Every thought is linked to an emotion. Every emotion to a thought.

That’s why you’ll suffer if you believe and repeat lies about yourself. Lies like: “I’m no good.” “I’m a failure.” “I’m too weak to overcome.” “Nobody loves me.” “I can’t forgive him.” “I can’t forgive her.” “I can’t forgive myself.”

If you’ve been repeating these thoughts to yourself for awhile, you likely see them as truth. That’s a reason you suffer from bitterness, depression, a fear of rejection, a fear of failure, a fear of abandonment, a fear of not having enough, and other toxic emotions.

If you’ve been mentally rehearsing such thoughts you likely don’t see them as lies. You’re convinced they describe the real you. But do these statements align with truth?

If you’re in Christ, God says you possess his righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). Saying you’re no good is a lie.

All of us fail, not once, but countless times. However, there’s a difference between failing and being a failure. Failing is a point. Being a failure is a line. With Christ at our side we will never become failures because our ultimate victory is assured. Paul promised: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). It’s a lie to say you’re a failure.

It’s a lie to say you’re too weak to overcome. Paul said this, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:57). The apostle also said he could do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13). Since the power of Christ is available to you and your ultimate victory is assured, it’s a lie to say you’ll never overcome.

When you say, “Nobody loves me,” are you including God? If so, you’re believing a lie. John 3:16 makes it clear God loved you enough to send his only Son to die in your place. It’s a bold lie to deny the love of someone who died for you.

To say you can’t forgive someone, including yourself, is a lie. The issue isn’t ability but willingness. Jesus repeatedly taught us to forgive and he wouldn’t ask for something we couldn’t give (Matthew 6:14-15; Luke 17:3-4).

Whenever you mentally review such lying thoughts they bias you against the truth about yourself. This bias causes you to only accept information that supports the bias. You exaggerate failure and minimize success. To overcome this you must detect lies the moment they enter your consciousness. And you must say, “This is a lie and I’m kicking it out of my mind.” After this, you must replace the lie with truth. If you’ll consistently take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:50), the lying neural pathways on your brain will heal and pathways of blessing will grow. This will result in your brain washing your body with dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin–resulting in pleasant emotions.

To live a joyful life you must become a human lie detector. You must find lies, kick them out and replace them with truth.