Perception is reality, right?

Last week, I went with my oldest daughter on her school choir trip to Orlando. We visited three different theme parks, and had an absolute blast! My favorite park was Universal’s Islands of Adventure. The park was visually stunning, and the rides were phenomenal.

My two favorite rides were Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey {even though I’ve yet to read the books or watch the movies} and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man. The Harry Potter ride uses animatronics and on-ride photography to make riders feel as if they are flying, facing dragons and spiders. The Spider-Man ride uses 3D and physical props to make riders feel as if they are flying through the air, scaling buildings, and barely avoiding death by fire.

Both rides had me alternately screaming out of fear and laughing at myself. While I knew in my head they were just rides and the experiences weren’t real, my senses had me believing otherwise. I felt the heat of fire and the wetness of spit; I heard and felt crashes; I saw villians near my face. Everything about those rides led me to believe I was in a desperate situation from which I needed saving.

Then the rides ended, and reality returned, reminding me that my momentary fears had been a result of my perception. I’d never been in any danger.

For years I perceived that amost everything I did was evil and that God was angry with me. I perceived that I had to appease Him with my good behavior so He would love me. Even then, I believed that He would never be satisfied with me. I perceived that marking off a religious checklist {attending church, reading the Bible, tithing, participating in Bible studies} would surely make Him love me more. My perceptions led to beliefs which resulted in constant fear.

You know what happened with I began to step off the ride of good behavior? I realized that my perceptions were not reality. I began to understand that my behavior {good or bad} doesn’t affect God’s love for me. I began to learn that the reality is God is completely satisfied with me because of Jesus’ completed work. I began to learn that God searches my heart…He knows my desire is to love Him and to be loved by Him. If He loved me based upon my behavior, His love would be inconsistent and ever-changing.

I am learning that I am his beloved. Beloved, be loved. Let me love you, for you are loved with an everlasting, unchanging love. That is reality…and truth.

So…perception is reality, right? Well, it can sure seem like it. But we have to choose to dig deep to find reality in truth. I believed a lie for years, so my perception was my reality. I’m learning to choose to trust Truth even when my perception would have me believe otherwise and live in fear.