3×5 Cards
I think it was Beth Moore who made this profound statement: “And on the eighth day God created 3×5 cards.” Sometimes I think my entire life is held together with 3×5 cards and post-it notes. In fact, I’ve often thought that if a strong breeze blew through my office my entire organizational system would be swept away.
The good news is that 3×5 cards are a Biblical organizational solution. One of the most frequent admonitions in the Old Testament is ‘remember.’ Remember God’s commands, remember His promises, remember His past acts of deliverance, remember, remember, remember.
At my age, the only way to remember anything is to write it down and stick it in a highly visible place. The only problem is that if I don’t happen to be in that highly visible place at the moment of need, all is lost.
Hide His Word
But there is one other place the Bible tells us to place things to make sure they are remembered:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11
I am to store His promises in my heart, to memorize His timeless truths. I do this best with the help of 3×5 cards.
Old Lies: New Truths
Lysa gave several examples of ‘Old Lies’ that she was replacing with ‘New Truths’ in this chapter. I love that. In addition to hers, I’d like to share a few of my own from my growing collection of 3×5 cards.
Old Lie: It’s just this once…
New Truth: Ignoring God’s will for me is never acceptable and never a minor thing. And I’ve learned over time that ‘just this once’ is just an excuse to push that first domino in a cascading chain of disobedience.
Favorite Verse:
He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. Luke 16:10
Old Lie: I deserve this food…
New Truth: God loves me so much that He wants the best for me, but God, and God alone, is my great reward.
Favorite Verse: Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46
Old Lie: This is too hard. I can’t do it.
New Truth: God is all-powerful, and while it really is hard, very hard, there isn’t anything that He can’t do.
Favorite Verse: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
We all want change. And we all want that change to come quickly and easily, even instantaneously. But God is much more concerned about our relationship with Him than with quick results. Fighting the fight, depending on Him, growing through Him and learning to love Him more each day is what this “Made to Crave” journey is all about.
There is no quick, easy way. But there is a sure path we can take to success, Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee (Psalm 119:11). It looks like it’s time to stock up on some more 3×5 cards.
Jump Right In
To increase accountability and encourage others PLEASE take a minute to comment below: introduce yourself, share your successes or struggles, add your food list or simply say ‘hi.’
The journey to change will be more successful if you walk it with others.
What About You?
What are some of the ‘old lies’ and ‘new truths’ that you have written on your cards?
Please join our discussion and
leave a comment here.
Made to Crave ~ Index to Previous Posts
Great reminders…as women we have lived trading the truth for lies since the beginning of time!
Hi Mary,
Isn’t that the truth? It’s time we told Satan, ‘no’ and said ‘yes’ to our God :).
I’ve been using 3X5 cards for years, and they are wonderful. I love their “staying power.”
Just yesterday I was looking through a book and came across a card I had written several years ago that had a powerful truth on it. Reading it brought back the taste of the emotional victory it represented.
I love 3X5 cards because they help me remember who God is for me. Thanks for the insights.
Hi Susan,
I love that you found an old 3×5 card and still remembered the victory it represented.
That is certainly inspiration for me to keep making them :).
Thanks for the encouragement.
I like this idea, Kim. I need to work on rewriting old scripts like Lysa talks about in the book. 3×5 cards would be a perfect place to do that-thanks for the suggestion.
Hi Joyous ~
I’d love to hear some of the truths you write out if you get time to share.
It sounds like good stuff!
Thanks Kim for sharing your old lies / new truths. I’ll be working on mine.
I like the 3 x 5s that are spiral bound - 50 to a “deck”.
This is my first comment in a while since we started the study. I got behind & haven’t been able to comment as much. But I wanted to say “Hi” and let you know I’m still here.
I really love this idea of replacing “old lies” with “new truths” & putting them on 3×5 cards. I just finished doing the 7 day doubt diet devotional from Renee Swope last week & on day 2 she talked about “AM/FM” (Against Me/For me) thoughts. She suggests getting a small journal or notebook & writing down any negative “against me” thoughts that creep up during the day that you have for about a week or so & then replacing them with “for me” thoughts of what God’s word says.
I’ve been doing this off & on since then - when I remember - and I didn’t realize all the negative, wrong thoughts I say to myself. Especially when my feelings/actions are reflecting the things that I am saying.
So thanks Kim for this suggestion & I’m going to be start working on some cards this week.
Welcome back, Tiffany. I am so glad that you are still with us.
LOVE the explanation of AM/FM thoughts. What a great way to think about our thinking. And good for you for recognizing the thoughts that aren’t “For You” and replacing them with grace-infused truths of Jesus.
If you get a chance, we’d love to hear some of the 3×5 cards you came up with.
I’m praying for you…
I’ve been reading Romans 6 and God definitely says in there that we have been freed from sin. That we were buried by baptism into His death and therefore we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection, and walk in newness of life. It also says we should not continue in sin so that grace may abound. Because we are slaves to whatever we give ourselves over to, either to sin or to righteousness.
I still struggle, but I figure either I don’t know how much God loves me ( of which I am going through a trial in my life right now and I struggle with feeling like He loves me, because He may be punishing me) or else we still love our food so much, we don’t want to let go, which comes back to loving God and loving self and others.
Hi Fran,
That’s always been one of my favorite passages regarding struggling with lingering sin. That word ‘reckon’ myself dead to sin is an accounting term meaning already credited in my account.
I think, like to many things in the Christian life, it all boils down to faith. Christ has already bought me the power to say ‘no’ to anything that is not of Him. I don’t have to work to say ‘no,’ I have to believe it enough to say ‘no.’
Somehow this different perspective is very empowering.
Good for you for pressing on. That’s what it’s all about.
You said: Fighting the fight, depending on Him, growing through Him and learning to love Him more each day is what this “Made to Crave” journey is all about.
I don’t know exactly when it happened, but one day a few years ago, I realized I was no longer saying to myself: “What’s wrong with you?” I know part of it was finding and reading over and over again AND believing the Zephaniah verse that says that God rejoices over me with singing. I like that thought.