Find part 1 here

When a young minister named T. D. Jakes walked into his not-so-great, impoverished house, he said to it, “You’re lying to me!” He knew the house and the other “realities” of that season did not define him as a person or accurately prophesy his future (because they did not line up with what God had promised). His refusal to receive the message his financial situation was trying to send him is part of the reason he escaped poverty and now is a tremendous influencer in the world today. 

Like T.D. Jakes, we all are tempted to make wrong conclusions about our identity and our potential based on the messages received from: 

• Circumstances
• Feelings
• Past experiences
• Comparing ourselves to others
• What people have said about us

There are lies being sent to us through these things. If we do not take our thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), but instead passively come into agreement with them, we will create negative, life-restricting strongholds in our thinking. 

“Then He said to them, ‘Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given’” (Mark 4:24). 

“Faith comes by hearing” (Romans 10:17). This “hearing” can be either positive or negative (lies or truth). What we allow ourselves to “hear” creates  faith strongholds that will largely influence our future experiences. 

“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses” (1 Timothy 5:19). We are not to “receive” (choose to believe) rumors or hearsay information about people (especially leaders). We can hear something with our ears but not receive it into our spirit or into our beliefs systems. 

We not only guard our beliefs by vigilantly rejecting the lies in words we hear, but more importantly, we should also reject the lies being spoken to us through our feelings and circumstances. We don’t deny our feelings and circumstances, but we are not to get our beliefs from them. 

What messages are you hearing from what you are seeing and feeling? Here are some common lies almost everyone hears:

• “You are destined to live in poverty.”
• “You are a failure and will continue to fail.”
• “You are an inferior person.”
• “You are weak and unable to change.”
• “God is sick and tired of you.”
• “You are going to be perpetually held back by what the people in your life are doing.”

When we hear messages like this coming to us, we can delete them from our thinking by thanking God for His promises and goodness. 

Here’s three final thoughts as I think about T.D. Jakes saying to his house, “You’re lying to me!” 

• We do not deny the pain of lack and the potential anxiety it can create. If we are struggling with this, it is a powerful thing to invite people into our lives to pray over us and help us walk in wisdom and faith concerning what is happening. 
• Financial challenges are often a catalyst for significant breakthroughs. Someone once said, “You don’t need more money, you need a new idea.” Some of the greatest financial advancements have resulted from a frustrated person developing new sources of income. 
• Negative circumstances sometimes are a wakeup call because they are the fruit of poor choices and wrong priorities in life. 

With that said, speak to some aspect of your circumstances or feelings today and say, “You’re lying to me! You cannot tell me who I am or what my future will look like. I am receiving from God’s goodness and promises the message of hope for me and those I will influence in the days ahead.”