Learning to reject the lies...

From The Women's Devotional Bible (NIV) by Beth Donigan Seversen "The Lost Screwtape Letter"

My dear Wormwood, The following instructions shall help you proceed in handicapping your converts effectiveness in the Enemy's kingdom. one of our great allies at present is her perception of herself. It is your task, therefore, to feed her poor self esteem. Already she wastes time primping in front of the mirror and worrying about her looks. You must continue to encourage her to compare herself with so called "spiritual giants" whom she admires. This will eventually immobilize her. When she feels inadequate she will no longer attempt anything for the Enemy's kingdom because of her fear of failure. Her warped self image will lead to unhealthy relationships and hinder her ability to love others. The more often she tells herself she is a bad person- the she's not competent-the more easily she will feel threatened by others. This will turn others off to the Enemy and his loathsome Christianity. Ultimately her relationship with the Enemy himself will be adversely affected. Since she is not satisfied with how the Enemy has created her, her intimacy with him will be destroyed and she will find it difficult to trust the Enemy, pray to him or read that detestable book. Finally, emphasize her weaknesses so repeatedly that she begins to believe that she is unimportant to the Enemy. This will push her compulsive striving to please him through her own accomplishments. Her works will no longer be motivated by faith, but by a dislike for herself. Confuse her so that she never feels forgiven. If you successfully convince her that the Enemy is never pleased with her, she will grow weary and give up altogether. But more of this in my next letter. Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape As you can see this is a fictional letter from one demon to another, giving advice on how to get a believing woman to doubt herself and ultimately, God.

How true it is too! Does that sound familiar to you? It does to me, especially when Screwtape speaks of warping our self image so that we commit to unhealthy relationships which will hinder our ability to love others.

The age old saying is true; to love others you must love yourself first. This is the truth I am slowly learning and as I do, my eating naturally gets better and I gain more and more freedom from bondage as I purge out the lie; that I am ugly, and start believing the truth; that God made me this way for a reason, that he knit me together. And ladies, God doesn't make trash. All things He makes He calls good. This truth is changing my life, how I see myself, and how I see others. This is the truth that I stand on today. That I am beautiful. That you are beautiful. That what God created was and is good. What lies have you believed lately?