The Power of Deception

It was Saturday night and I was searching my closet for something to wear to church the next day. I was drawn to a particular dress because of it’s fall colors. The patterned dress was a mixture of dark brown, burnt orange, gold, mint green and tan. I was feeling the fall vibe so this was perfect. I painted my nails with a beautiful shade of burnt orange to match the color palette of the dress. In addition to my choice of nail polish, I planned to accessorize the dress with a complimentary sweater, jewelry, purse and shoes.

Sunday morning came, I got up and prepared myself for church. I styled my locks, put on some mascara, and lipstick in a flattering fall shade; checked myself out in the mirror. I was looking good! I had it all together as I walked out the door with great confidence. I got in the car and headed to church.

As I was driving I happened to look down, and it was in that moment that I had a startling realization. My dress was not the color that I thought it was! You see in the natural light of day, I was able to see that my dress was actually purple, pink, burgundy, and peach with some tan and gray. My perception of the colors of the dress had been distorted by the false lighting in the house. Once I removed myself from the deceptive environment of the artificial lighting in the house and exposed the dress to the true light, I was able to see the truth.

This is what can sometimes happen in our lives. Deception, it creeps in with it’s false narratives and disguises itself as truth; it is so subtle that we are not even aware of it’s detrimental influence on our lives. Other people can see the deception and will try to alert us to it’s presence but we won’t even consider another perception. Why? Because deception blinds you. Everyone can see it but the one being deceived. We are so convinced of the false truth that we will plan our lives around it. We will distance ourselves from our friends and loved ones because they are negative, judgmental and critical. Just like I was with my dress as I chose all of my accessories based on what I thought I was seeing; confident in my choice and knowing that I looked good. The reality was that I had been deceived. The power of deception must be defeated with truth.

It is important to know that everything that you believe is not always the truth. Sometimes your eyes can deceive you. Sometimes what you have been taught is just plain wrong. Sometimes the circumstances of our lives, and our life experiences can distort our perceptions. Verify your sources, pray about it, learn the history, talk to other people and ask questions. Don’t be so prideful that you won’t listen to the loving caring people in your life. Don’t take everything at face value until it has been tested. Search for truth and truth will make you free.