Blog — Teasi Cannon

I’ve seen quite a bit of it lately. Women in Christian circles—popular authors and speakers—ever so generously giving other women permission to “live your truth.” Here’s an example:

I want you to grow so comfortable in your own being, your own skin, your own knowing - that you become more interested in your own joy and freedom and integrity than in what others think about you. That you remember that you only live once, that this is not a dress rehearsal and so you must BE who you are. I want you to refuse to betray yourself. Not just for you. For ALL OF US. Because what the world needs ― in order to grow, in order to relax, in order to find peace, in order to become brave ― is to watch one woman at a time live her truth without asking for permission or offering explanation.[1]

While I know there are many who feel relief and even joy at the sound of this invitation to live so freely, I’ll have none of it. Not one word.

I’ll start by letting you all in on a little of “my truth.”

Of course when I say MY truth, I’m talking about all the thoughts, feelings, orientations, and goals Teasi Cannon would have if completely separated from God’s truth. And this is, in fact, what I’m being encouraged to embrace as my victory song.

So here’s the truth according to Teasi:

· I’m a failure.

o I don’t cook for my family very often because I have major food anxieties.

o I can’t remember things. My memory is embarrassingly bad.

o I’m a total loser at social networking and blogging, which is something I’m told I must do in order to build and keep “a platform.”

o I can’t ever seem to stay committed to my exercise or nutritional goals for more than a few weeks.

· I’m ugly.

o I’m almost 50 years old. Gross.

o My neck skin is sagging like old lady skin.

o My stomach is disgusting, and don’t get me started on my larger than ever B-U-T-T.

o If I go into a coma, I’m going to grow a beard because I won’t be awake to pluck the 30 or so hairs that don’t ever want to leave me alone.

· I’m boring.

o I don’t have any hobbies other than reading—non-fiction…about God…hermeneutics…apologetics...Jesus (zzz).

o I don’t go anywhere really. My favorite place to be is on the couch with my family watching home movies. I have almost NO social life.

· I’m mentally ill.

o I have such horrible hormonally induced clinical depression that there’s no hope for me.

o My poor husband is doomed to live with a basket case.

· Life is meaningless, so let’s just get drunk.

· My husband deserves a beautiful, young woman who is always nice. I should just leave. It would be best for him.

· My kids should have had a FUN mom. They would be better off without me, too.

Have you had enough yet? I sure have.

Which is why Jesus is so precious to me. Which is why HIS truth IS my new truth.

Teasi Cannon’s truth leads to…well, death. His truth leads to life.

Jesus tells me to die to everything that’s my truth[2]so I can truly live.[3]

While the new rising order of well-meaning freedom champions tell me to embrace everything that’s mine…to live it to the full...

I HAVE DECIDED TO FOLLOW JESUS.

Sisters, we’re all standing at the same cross-road right now. We’re all going to have to decide which way to go—which path to follow. One path is a trap. The other leads to eternal life.

Here’s the deal about truth. There can only be one. Just go to the bank and tell the cashier that all the money belongs to you. If she tries to tell you that your account is empty, no problem. Simply say, “That’s your truth. MY truth is that all the money belongs to me.” See how that works for you.

Yes, there can be many preferences. There can be many beliefs. But there can only be one truth. Truth is not relative.

Here’s the real deal: we don’t HAVE a truth. There IS a truth.

And true Christ followers believe that Jesus is THE truth personified. That He IS the way, the truth, and the life.

And we follow Him. Only Him. What He says. What He does. What He affirms and what He condemns.

This is why it’s so important for us to study what Jesus really said. What He really taught, affirmed, and died for. All of it. Not just the easy parts and not interpreted through the lens of what we want Him to say and approve.

Jesus isn’t our life coach. He isn’t our social justice captain. He isn’t our cheerleader.[4] Yes, He encourages us, He models for us, and He inspires us. But He didn’t have to DIE for that.

There are countless other good men to follow both now and in history who didn’t die for me.

Only Jesus did that. And why? Jesus died to save me from MY TRUTH. My sinful, horrible, death-breathing truth.

He is my SAVIOR.

So, your heart-felt encouragement to live my truth. Please stop. Just stop.

You might as well be telling me to go to hell.

[1] [1] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/abby-wombach-dating-glennon-doyle-melton_us_5829cb74e4b060adb56f377b

[2] Matthew 16:24

[3] Luke 18:29-30

[4] Great article here: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/sisters-jesus-is-not-your-cheerleader

My amazingly talented friend Ramon Presson (author, speaker, marriage and family counselor) asked me to submit a devotional for his new collection "However: the Great BUT's of the Bible," and I'm sharing it here with you. To read his other entries, swing by his Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/ramonpresson

However: The Great BUTs of the Bible

“…for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7)

Have you ever purchased a candy bar, carefully taken the wrapper off, and then discarded the candy so you could enjoy the beauty of the wrapper? If you’ve done this, I’ve got news for you: you’re weird. But I’m pretty sure you haven’t.

I’m quite certain you’ve never done this because we all know better. We know the candy is the best part, and we know that pretty paper and shiny foil are destined for the trash.

I sure wish we could use this same wisdom when it comes to how we judge one another. God wishes we would, too.

In I Samuel 16, God gives it to us pretty straight. He sends His prophet Samuel on a search for a new king for Israel. Samuel sets about looking for the right guy amongst the sons of Jesse, assuming he will surely be the most handsome of the bunch. And just when he thinks he’s found the one, God intervenes. This is what He says to Samuel:

"Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (v. 7)

Samuel has picked out the tall, ripped, most strapping son of Jesse, and God refuses him. A quick look at the Hebrew definition of the word refuse takes it up a notch. The synonyms found include abhor, spurn, cast away, disdain, despise. This is not a casual brushing aside.

God doesn’t see what people see. He doesn’t choose what we choose. He’s not into picking leaders based on easily seen physical characteristics. In fact, from this portion of scripture, we could say God utterly despises judging people this way.

And I’ve got a couple of ideas why.

First, the Creator of Heaven and earth knows that the physical part of us is the only part that is going to turn to dust. He knows it’s just the wrapper (destined for the trash), and He knows that the heart inside is the best part. It’s the part He loves. It’s the part that will remain.

Second, I believe God despises a value system based upon outward appearances because He doesn’t want to be judged that way. I believe it grieves Him deeply when people judge Him for what they see on the surface level of life. He gets blamed for every evil. He gets blamed for death. He takes the blame for many things because people only glance quickly at the surface rather than diligently searching for…His heart.

God wants His children to know Him. And He wants us to know how to truly live. To live, we must believe that our battle is not of the flesh. Our victory is not of the flesh. Our security will not be found in the flesh. And our beauty is not of the flesh.

“God’s definition of beauty has far more to do with what’s going on inside of us than what’s skin-deep. In fact, a search of the Bible will reveal no mention of body mass index, no mention of normal weight charts, no mention of point values for foods. Not only that, almost any time the word fat is mentioned, it’s used as a good thing—representing blessing.” (My Big Bottom Blessing: How Hating My Body Led to Loving my Life, Teasi Cannon)

Truth is…this world is not our home, and its definitions are not our definitions. We simply must choose which side we’re on.

Don't You Dare Tell Me to Live My Truth

What God Feels When People Judge You by Your Appearance