The Lies We Tell Ourselves, and Why We So Desperately Want to Believe Them
We all tell ourselves lies, even Christians. It’s not that we consciously play some mental game to talk ourselves into believing a lie. The path to self-deceit is more subtle than that. But here’s how it often works in the life of a Christian.
We’ll often read in scripture something that God expects, which we find hard to do, and in fact, would prefer not doing. For example, every Christian knows this teaching of Jesus, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15. Jesus’ teaching is quite straightforward and unambiguous. Yet, almost all Christians refuse to forgive someone of something they’ve done to them in the past.
Given Jesus’ strong warning in this teaching, how would we dare risk not forgiving anyone and doing so quickly?
Here’s where the lies begin to shape themselves. And it may be more than one lie, each layered on the next, that gives us “moral justification” for not forgiving someone.
We’ll often read in scripture something that God expects, which we find hard to do, and in fact, would prefer not doing. For example, every Christian knows this teaching of Jesus, “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15. Jesus’ teaching is quite straightforward and unambiguous. Yet, almost all Christians refuse to forgive someone of something they’ve done to them in the past.
Given Jesus’ strong warning in this teaching, how would we dare risk not forgiving anyone and doing so quickly?
Here’s where the lies begin to shape themselves. And it may be more than one lie, each layered on the next, that gives us “moral justification” for not forgiving someone.
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