Are These 6 Lies Hurting Your Faith? Take this Self-Test to Find Out
Are These 6 Lies Hurting Your Faith? Take the Self-Test to Find Out
That’s not me is it? I know that the devil comes to lie, steal, and destroy. That’s why I’ve worked so hard to know the truth.
But the truth about lies is that they are often not in our heads but in our hearts. Many of us carry lies we’re unaware of that quietly damage our faith. Maybe we’ve heard the truth from sermons, friends or books. Maybe you’ve heard God whisper these truths to your soul in quiet times— but deep down, our hearts and daily lives carry another perspective.
Overwhelming shame, the darkness of isolation, and the exhaustion of self-performance, may leave us feeling hopelessly and empty in our day to day lives—even while we affirm God’s grace and love in our minds.
The self-assessment below is designed to help you identify where your heart and mind may not yet be fully aligned with God's truth. Awareness is essential, not to make us feel worse about ourselves, but so that we can bring these beliefs about ourselves into the light and find healing. This post invites you to uncover six common lies and offers biblical reflections to help transform these lies into anchoring truths that keep us rooted in God’s perspective of us.
Spiritual Self-Check: Is Your Heart Aligned with Your Head?
Reflect honestly on each statement below and select the number that best describes your experience, where 1 means strongly disagree and 5 means strongly agree. This is a personal reflection tool to help you become more aware of where your heart may not yet fully embrace the truths you know. After completing the self-check, consider which areas you scored lower in as an invitation to meditate, pray, or seek support in that part of your faith journey.
Use this scale to answer each statement:
1 = Strongly Disagree | 2 = Disagree | 3 = Neutral | 4 = Agree | 5 = Strongly Agree
I often revisit past mistakes and feel as if I am a burden or that things are all my fault. I blame myself for many things and have a harsh critic in my mind.
(1 2 3 4 5)I frequently feel alone and isolated in the world. I rarely open up to others because I’m afraid of being rejected if they knew who I really was.
(1 2 3 4 5)Underneath, I sometimes feel like I’m a mistake or I’m too broken to be loved. I hide parts of my heart from God, myself, and others.
(1 2 3 4 5)I often live as if my life doesn’t really matter. I often escape into tv, alcohol, reels, or other things in order to disengage with my life. It has never occurred to me that God made me to impact specific people and for a unique purpose in this world.
(1 2 3 4 5)I still struggle with wanting to be someone else. I often feel like an imposter. When life quiets down or I look in the mirror at night I am critical of who I see.
(1 2 3 4 5)I find myself trying to earn God’s favor and prove my worth through works or status. I believe God loves me when I am doing good things but I believe God is distant or angry at me when I don’t perform up to his standards.
(1 2 3 4 5)
Biblical Reflections Moving Truth from Your Head to Your Heart
Many of the struggles we face—shame, feelings of brokenness, and the longing for authentic connection—are common issues addressed in Christian counseling. These challenges often stem from wounds and false beliefs that can distort our self-view and hinder spiritual growth. As believers, we recognize that God's Word is more than just an idea; it is an anchor of truth that informs and shapes the healing process. When we align our hearts with biblical truths, we find the foundation and strength to move beyond the lies and into the freedom Christ offers. We now turn to six core biblical truths that speak directly to these common struggles.
Shame Despite Forgiveness
Though shame may loudly accuse us, Ephesians 1:7 reminds us that through Christ’s sacrifice, we have complete redemption and the full forgiveness of our sins: “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” (Ephesians 1:7 NIV) God’s grace is abundant and unending. When feelings of shame persist, invite the Holy Spirit to reveal this profound forgiveness deeply in your heart and to transform how you see yourself in light of God’s love and mercy.
Feeling Alone When You Belong
The Bible reminds us we all belong in the body of Christ and the family of God. You are never truly alone. We were designed to be in an intimate relationship with God, our creator and with the people of God, the church. Romans 12:4-5 states, "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Hebrews 13:5 God declares, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."
Brokenness as God’s Masterpiece
Psalm 139:14 declares, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV) Though we may feel broken, Ephesians 2:10 calls you to remember you are God’s handiwork, stating, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Feeling Insignificant Despite Purpose
God has uniquely prepared good works for you as Ephesians 2:10 reassures, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV) There is meaning for your life. Our lives are meant to stretch beyond ourselves. This can be one of the most healing things we can do as our world gets bigger and our problems become worth the meaning tied to them.
Struggling to Be Authentic
1 Corinthians 15:10 celebrates that God made you to be you on purpose: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect.” (1 Corinthians 15:10 NIV) It is by God’s grace that you are what you are. God didn’t make you to be someone else, so you can stop pretending or faking or trying to be like someone you’re not. Allow God to begin to guide you to grow into the you that you were created to be.
Trying to Earn What We’ve Already Been Given
Ephesians 2:8-9 speaks clearly: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV) When you feel like you need to earn God’s love, remember that God loved us first. Our value is already secure because of the cross, because Jesus loves us enough to die for us—not because of striving to earn it. What we long for—love, value, acceptance—are already ours to live in as beloved children of God. Ask God to help move His grace from your head to your heart so it becomes the lens with which you see yourself and others.
Action Steps
Once you’ve identified which are you struggle with: Shame, belonging, being valued/ worthy, having purpose, or being caught in an ‘earn it’ salvation loop, take these practical steps.
Ask God to help you to find a verse that speaks to the lie. It may be one of the verses listed above or it could be another that speaks to your heart.
Write the verse down daily. Repetition creates strength. Every time you activate this thought pathway it gets stronger.
Say it out loud. Out loud always wins over in our heads. Put the verse in “I” context.
Ex “I am fearfully and wonderfully made by God”.
“For I am God’s handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do.”
“For it is by grace that I have been saved, through faith—and this is not from me, it is the gift of God.”
“In Jesus I have redemption through his blood, I have the forgiveness of my sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace for me.”
Imagine it. Advertisers know it’s not just head knowledge alone that moves us. We are deeply affected by stories and images. Allow the truth of God to become a story about God’s love for you. Allow your mind to visualize the truth shared in scripture.
Share it with a friend. Take the truth into the light. Share with a friend your struggle and the truth you have received. Pray together.
Embracing Grace as You Move Forward
If you are experiencing any of these struggles, please know that you are not alone. These are deeply complex issues often intertwined with trauma, physical health, current circumstances, and many other factors. Change is rarely quick or simple—it’s not like flipping a switch. Every person’s journey is personal and unique. Sometimes the hardest step is simply recognizing the gap between head knowledge and heart belief and having the courage to take a first step forward.
We are here to help. You are welcome to schedule a free 15-minute consultation to explore how we might support your journey toward heart transformation and freedom in Christ.
Additionally, we will be releasing more resources and tools in the near future to help guide you deeper. If you’re interested in receiving these, please visit our contact page and let us know you’d like to join our mailing list.
Remember, God’s grace meets you right where you are, and He is faithful to complete the good work He has begun in you.
