knew what they knew, so they gave what they could give.
And what they left me with, which so many families pass on without even realizing it, was the message of Selfishness‘.
 
Since they did not have God as the foundation for their parenting, like too many households today they unintentionally passed on to me the way of the world.
 
 But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.
   • Romans 2:8
 
Sadly, too many homes who claim to be under the grace of God also suffer from the ‘i’ of the Lie.
 
With the self-esteem push started in the early 1980’s, many of the Christian homes fell into that new culture craze of;
      • The Undeserved Praise
      • The Unearned Trophies
      • The Over Protection to Criticism
      • The Sheltering of any Adverse Consequences
 
That has created a generation of adults who now believe that the most important thing is for you to love them.
The need you to love them as much as they love themselves.
It is a huge part of society who believe that they are the center of the world.
 
It is not a new unhealthy human condition.
The enemy has been using that same lie from the beginning of time.
 
But what IS new, is how fast it metastasized into the disruptive cancer to the global culture that it has become.
 
    For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
   • James 3:16
 
But that is how the lie rolls.
The ‘i’ of the Lie, is the Me, Me, Me, of the self centered person.
 
One who has sincerely surrendered to God, and has a personal walk with HIM, does not, because he can not, walk in that narcissistic manner.
 
The problem is most of the world, and too many in the church, are the exact opposite.
They refuse to die to self.
 
Very articulate voices promote self as the solution, and mock God as the answer.
 
       For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
   • 1 Corinthians 1:18
 
That is the ‘i’ of the Lie. 
That I am the answer.
That if it is to be, it is up to me.
 
That has NEVER been the answer.
 
The new age tell people the power is from within.
There are so many who believe they are God’s.
 
BUT NO!
Like my car’s bumper sticker says.
HE>i
 
    “He must increase, but I must decrease”.
   • John 3:30
 
Like so many others,
I was told all throughout my upbringing;
“I am good enough to be anything I want.”
“I have the ability to get everything I desire.”
 
But when I didn’t become anything I wanted, or didn’t get everything I desired,
I became a victim.
It was never MY fault, because I was trained in the ‘i’ of the Lie.
 
I never personally possessed the intelligence, skill set or ability to be anything I wanted or get everything I desired.
And as I have learned, I never should have believed I did. 
 
But HE does.
 
    But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
   • Matthew 19:26
 
Those who walk the way of The Word know the success that comes in their lives by surrendering to the power of GOD.
 
It has been proven to me, personally, time and time again how when I live self-less, when I give up my control, and after I invite, then allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in me…MORE than what I wanted, far above what I desired happens.
 
I had that moment of clarity where I finally realized I had turned my life toward the authentic life of God, and not the false life of the world.
 
I must conitinue to remove the ‘Self’ of me, so the work can be done by the God IN me.
 
    Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us
   • Ephesians 3:20
 
For me, I had to say goodbye, to the ‘i’ of the Lie.
So I can start denying myself and then live for HIM
 
     – When I realized how big and deep the lie of the world was,
     – When I understood that my self centeredness was the root of my problems
     – When I finally desired to release the world, and walk in The Word;
 
It all came together.
I got it.
I not only knew myself more, but I started to KNOW GOD more.
 
    To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you
   • Colossians 1:27
 
The Truth sets me free from the ‘i’ of the Lie.
Praise God!
 
I love you guys!