Lies I've Believed (Part 3 of 5)

(This blog post comes from Gary Roe.)

Lie #3: “I’m a Failure.”

As a result of childhood sexual abuse, I bought the lie that I’m alone. That led to another lie: I’m unlovable. Right on the heels of #2 is the lie I’m a failure.

“You’re nothing, boy,” one of my perpetrators said. “You’ll never amount to anything.”

My translation? I’m no good. I’m nothing and less than nothing. I’ll never really succeed (no matter what it looks like). I’m a failure.

Perhaps that's why I became an overachieving student and athlete. I had great success in a number of areas. But I never felt like a success. The performance was never perfect, and there was always the next accomplishment out there waiting.

I believed I’d never really succeed at anything, but thought I must succeed at everything. I believed I was a failure, yet failure was not an option. That’s a vicious cycle, isn't it?

The truth? Only God can define true success. All real success comes from trusting Him. I’ll succeed sometimes. I’ll fail other times. I can learn from those failures and grow.

I may feel like a failure here and there. I’m glad feelings are not facts.

Now I believe I’m a success. I’m learning to live that out.