I come to this with some fear and trembling. So do me and your pastor and your family a favor, if you’re not going to read the whole thing, stop here.
Still with me?
Ok, good, let’s move on.
“He’s a coward,” the lie came whispering. I was thinking about a pastor, one of my pastors, and that is what I thought. It felt so real, so true. I felt myself agreeing, believing it.
Now, maybe he isn’t the bravest man alive, but anybody who knows anything about the pastors at my church know that they are not cowards. Especially when it comes to the Word of God.
So why did I think and start believing what I knew wasn’t true? Did it make me look better, feel better about my place in life? Or was it just from the “father of lies?”
Does it matter?
It was a lie.
What is the advantage or who gains an advantage by my belief a lie?
We get these thoughts from time to time. In marriage we can get them a lot.
“He’s a bum.”
“Why did I ever marry her?”
And to these lies, and the ones like them that surround everyone I meet, I like to apply the principle of opposite attraction.
It works like this.
“That pastor is a coward.” I pray to the opposite. “God, I thank you for his boldness in standing for you. I stand with him as he fearlessly lives for you.”
“Why did I marry her?” The opposite, “thank you for bringing her into my life.”
Here’s the hard part, sometimes it isn’t actually a full out lie. But make no mistake, a truth that leads us to hate someone is never a complete truth.
“He’s unfaithful.”
“She hates me.”
Oh precious, broken heart, be drawn to the opposite.
“Raise him up to be faithful. I believe You are working in him to give his heart completely to You. You are making him a man of God.”
“She is loving and blessed. I believe You are softening her heart to love despite the hurts she has endured. You are creating a woman of God who trusts completely in You.”
And in praying to the opposite our hearts can be drawn to the possibility of the opposite. Our anger and fear dissipate in the presence of the God who says, “all things are possible.” Our trust is placed in the only one we should ever completely place it in. And the noise of all the lies diminishes.
Turmoil is replaced by peace. Depression is replaced by power.
Hate is replaced by love.
The Healing Worshipper 
No life is enhanced by believing and acting on a lie. It’s tough. The problem with people is that they are so human. The problem with humans is that I am one of them. These are good thoughts to help turn truth through prayer.
I don’t know – I think of somebody in an abusive relationship:
“He hurts me and says he’s sorry because he loves me …” believing the opposite just feeds into the storm, making it that much harder leave.
So many lose self confidence – “sure his love hurts, but nobody else would love me.” “I don’t deserve to be loved even this much.”
The last thing any such person needs is to reinforce what’s going on by accepting it.
I get what you’re saying and anybody in an abuse situation should seek safety and understand that they are worth so much, are so precious that they should not let it continue.
I am referring our perceptions and how to pray through them. To use your analogy. A guy abusing a girl for instance. Often they feel justified, “she nags, she’s always putting me down.” They are listening to lies. They decide on a response based on lies. If they would pray to the opposite, “God I pray blessing and peace in her. Thank you for the wisdom and care that she shows in my life,” the abuse diminishes. For her, as she seeks and finds safety, she could pray, “God raise in him a heart that loves you, that is able to love. Heal the broken places in his heart and mind.” Instead of prayers for his destruction or toward the hate she feels for him. That allows for healing and forgiveness in her, so that no matter what he does in this process, she can experience wholeness.
I don’t want to speak glibly or make light of very painful circumstances. I just believe that we listen and feed into lies that are only designed for our harm, not our good.
Thank you for commenting and if you are in this situation please seek help and know that God is for you.