Would you prefer to listen to this blog, rather than read it? Here's a podcast episode I created for this blog.
Have you ever found it tough to trust yourself, others, or even God after going through something painful or difficult? You know, those moments when the weight of your past experiences starts to shape how you see the world, often without even realizing it?
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone.
Hard things that happen have a way of distorting our perceptions about ourselves, the people around us, and even our faith.
Life’s Difficulties Can Distort Your Perception
When you’ve been through something tough—whether it’s a broken relationship, loss, rejection, or any other painful experience—it’s easy for your mind to start telling you some pretty harsh things about yourself, others, and God.
Maybe you’ve found yourself thinking things like:
- “I’m unworthy.”
- “I’m unlovable.”
- “God doesn’t care.”
These beliefs don’t just stay in your head—they affect how you see the world and interact with it.
Hard things that have happened can make you feel like you can't trust yourself to make good decisions, and you start to push people away because it’s just easier than being let down.
It can also shape your view of God. You may feel like He’s distant, angry with you, or that He doesn’t care about your pain.
Signs Distorted Perceptions are Influencing Your Life
It’s not always obvious, but here’s some common signs. You might be experiencing:
- Negative self-talk: Maybe you constantly tell yourself you’re not good enough or you’ll never be able to trust anyone again.
- Difficulty trusting others: Even the people who love and care about you most.
- Disconnection from God: You might feel like He’s distant or question His goodness, wondering if He’s abandoned you.
- Overreaction to situations: Sometimes you might blow things out of proportion, feeling like you're reacting more strongly than necessary. Friends may say you’re “dramatic.”
These signs aren’t just random—they’re clues that false perceptions might be influencing how you view the world, and often, how you see yourself.
Why It All Matters
Here’s why it’s so important to pay attention to these things: these beliefs don’t just affect your mental and emotional health—they also impact your spiritual well-being.
If you believe that God is the source of your pain, or that He doesn’t care about you, it will be difficult to trust Him with your healing.
But here’s the truth: God isn’t afraid of your pain. Psalm 34:18 says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” God doesn’t push us away when we’re struggling—He's near, longing to restore and heal us.
Your Past Does Not Define You
The best part? You are not defined by your past.
As Believers, your identity comes from Christ and what He says about you…not from the hard things you’ve experienced (whether they were the result of someone’s sin against you…or your own curiosity and choices).
You are an image-bearer of God, chosen, loved, and adopted into His family.
A Practical Step Toward Healing
Change takes time, but it starts with action.
If you want to start breaking free from the lies you’ve been believing, here’s a simple challenge for this week:
- Identify one lie that keeps showing up in your mind. Maybe it’s something like, “I’m not good enough” or “I’ll never be loved.”
- Write down the lie and then search for a verse or truth from God’s Word that counters that lie...write that down too.
- Whenever the lie pops up again, pause. Choose to stop that thought, and replace it with the truth you found in Scripture. (You can even say, “In Jesus’ name, I choose to no longer believe this lie, and I choose to believe the truth that ________.”)
When I started doing this a few years ago, I was replacing lies literally every few minutes!
But over time, those lies lost their power. They don’t show up as often now, and when they do, I’m quicker to recognize them for what they are—lies.
If you commit to doing this every day for a week (or even better, 21 days…the time it takes to develop a new habit), you’ll start to notice your mind becoming calmer, quieter, and more peaceful.
You’ll be retraining your brain to focus on (and be filled with) truth instead of lies.
Moving Forward
The difficulties you may have experienced don’t have to define you.
You have the power to change how you view yourself, others, and God. And remember, God is not distant—He’s with you in the pain and wants to heal and restore you.
So, what’s your next step? Start with identifying one lie that’s holding you back and keeping you stuck…choose to replace it with truth every time it shows up. Feel free to let me know how it goes!