In2theRiver

Good afternoon from Westminster, MD!

Have you ever believed a lie? I would imagine the answer to the question is yes. If you believe the answer is no, refer back to the question. All of us who have lived more than a few days on this earth have believed a lie or two (or a hundred) over the course of our lives. I certainly have. Some of the lies we allow ourselves to believe are relatively harmless. When the scale says we have gained weight, we believe the scale must be broken, discounting the possibility that the couple of pizzas we have eaten over the last week may have more to do with it.

However, other lies we allow to take residence in our minds can have long lasting and damaging impacts on our lives. Someone tells us we will “not amount to anything” and we buy the lie. This can begin to shape the way we see ourselves and the decisions that we make. Instead of believing the future is bright, we begin to believe we have no future. Maybe the lie is more of a personal rationalization about the way you live or see the world. In a world full of information, confirmation bias is alive and well. If you want to believe something, you can find someone who agrees with you. The problem is this never forces you to confront the possibility you are believing a lie. The longer the lie lives within us, the more it begins to become a part of who we are. Eventually, it becomes difficult to discern between the lie and the truth, even when we want to change.

What’s the solution? Replacing the lie with the truth. For example, hopelessness. I used to believe people and places could be hopeless. After spending many years combating and trying to understand poverty, I have come to realize hopelessness is just a lie. People are only as hopeless to the degree to which they and, in some cases, others believe they are hopeless. The truth is there is hope for people trapped in apparent hopelessness and it starts with eradicating the lie by infusing the truth–you were created on purpose and with a purpose by a God who desires for you to thrive. A change in perspective matched with an opportunity to maximize one’s potential can change a life.

Overcoming the lies I believe has been an incredibly important and ongoing process for me. What has made the biggest difference in my life is leaning into the ultimate source of truth–the God who created me. The more I discover and eradicate lies in my life the fuller my life becomes. It has not been an easy process and I am far from a finished product, but the end result is worth it. I want to live a life connected to truth–a life without regret or the need to hide. A life full of love and hope. This starts with asking the question–Am I believing a lie?

James Belt