Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed

"Our culture is brimming with slogans that promise peace, fulfillment, freedom, empowerment and hope... The problem? They are lies." This book is a timely reminder that following whatever voice feels right will not get us out of the mess we are in. Pointing the reader back to THE Truth on every page, Alisa has put into words the danger of following seemingly innocent slogans and self-help mantras. Witty and wise, humourous and humbling, this book reads like a conversation with a trusted friend.

“‘You are enough’ is a message that enslaves people to the false idea that they are responsible to be the mastermind of their current circumstances and future realities, even when they feel overwhelmed. It burdens them with the obligation of being the source of their own joy, contentment, and peace.” We often her phrases like ‘Live your truth’, ‘You do you’, and ‘God just wants you to be happy’. But are they really biblical? Alisa unpacks many cultural lies and compares them with scripture. She explains that truth is truth and not relative. Phrases like ‘You are enough’ are lies and sound empowering, but if you unpack it and actually read what the Bible says, we are being deceived. I loved hearing more about Alisa’s story. Alisa explains difficult topics with such grace and common sense. It’s no surprise here that I loved Alisa’s newest book. This book really lived up to my expectations. I devoured it in a day. When you immerse yourself with Gods truth, you clearly can see the deceptions in this world. I HIGHLY recommend this book to all.

While pointing out many of our deceptive cultural cliches, memes, and popular slogans, Alisa Childers also draws from her own personal experience. She shares with us some deep insights on how easy it is to become trapped on the road of believing that we are all good enough just the way we are, and God just wants us to be happy. But instead of jumping up on her soapbox and preaching a sermon, she sits with the rest of us, at the feet of Truth himself. One way Childers does this is by dividing the book into manageable chapters with a personal account of the common cultural deceptions at hand. She shares her failed dreams of becoming a gymnast, (nope, you can’t do anything you set your mind to!), her struggles with an eating disorder, and a small, almost hidden gem of a chapter near the end where she discusses the lies that so many of us have believed regarding toxic masculinity. Instead of pointing the finger at all of us who may at one time believed some of these deceptions, such as the importance of putting ourselves first above all others, living our lives the way we want (after all, we’ve only got one life!), and refraining from judging other people even when they are wrong, she points towards the truth in the Gospel itself. We should be forewarned, however. The book begins with lighthearted and humorous anecdotes, but as we journey through the chapters, we get closer to the heart of the matter. The chapters near the middle and the end delve deeper into scripture, unveiling the truth and exposing the deceptions with more and more clarity. I appreciate the depths she sounds towards the end of the book. Childers appeals to common sense and logic with grace, reminding us to “not allow our subjective feelings and emotions to drive our emotional lives. Our emotions should respond to the truth of who God is, not define what we think it is.” Childers sums up her premise beautifully: “All the lies we’ve talked about in this book lead us to place ourselves on the throne. We want to be our own gods.” And if we are honest with ourselves, we know deep down that Childers is speaking the truth here. An honest, excellent read.