The Voice of Truth

"You're ugly!" - as a young teenager with acne & a host of insecurities;
"You're fat!" - as a young woman who's just given birth to a baby;
"You always seem to say the wrong things" - truly, a perfectionists' nightmare 
     ~ to make a mistake;

"Why even try? You'll never succeed!" - as the task becomes more difficult 

     and I grow more weary;

"It's your fault, your fault; it's always your fault" - the voice whispers in 

     times of great need or distress.

Most of the time I'm not even aware of the whispering lies in my head. I only know that there are definite times when I struggle with self-confidence and peace. As I've grown older and wiser, hopefully, I now realize that what I've been looking for all along is Truth with a capital "T".

One of my favorite songs is called The Voice of Truth and was written and performed by a group called Casting Crowns. This song speaks to me of the importance of listening to the Voice of Truth as opposed to the Voice of Lies which seeks to masquerade as Truth.

Oh, what I would do to have

The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant

With just a sling and a stone.

Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Sharing in their armor

Wishing they'd had the strength to stand.

But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me

Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed.

The giant keeps on telling me, time and time, again,

"Boy, you'll never win! You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story.

And the Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!"

And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for my glory!" 

Our of all the voices calling out to me, 

I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth.

Goliath, the giant who stood before the future King David of the Bible, represents adversity in our lives. In this song, the voice of the giant spells defeat while the Voice of Truth resounds with courage and unconditional love. As I stand before the giant in my life, I, too, have been tormented with self-doubt and fear. How long I have stood frozen in fear without a clue as how best to move forward? I can only guess.

But when I finally stop dwelling on the current disaster I'm facing and turn to my Creator, my God, for help, my ears seem to slowly recognize the lies for what they are - lies. And as I acknowledge my inner-most feelings of fear and discouragement, it becomes easier to hear the quiet voice of Truth within my heart and soul. "Trust me, Kathy, for I am always with you."

The Voice of Truth

-- stills me

-- leads me 

-- encourages me

-- and comforts me

... while the Voice of Lies

-- frightens me

-- cause confusion

-- brings discouragement

-- brings worry

-- and condemns

A few days ago I went jogging with our eldest daughter, Megan. Our goal was to reach ten miles as part of my training to complete a half-marathon. As we began our journey I found myself groaning inwardly, "I'll never make it! What if my knee is reinjured?! What if my shoes are too old to support my arches?! What if thoughts continued??

"Come on, Mom," quipped Megan. "You can do this! It's all mental. Picture yourself crossing the finish line with me. Won't that be neat?! You will have completed a half-marathon at age 56!"  Without know it, Megan effectively squashed the voice of lies and replaced them with the voice of truth. I began to walk/job with greater confidence and more energy. There was a new spring in my steps from then on. And guess what? I completed our 10-mile quest in just tow hours!

To listen to Casting Crowns sing “The Voice of Truth”, click on this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCLFOtBP1KU