two truths & a lie
Husband decided the week after Christmas that he wanted to have a party at the house with the leaders of our sales team to talk about goals and kick off the new year. So I scrubbed the toilets, made my famous cheese tray and we opened the doors of our home to those we are fortunate enough to work with on a daily basis. In an effort to get out of work mode and get to know each other a bit more, we played a little game called Two Truths and a Lie. Everyone had about 5 minutes to come up with two things about themselves that were true but maybe not well-known, and one falsehood. It was hilarious to watch people trying to guess which of these random set of facts were not true. It definitely broke the ice and made for some pretty epic stories.
Fast forward a few weeks and I get a weepy message from a friend whose munchkin was dealing with some pretty serious bullying. After sharing the details, my friend asked for advice. As I felt the anger boiling in my bones for the injustice of it all, I heard that still, small voice whisper, “two truths and a lie” and I immediately knew how we were going to attack the problem. Instead of getting wrapped up in the details, The Lord was telling us to go to the source. Let’s skip over all the symptoms and go straight to the disease. The real problem is that we all walk around every day wrestling with two truths and a lie.
The 2 truths of our identity as believers in Christ are that we have power of the Holy Spirit living in us as dearly loved and treasured children of God, and that we have a voice. The lie that the enemy constantly whispers in our ear is that we have neither. There is obviously great significance in both or he would not try so hard to distract believers from their reality. Romans 8:14-17 so beautifully outlines these truths.
"For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."
There is plenty of research that shows if you stand up to a bully, you put an end to the bullying. So what makes someone put up with such mistreatment to the extent that, in some cases, they would even take their own life? Because we believe the lie over the truth of our identity. We teach people how to treat us. One of the most powerful ways we do that is by using our voice. Slaves do not have a voice. Sons have a voice. Daughters have a voice. If there is ever a time we MUST teach our wee ones to own these truths and use them, IT IS NOW! YOU, my precious one, have the power of the Spirit living in you to make a massive difference in this world and you have a voice to create change right where you are. Whether that change happens in Central Africa or in 5th period music class, it doesn’t really matter.
There is power in our voice. When God created the heavens and the earth, He SPOKE them into existence. As children made in His image, we create when we speak. In a day and age where people think freedom of speech means freedom to wound, it is imperative that we stand on the truth of our identity and let all else fall away. Just because some says something about us doesn’t make it true. Even if nobody likes us, everybody hates us, and we’re going to the garden to eat some worms, we are eating those worms in the presence of our Abba Father who will never leave us or forsake us. He will sit down in the dirt beside us and tell us how valuable we are until we lose our appetite for worms.