Perfect Lies

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Perfect Lies

By Jennifer Crow

As a teacher I am amazed how natural and easy it is for some teenagers to lie. Some don’t even have to think about it, the lie just comes out. For whatever reason, lies are convenient for self-preservation. The lie may keep you out of trouble for the moment, but if the truth comes out, you’re in trouble.

Lying to others is one thing, but lying to yourself is tragic. If you lie to yourself long enough, that lie becomes your truth. I once heard of someone who said, “Don’t touch me, I might spill.” Someone asked, “What do you mean?” The response was, “I’m a glass of orange juice.” Okay, that is an extreme case of someone who was probably on something. Whatever the case, that person believed a lie.

Jennifer Crow tells her story about falling prey to the lies she told herself for many years. These falsehoods eventually led her to a physically frail and unhealthy state that doctors could not diagnose. She was in the pit of despair, and she could not climb out.

She discovered that she was a victim of her own thoughts that developed unhealthy and harmful thought patterns.

• I must meet the standards others have set before me because otherwise I will be unlovable.
• I must gain the acceptance of others because their opinion matters most.
• I must pull back because I am less capable than others.
• I must avoid conflict because expressing my anger is wrong.
• I must be perfect because my actions define who I am.
• I must always be on guard because trouble is all around me.
• I must indulge myself in order to be happy.

Take the time to consider which of these lies you may be telling yourself. It may be one… or many. Jennifer Crow considers these lies because the Bible combats these statements with the truth of God.

Crow presents “perfect lies” and then challenges the reader with a “lie detector test.” She then gives the antidote to the lie. Crow suggests meditative prayer to combat each lie. To help the victim in the journey, she shares her “picture prayer experience,” then presents three phases to help the reader. First is “Your Picture Prayer Exercise,” which allows you to examine how to refocus away from the lie. Second, “Statements to Ponder” steer away from the lie. Finally, Crow suggests some “Scripture to Ponder.” There is nothing more powerful than the Word of God to inject truth into the mind, heart, and soul.

Like many Christian books, Perfect Lies has the flavor of a self-help book, it is clear that God is the One who took Crow through this journey and healed her.

We spend a lot of time meditating on things that do not heal the soul. Crow does a nice job suggesting meditative prayer to help refocus of God’s truth and His power to heal us.