The Three (or more) R's

As I come to the end of Week 2 on the Bible study, I read the last blog post of the week for the study.  In it I found this:

I’ve found great comfort from the conversation Jennifer had with her good friend, Pasty Clairmont, in Chapter 3. During the conversation, Pasty passes along this little nugget:

“Refuse the lies. Replace with good. Repeat for as long as it takes.”

There it is again — REPEAT! For how long? As. Long. As. It. Takes.

Replacing the lies with the good will take time. And that’s okay! So when we find those same lies creeping back in, let’s add a fourth “R” to those three R’s Jennifer shared with us in Monday’s video: Recognize the lie, Refuse it, Replace it with Truth … and Repeat, repeat, repeat, for as long as it takes!

Ridding my Thought Closet of all of the lies that my mother told me is hard. It will take time to clean it out, much like the time it takes me to clean out the clothes that I never wear anymore or that just don't fit or that I don't like much now.  And if you know me at all, you know that I still have some blouses and a dress or two that I have kept around 'just in case I need it' or might wear again...sometime.

But I have to focus on the "R's" that appear above.  I MUST refuse the lies that were told to me over the years.  I MUST replace them with good thoughts.  I MUST repeat for as long as it takes.  

Why?  

Because I am worth it.  

Because I AM a good person.

Because I CAN recognize the difference between truth and lies. 

Because I can't live my life with lies repeating themselves over and over in my head and heart.  Why dwell on falsehoods?

Think of this.  These are the verses that Jim gave me to refer to, to remember, to live by, the very first time I found myself in his office, pouring out my heart to him in June 2002.

Philippians 4: 6-9

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.