The title might strike you almost as dramatic but today I want to talk to you about lies and why they are one of the most difficult things to give to Jesus; which is exactly why they are costly. 

Let me explain. 

How many of you can list a number of lies that you have believed over the years? Growing up, I was told that I wouldn’t do well in life. And this reflected in the way I behaved at school. I believed I shouldn’t be put in group activities, thinking that my group would fail because of me. I wasn’t happy believing it, and I would try participating. But if anything ever went wrong, I would conclude it was because the group had me in it. I believed I wouldn’t do well. I was always looking for circumstances to prove me right. I started developing stage fright and I would go green if I had to make a stage appearance. When I met Jesus, I wanted to change the things I had believed about myself. But for the longest time, I never realized how foundational these lies were in my life.

Let me come to the second half. Why do I call these lies costly? When you take ownership of certain lies, it makes it easier to face difficult situations. For example, when you start failing exams, you start believing that you are a failure. Over the course of time, your belief even further fuels your future failures and it ends up in a vicious cycle that you cannot get out of. When you fail in bigger things in your future like your marriage or your job, it doesn’t surprise you anymore.It is what you have expected all along. It saves you from the disappointment of believing otherwise. Remember when the Israelites were happy to stay in a known prison than journey with God into an unknown land? That’s how it feels to step out of lies. I call them costly because you tend to value them just like the Israelites valued their captivity. It can make you feel protected and saves you the effort of believing the truth of God. Have you noticed that such lies never feel like it’s been told by someone else; it seems as if it is originating from within you, even if it was someone else who told you so. This is the power of a lie. You have taken ownership of the lie and it is now part of your identity.

For the longest time with Jesus, I didn’t know how to let go of certain lies. I wanted to believe that I was called for greatness, that I am the head and not the tail. But I didn’t know how to do that until recently when I sat at the feet of Jesus not knowing what to offer Him. Not knowing how to worship Him with all my heart and He brought me to the story of the prostitute with the alabaster jar of which we read in Luke 7:36-50. When we think of the alabaster jar, we metaphorically think of maybe our future plans or our life savings or our treasured possessions. But my alabaster jar consisted of those costly lies I had believed. And that is exactly what the sinful woman gave up at the feet of Jesus. Can you imagine yourself being in her shoes ? Every single person in that room knew her. They probably looked down on her, thought of her as worthless. But she chose to bravely surrender. I believe she brought all the lies that she had believed about herself; her unworthiness, her sinfulness, her shame, her guilt and offered it at the feet of Jesus. And that takes an immense amount of courage. She gave her best that day. It wasn’t a shout of praise. It wasn’t a recollection of testimonies. It wasn’t her many achievements. Instead she gave her worst fears, her insecurities, her lies. Jesus didn’t resent her. Instead, He delighted in her.

I would like to call our new covenant, ‘a courageous covenant’. A covenant where we can truly be free. Where we don’t need to hide behind a fake exterior.  Your greatest mistake and your greatest victory, they both belong to God. He will do well with them. If you are wondering what to offer Jesus, offer those lies that you have believed to protect yourself. Because if it is one thing I know about this beautiful Savior, it is that He dreams of the day that His children access every gift He died to bring to us. 

Our guest author for the week wishes to remain anonymous.