Let's Clean up that Negative Self-Talk
This week our prayer focus will be "thought life--conquering negative thoughts". So often I find myself talking in horrible ways about myself. This is totally contrary to God's will which says, "Whatsover things are true (about me) are honest (about me), are lovely (about me), are of good report (about me), if there be any virtue (about me), any praise (about me) think on these things. Phil 4:8. I obviously added the words in parentheses. I've always considered this Scripture outward, to keep myself thinking the best things about my sisters and brothers in the Lord. But it dawned on me, that it includes ourselves. We need to think well of ourselves.
I don't mean foolish things. I was raised up for the first 8 years as a believer in a Word of Faith Church where we were taught to 'call the things that are not as if they are'. The fact is, I am 4'8" (help me in meters, those of you in metrical countries!) But I felt that I should be taller, more 'normal', so I would tell everyone who asked me that I was 5'3".
"How tall are you?" someone would invariably ask me.
"I'm 5'3"." I would answer.
"You are not! I'm looking way down upon you. You are way down there. I'm way up here. There is no way you are 5'3"."
I continued to insist on 'calling things that are not as if they are. (I can't even find the Scripture now,digging through my PC concordance, but I know it's there.)
One day, alone with the Lord, He broke into my prayers, saying sweetly, "I think you are just fine the way you are,"
Oh! My Jesus didn't mind that I was only 4'8"! What relief! What an end to my struggle. I could rest and relax in who I am.
How many of us struggle to get out of 'who we are' in order to be 'who we are not' to be more pleasing to God, when in fact, He created us and loves us as we are? I don't mean the faults like gossiping, stealing, lusting after others' belongings; I mean our quirks about which God says, "I think you are fine the way you are!"
So by negative self-talk I mean: do you find yourself saying or thinking things about yourself that are derogatory? Do you find yourself being very critical of your mistakes then catch yourself talking in your mind about it? Do you replay in your mind blunders you made on the job? Do you suddenly without warning start thinking about mistakes you made in the past?
This is negative self-thinking that has no good result. It is one thing to recognize our mistakes and do our best to avoid doing them again, but it is of absolutely no use to re-hash them any more than it would do any good to continue to berate a child once he has repented and changed his behavior. It would do nothing but damage his spirit. We do the same things to ourselves.
Thursday evening we will pray for your negative thought life to become positive and healthy. We will pray to break the strongholds which are causing those negative thoughts or to bring light to the behaviors that are causing the problems that lead to the self-talk.
Once again, I'm not talking about things are that valid criticisms of our behavior; in fact, if your spouse, coworkers, church family, pastor and children are all telling you something that you're doing wrong and you are the only one who disagrees, that is a huge danger sign, and you need to listen! In fact, that kind of 'I'm right and everyone else is wrong' is cause for concern and just as dangerous as negative self-talk.
Let us know if you have specifics about which we can pray Thursday evening 7-8 U.S.A. standard time.
(I have a masters' degree in special education with an emphasis on behaviors).
In the Joy of the Lord!
Cheryl Skid
founder/president
Women with a Vision
www.womenwithavision.net
P.O Box 693
Florissant, MO 63032
314-603-5687
- Login or register to post comments
- Cheryl Skid's blog
