For the last six months a common question I've asked myself is this:
What lies need to be uprooted today?
I'm realizing the more work I do to work towards wholeness the more I have to come face to face with my own unhealthiness, with the lies I've always believed and the parts of me I would rather not focus on. It's not always enough to just acknowledge these things...you've gotta roll up your sleeves, grab a shovel and do the work to uproot them.
Author Sarah Bessey tells a story about how her family moved to a new house and they kept noticing patches of grass dying and mold growing. They would dig that part up and plant more, but it would just happen again. Come to find out from an old neighbor, a tree used to grow in the yard and after it was cut down the stump was left underground. It was killing the grass above. The grass couldn't grow in a healthy way until the whole tree stump was uprooted.
I think this is how lies work in our life. Even if we know they're there, they're still going to be destructive unless we do the work to uproot them.
At some point we believed that we would never be good enough so every day we seek and strive to show that we are.
At some point we believed that we weren't pretty enough so we live every day avoiding mirrors or buying the next thing that will make us look better.
At some point we believed that we always had to be strong so we live every day pushing away any weakness that comes up and putting on a happy face.
At some point we believed that one life matters more than another whether that's because of a difference in skin color, socioeconomic status, birthplace, sexuality or religion so we live every day thankful we're not like "them".
At some point we believed that there's not enough for everyone, that scarcity is the way so we live every day making sure we get what's ours.
At some point we believed that in order for me to belong someone else can't so we live every day glancing side to side, trying to stay relevant and not finish last.
At some point we believed that life is black and white and there's a set of rules to live by so we live every day in shame if we don't stay on the "right" side.
The lies could go on and on. These lies make us live in fear, they make us live in shame, they make us think we're not enough and the more time that goes on the deeper they take root.
It's not good enough to just know they're there. We have to uproot these lies that have grown deep into our souls.
My prayer every day is that God would uproot the lies that have taken root in my soul and that freedom and truth would bloom in their place. It's hard work, but it's the best work.
Uprooting these lies and replacing them with truth allows growth to happen. With the lies cleared out, the truths can be planted and actually take root.
So instead...
We believe we are enough and live every day ceasing the striving and resting in our God-breathed worth.
We believe we are beautiful and live every day in confidence that we don't have to meet any beauty standards, but we're beautiful because we are who we are.
We believe that no one can be strong all the time and live every day knowing it's okay to be weak sometimes.
We believe not one life matters more than another and live every day disarming any talk of "other" and do our part in writing a better story.
We believe that there could be enough for everyone and live every day looking for abundance and how to live with open hands.
We believe that we all belong, we belong to each other and live every day connecting instead of comparing and realizing where I am is not where you are and that's okay.
We believe that in life there are a whole lot of shades of grey and live every day ripping up our checklist, saying goodbye to shame and living into freedom.
Can you see the new, fresh sprout growing? Can you see the new life that comes when we uproot the lies that poison our souls?
Don't get me wrong, it is hard, hard work, but it's the most rewarding work.
It's soul work. It's "your Kingdom come your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven work." It's wholeness work. It's worth it work.
Photo courtesy of inhabitat.com