9 Common Lies: Believe in Yourself

Rocky Balboa scene.

Best pep talk ever! In the huddle, getting pumped up for the game, you may hear it.

Believe in yourself is a banner statement, to build up self-esteem.

If we can change how you view yourself, then we can change how you act.

if people believe that they are winners, then they will be winners. “Thats how winning is done!”

Self esteem movement has the right meaning behind it but the wrong message.

This kind of motivation resonates well with us, because we like to take matters in our own hands.

Deep down, we know that its a lie though.

The older you get you will come to realize, you are your greatest enemy.

No one will ever mislead you, hinder you, lie to you, distract you, more than you ever will.

Have you ever noticed the harder you try, the more mess up?

Don’t believe in yourself, believe in Someone bigger than yourself.

Knowing that same Someone will give you the power to live differently where ever you go. Jesus tells the disciples this in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

The Bible gives us numerous warnings about not believing in yourself.

1. Belief in self caused the great fall of the human race.

Genesis 3:5 ESV

5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The serpent deceives the woman and man into eating the fruit from the tree, that God told them not to eat from. What did he say that probably got them? “Eat it and you will be like God.” You will be your own God. You won’t need God anymore, because you can believe in yourself than trusting God’s direction.

2. Belief in self caused the problems for the Israelites, in the Old Testament.

Judges 17:6 ESV

In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

God continually accused the Israelites about of doing what was right in their own eyes, instead of trusting in Him.

They felt like they didnt need God because they felt the same way we feel today: “Make your own way.” Do what you feel is right.

They believed in themselves and felt no need to believe in God for direction.

3. Believing in self is the opposite of what Jesus taught.

The fundamental teaching that Jesus taught time after time was this- deny ourselves.

Matthew 16:24 ESV

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

The call is to deny ourselves, our natural motives and impulses that conflict with the claims of Christ.

He went even further and said, “take up your cross.” which is an instrument of death. He’s saying, don’t believe in yourself, but die to ourselves.

Jesus was talking about, not only a different way to live, but the opposite way to live from this world.

Paradox of the Gospel

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

To the non-christian, the story of a God coming down to earth to die for His people so they wouldn’t have to depend on themselves, is absolutely foolish.

Paradox means “a statment that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true.”

Basicaly, what seems foolish in the eyes of most of our friends or family who don’t have a relationship with God is often the thing that is most important to us.

When we compare the things of God’s way to the worlds way, everything seems upside down.

Kinda like the Beatitudes that we are talking about, right.

Down is up, right is wrong, gaining is losing, living is dying.

Heres some Paradoxies of the gospel.

To be exalted, you must be humbled.

James 4:10 ESV

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

1 Peter 5:6 ESV

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Every day, God uses ordinary people, who are healthily putting others before themselves, to do great work for His kingdom.

Are you doing things for God or others, or are they for selfish ambitions? He often brings down those who exalt themselves, and exalt those who humble themselves.

To be strong, you must be weak.

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When you depend on yourself, you can’t get over hardships that life throws at you.

However, when you are wholly dependent on the Lord, you will stand strong on the rock that is Jesus, in the middle of those storms.

To be a receiver, you must be a giver.

Acts 20:35 ESV

35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

A lot, and when I mean a lot I mean 99% of people (probably), spend the majority of their life to work hard, work long hours, clinch every penny, and withold from others, so they can enjoy some of it and leave the rest for their family to fight over after they pass.

Some of the most joyful people on this earth give unselfishly.

When you give your time, talents, and treasures to God for the good of others, you will receive some of the greatest gifts- joy, peace, satisfaction, and fulfillment.

To gain, you must lose.

Philippians 3:7–8 ESV

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Sometimes we are just so busy chasing relationships, social status, getting on the best team, or making the perfect grades to get into the perfect school, that we forget the greatest gift of all- Christ.

For example- money is not all bad. However, its when we put it before loving God and people, when it becomes evil. 1 Tim. 6:10 “10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

The paradox of the gospel is that after gaining, we are to live a life of service and sacrifice for Him.

To live, you must die.

Romans 8:13 ESV

13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

Jesus is life, and to have this life you must die to yourself. John 3:30 “30 He must increase, but I must decrease.””

YOLO was a very popular saying, now its super cringey to say. But people use this as a mantra to make the most of life. Make the most money.

We do live only once, but then comes forever. And you can spend eternity apart from God or with God. There is no in between.

How confusing, yet beautiful are these pardoxes of the gospel? The Kingdom operates in ways that are complete opposite than the ways of this world.

Proverbs 14:12 ESV

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

This all feels unnatural, abnormal, and absolutely crazy. Maybe thats why it takes so much faith.

The Pressure is off.

There is a wonderful freedom in living this way. It takes all the pressure away from you and is placed on the One who can handle it.

Awesome thing is, God doesn’t struggle with the same things we struggle with.

He doesn’t get overwhelmed, anxious, stressed, or depressed.

He is in control over all things, has a plan and a purpose, and is strong enough to see it through.

We will mess up. He never does. We will fail. He never does. He can be trusted.

To believe in Him means you have to let go. Letting go means we can not hold on to it. Whatever “it” is for you, its time to place it in the hands of God. Faith steps in when you let go.

You do not have to live with the pressure of believing in yourself when you fully trust God to be in control.