Do you ever have delusions of grandeur?

This is about delusions…are we deluded? Perhaps you are realistic…you never deceive yourself with ideas of greatness. Delusions still impact both of us. First, let’s establish what delusion is. Call it a false impression, or the opposite of reality and truth. Someone who is deluded has a mind filled with misunderstanding. When we are deluded, fantasy controls our thinking. To be deluded means we have replaced truth with what is false.

Only a few people do that right? For an answer let’s go back to the explanation of delusion. Do you and I have false impressions? Do we ever misunderstand a situation or another person? How about fantasy? Do either of us ever fantasize about someone or something? The last question requires honesty-which is hard for both of us. Do we ever replace the truth for what is false?

We do.

Conclusion? We are delusional…both of us and all of our neighbors. No, we are not likely in the small group of people with delusional disorder. But it is safe to say both of us from time to time are deluded. We do it to ourselves- we are self-delusional people.

Now you may be thinking, so what’s the problem? The way you describe it, being deluded about things or people is as normal as breathing. What’s the problem?

Here’s the answer…being deluded directly influences our relationship with God. God is perfect truth. When we are deluded by something or someone we are living with falseness. God is not in falseness. Delusional thinking about God effects first if we believe God exists. Delusional thinking allows us to justify other things as god. Call them idols. Delusional thinking about God impacts our behavior, our words and deeds.

When it comes to God-all of us are delusional. God asks us in Psalm 4:2; ‘How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods?”

Want to do something about it?

Tell God about your delusional thinking-and behavior. That’s confession. Ask God to forgive you. That’s repentance. You can do this-everyday. God will never take His forgiveness from either of us. He will never take away His gift of righteousness for us. He will give us faith to believe the truth. These are irrevocable promises. We read this in Romans 11:9 “…for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” This is God’s irreversible promise to us. It is permanent and final.