Whom Do You Believe?

When I was at school, I was teased about my legs. The way I ran was apparently for others a source of enormous amusement. Yet, ever since my husband told me, thirty plus years ago, that he thought my legs were lovely, I have had an unshakeable confidence in that much maligned part of my anatomy.

For me, there has been great power to erase lies and bad memories by believing the truth from someone I wholeheartedly trust. But let’s face it, if my husband was just another Joe on the street, would I believe anything he said? What if he was just an acquaintance? A neighbour, a co-worker, a teammate? Or someone in the media – a commentator, a podcaster or the variety of voices in my social media feed? Whom do I get my truths from?

As a Christian, the expected answer is God – that He is the source of all truth. And that’s right. But if we all believed what God said about us in His word, and believed it without question, then there would be a lot less rejection in the body of Christ. All the conditions that come from poor self-esteem, or lack of self-worth, wouldn’t have the prominence they do.

The key difference for me in my level of belief has been relationship. It has been over the years of my marriage that I have come to know the things I do about my husband. His honesty. His integrity. The fact that I can a hundred per cent trust what he says to me. But that trust and belief didn’t come instantly or easily. I had a history – like anyone else – which meant this trust had to develop over time. He proved himself trustworthy – and I chose to believe it and rely on it.

It’s the same with God. My belief in God, who He is, what He’s like, His character – all that has been discovered and hard won over time. I had to put in the investment in time to learn about Him, understand His heart, and flounder when I didn’t, until I could get answers. See Him in action. Hear His voice. It’s been a long learning curve, and one I think I’ll be on for my whole life this side of heaven.

If you don’t understand who God is or what He’s like – if you haven’t developed a relationship with Him, or you struggle to hear His voice – then it’s going to be tough for you to even hear the truths from Him which can change your life, let alone believe and act upon them.

Relationship is where it’s at. You can have deeper intimacy with God by getting to know Him better and growing a relationship with Him. When you can hear the voice of truth, you are enabled to break the power of wrong beliefs you have about yourself – beliefs that could be fuelling some ungodly behaviours you’d like to be free of.