Liar (pt 2) - Know The Lie

It was a Saturday morning this last summer and I woke up to a bright sunny day. No school, no work, no worries... Do you ever have those days where you wake up and feel like you can conquer just about anything? They don't come too often, but this was one of those days. So I thought, "Today, I am going to conquer the art of flipping an egg."

Now I know this sounds silly, but some people just have a gift where they can flip a half cooked egg without breaking the yolk (you know who you are). Some people can even do this without a spatula! I, unfortunately, was not born with this gift, but on this particular day I was ready to master the art of egg-flipping.

I got in the car and cranked up Piano Man by Billy Joel (this is the song I jam to when I need to get pumped). All excited, I sorted through about 20 cartons of eggs looking for the perfect dozen that were going to help me reach egg-flipping genius. I found the perfect batch, paid for them, and headed out of the grocery store.

I got to my car and set the carton of eggs just above my door so I could unlock my car. As the door swung open disaster occured right before my eyes... the eggs began to fall...

With ninja-like reflexes I reached out to catch the eggs, but to no avail. The carton crashed to the ground and the eggs began to ooze all around my feet. I bent down to pick up the now-slimey carton to find only one egg still intact (my egg-flipping skills would have to wait for another day).

But this whole event got me to thinking, "Aren't the shells supposed to protect the egg?" I think this is sometimes how we think of Jesus. "Jesus, aren't you supposed to protect me from this? Why do I feel exposed and hurt? What's the point in having you around if you can't even keep me safe?"

These are the questions we ask because of the lies that we have believed. Satan (the Liar, remember) is not an idiot. He knows that we, like eggs, are fragile. We can withstand a good amount of beating, but if we get hit too many times or hit in the wrong spot... we crack.

I mean think about it... the longer you know someone, the more you are going to understand them. Think about your friends. Which ones do you know the most about? Chances are you know the most about the ones you have been friends with the longest. Satan has a lot of time to get to know us and figure out where we are vulnerable, and THAT's where the lies can creep in.

"You're father never said, 'I love you' so you must really be unlovable." "Look at all of your failures. You are a complete screw up!" "That boy doesn't like you? It's probably because you're not beatiful."

When these lies get fed to us over and over... it's hard not to break; it's hard not to start to believe them. But remember, the Liar's job is take away what you have in Jesus. Sometimes he does this by getting you to believe that what Jesus thinks about you isn’t good enough. Other times by getting you to believe that you aren't good enough for Jesus. And still other times by telling us that Jesus simply isn't true.

So what lie has broken you? What lie has been beaten into you? What piece of your life have you let Satan steal from Jesus?

Now back to egg one more time. We know that eggs are fragile and easy to break. But did you know that if you squeeze an egg at the ends of the oval shape it won't break? The egg shell is designed in such a way that when place in your hand in the right position, it can withstand an absurd amount of pressure! This is what it's like when our lives are centered on the Truth of Jesus Christ.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” - Psalm 139:13-16

Jesus knows you. He knows your weaknesses. He knows your most vulnerable places... Yet he loved you even before you came to be. He comes to bind up your brokenness and bring you a life of hope that goes beyond any lie Satan can promise you.

But do you know Jesus?