How to Stop Fueling the Lies

"Make no provision for the flesh,
to gratify its desires."
~Romans 13:14~

"Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin,
and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death."
~James 1:14-15~

Believing a lie places us in bondage!
The progression of a lie:
We listen to a lie. We get too close.
We dwell on the lie. We focus on it and ponder the benefits.
We believe the lie. We begin to believe that the lie is true.
We act on the lie. We sin.

This whole book ("Lies Young Women Believe") has dealt with these different lies and how to tell if we believe them. We have learned the warning signs as well as the consequences for our sin. However, we also have learned the good news of how to be free from this bondage...

The Truth has the power to set us free!
True freedom is the power to do what God wants us to do...being free from sinful thinking, attitudes, and behaviors will allow us to do just that. We can now be...

FREE to accept that God has expressed beauty through you.
FREE to enjoy the food that God created.
FREE to wait for God's timing to bring the right guy.
FREE to be more concerned about being a friend than having them.
FREE to be the same person...no matter who is around.

Wow. What an example of God's mercy and grace! How can we get to that point from where we are in our put of sin? How can we be freed from this bondage of sin?

1. Stop listening to the lie.
Take a closer look at what you put into your mind through TV, movies, music, Internet, friends, etc. The subtle deceptions you find can greatly influence the way you think. God promises a special blessing to those who do not "walk in the counsel of the wicked" or "stand in the way of sinners" or "sit in the seat of mockers" (Psalm 1:1). Let our delight be in the law of the Lord!

2. Stop dwelling on the lie.
Dwelling occurs when the lie that you were listening to becomes an intentional part of your life. It has then moved from something you stumble across to an actual sin. If you want to break free from the bondage of these flaming lies, then stop pouring on the fuel! In other words, feed what you want to live and starve what you want to die.

Fighting the surface issues will not win the battle. The underlying lies you believe have you enslaved in bondage. Once we identify these lies, we then can eliminate them from our lives...with the help of a merciful and loving Savior.