Listen. Do you hear it? There's a soundtrack in your life. It follows you wherever you go streaming just below the surface. Can you name that tune?

Maybe you’ve become so accustomed to it, or so busy, you don’t notice it. It's elevator music. Or maybe it’s a deafening rock band screaming its angst at full tilt.

Whatever the volume, you recognize the lyrics the minute you catch a glimpse of our reflection in the mirror. And you start to hum along. 

Let's see if I can name that tune.

“I’m fat.”

“I need to lose weight.”

"I hate my ______."

“If only I could change _____, then _____.”

"What happened to my _____?" 

"No wonder I'm alone."

Sound familiar?

If this is your soundtrack, you're not alone. It's a familiar tune. Though the exact phrasing and notes may be uniquely yours, the chords are the same.   

It's spinning a sad, sad song.

But we're hooked. It's on a loop.

We look in the mirror and are disappointed by our reflection. Replay.

We see a number on the scale and respond with disgust. Replay.

We recall a thoughtless remark about our body. Replay. 

We loathe a body that's not what it was was...or ever was. Replay.    

This daily melody deepens its grooves with each spin. It leaves scars and only traces of who we were fearfully and wonderfully made to be (Psalm 139:14).

But listen closely. Pay attention. Lean in.

The lyrics are lies. All lies.

Lies spun by an enemy who's on the prowl (1 Peter 5:8). He hisses twisted words of deception. He muffles words of Truth and fills your mind with fear and doubt. He sings mesmerizing words of self-loathing.

He wants to devour you. With every hate-filled word, he takes a little bite. Nibbles that threaten to finally engulf you with one big bite.

He’s hungry.

He’s counting on you to destroy yourself with that subtle and constant stream of scorn. Each disgusted glance. Each harsh word. Each moment of berating. These are the moments for which he lives.

So, what’s the antidote? How do we combat a hungry, powerful enemy who spins a tune of lies?

We return to our identity.

The Genesis story beautifully captures God’s original design. In the opening chapters, He reveals His intention for our life. A life as His image bearer. The kind of life designed to mirror and reflect His full character. 

A soundtrack of love.

In contrast to the serpent who overflows with hate, God is love. He embodies it. His words inspire, encourage, and fill. And sometimes they challenge us because love does that, too. He nourishes us with life-giving, soul-lifting words.

When we accept these truths and feast on them the soundtrack changes to one of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

We hear love. We hear truth. We hear Him.

But it takes work to return to that original Garden design. It doesn’t happen by accident but rather with intention and practice.

Here are three ways we can begin to override the soundtrack of lies in our life:

1. Adjust your diet. If you spend more time reading novels, self-help books, or scrolling through social media, than you do reading the Bible, it’s time to feed yourself more substance. The more we partake of our daily bread the more satisfied we will feel.
2. Tune back in. The only way to adjust your self-talk is to pay attention to it. If you’ve become numb to it, start listening to the automatic response you have when you look in the mirror or step on the scale. What’s the lie? Awareness is the first step to change.
3. Pick a truth. As you start catching the negative self-talk in your life, start to respond with a truth. Choose one Bible verse you will memorize and repeat when the hissing begins. This new practice will bring light to the dark places until the darkness can no longer stand the light.    

I get the struggle. Sometimes in the fatigue of day to day living, we succumb to the deception. All we hear is hissing. 

We reflect the serpent. Not the Savior.

If you’ve been living on a soundtrack of self-hate, is it worth it?

Can you afford to be prey for the prowling lion? Or are you ready to listen to the louder voice of Truth that’s been waiting for you? It’s the kind of life that represents truth, freedom, joy, and ultimately, life.

If you’ve been your own worst enemy for far too long (and even a little is far too long), it’s time to stop the berating and start the loving. You are worth far more than you think.

And a beautiful soundtrack is waiting for you.