Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Toxic Words





Craig Groeschel talks about the importance of us speaking life-giving words to ourselves and to others. Words are powerful, we need to choose our words carefully. Our words can either encourage and lift people up or pull people down. Many of us have incredibly negative self-talk. We say things to ourselves like: "I'm not good enough." "I'm never going to get out of this debt." "I'm so stupid." "My marriage is always going to be this bad." etc. These statements are not the truth, they are only words we speak to ourselves, but don't underestimate their power. We have to choose what kind of words we will speak to ourselves. As Christians we know that what others say about us isn't the truth, what God says about us is the truth. Here's a few things God says about me through the Bible: 

I was created to do good works, which God prepared in advance for me to do. (Ephesians 2:10)  My own translation: My life is not meaningless, my life has a God-given purpose. I have all the skills I need to do all the things I was created to do. 

I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Psalm 139:14) My own translation: My nose is not too big, I'm not too skinny or too curvy, I'm not too tall or too short. I look exactly the way God wanted me to look and I have all the skills that God wanted me to have, I am beautiful and wonderful.

I am loved by God. (John 3:16) My own translation: I'm not unlovable or insignificant, the God of the universe loves me deeply, my life is important and matters greatly to God. What I choose to do with my life does matter.

The more I read the Bible and learn about how God views me the clearer it becomes that my own negative self-talk is far from the truth. The negative words we speak about ourselves will only have an impact if we believe that they are true. They are not true. There is not one person on the face of this Earth who was not fearfully and wonderfully made and who is not loved by God, not even one. We are all his children. We don't all love him, but He loves us.


No comments:

Post a Comment