All of her life she had so desperately wanted to run carefree through the fields, to really be happy. Many times she had tried to attain happiness but an unseen bridle somehow always managed to steer her away, forcing her to go down a depressing path.
She had concluded long ago that her life was a failure and that there was nothing she could do about it. She was trapped and it wasn’t fair. But then she would remind herself, “if I was a better horse I could do something about it” and this would only make her feel worse.
And so on this bright sunny morning while other horses were kicking up their heels, she felt compelled to nervously munch down another mouthful of grass. This only reminded her of her failure to control her eating and so she criticized herself for being so stupid once again. “To be happy you have to be able to run fast but I’m too short to run fast &endash; that’s just the way I am. Well, I could at least gallop with the wind if the other mares wouldn't ...” And so, another typical day of self-criticism and blaming others had begun.
Although this horse would deny it, she had chosen an unseen bridle. In fact, we all choose a hidden force to exert control over our lives. And although you can not escape this fact, you can choose what that bridle will be. This unseen force is your system of beliefs.
Whatever you choose to believe will control your values, behavior and even indirectly your feelings. If what one believes to be true is in fact lies, then one’s values and behavior will be based upon following a deceitful guide, a compass heading in the wrong direction.
For example, when one believes the lie that “I am only valuable and important if I can _____,” this person has ultimately determined not only what he or she will try to do, but also how he or she will feel depending upon that one's ability to achieve it. If I define personal value based upon achievement, take a wild guess at how I will value spending my time (behavior). Instead, I need to believe the truth that personal value comes from being created in God’s image, not what I do.
If one believes the lie that “a good marriage does not require hard work,” then when things are difficult that person will conclude, “we must not be right for each other.” Will this lead one to value one’s spouse? Of course not. What predictable behavior can this lie lead to?
The way to combat lies is to know truth. Although Jesus had a different context in mind when he said, “you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” it is true that truth does liberate us from our own self-destructive prisons.
Other Articles Which Might Be of Interest
Ideas Have ConsequencesWhy Do People Behave As They Do?
Prisoners Of An Unseen Force (On Our Beliefs)
Training the Mind (We Create Our Own Perceptions)
Where's the Treasure? (Issues of the heart)