I never knew my grandmother on my father’s side. I was told she had an expression that went something like, “What will be will be, whether it ever is or not.”
I remember my dad telling me she said that. I was totally puzzled by what it meant until he explained it. What you believe is your reality. It does not matter if it is real or not. If you believe it, then it is real to you.
Lies, lies, and more lies were the basis of what I thought about myself. My world was totally colored by lies. These were not obvious lies either. These were the kinds of lies that we collect as we go through life based on the reactions and responses of others. Some were based on what folks said to me, and some on how I was treated.
We collect those negatives and play them over and over until we, on some level, believe them. Guess what? It will change how you behave, what you say, and what you think you can accomplish in life. It changes how you view yourself, and it changes your reality. It inevitably will take your focus off of Jesus.
The road back to the truth is not to change others. The road back comes through obeying God.
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Matthew 18:21-22
When you forgive others, you don’t have any reason to keep talking about it, right? You also don’t have any reason to try to figure out why they did what they did. Most of the time you won’t be able to anyway. Honestly, most of the times that folks slight you it’s not about you.
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:10
God has mercy on us. We do not have to pay our sin debt. Jesus did that. When you have mercy on someone that has wronged you, you won’t be trying to pay them back.
The next thing to do is to extend them grace. We all make mistakes. Let them have permission to not be perfect. Help them if you can.
When you come to a place where you forgive instead of reacting, when you can extend mercy and grace instead of revenge and out bursts, the love you have for others will help you see past the lies and see reality more easily. You’ll realize that someone else’s bad day is not a comment about you.
LIFE APPLICATION
Key Focal Verse:
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
Titus 1:2
Today’s challenge is to check your reality. Be sure what you believe about yourself is true. Be sure what you believe about others is true. Ask God to show you where you are in error. Avoid replaying events over and over in your mind. Realize that some things cannot be understood because you do not have all the facts. Instead of getting into that loop, keep your focus on serving Jesus.