Any body here talk to themselves? I definitely talk to myself, maybe a little too much. But talking to yourself is normal, and it is a good thing. With that said, here is my question to you:
What do you say to yourself, when you talk to yourself? I’m not referring to on-going narration you say to yourself as you get ready to leave the house or when you forget how you got to a destination. I am also not referring to the constant reminders you give yourself or work toward completing your tasks.
What I’m referring to is the on-going self-talk that you repeatedly say to yourself over and over again in your mind. What do you say when you talk to yourself? If you are like most people, there are times when you get stuck in a negative loop. You find yourself thinking about things that are not helpful and at times can be harmful.
Some of those thoughts can sound
like this:
•
I always mess
things up
•
I never get
things right
•
This is a
disaster
•
They probably
think I am stupid
•
Or, I am so
stupid
•
I am a failure
•
I am just so bad
with money
•
Why can’t I just
be like them?
•
This is never
going to change
• God must be disappointed in me
What you say to yourself matters… What you say to the people around you matters. What you say to your children matters. What you say to God matters.
But what you say to yourself may matter more than what you say to others.
Proverbs 23:7 — “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
We must be careful how we think, because how we think shapes who we become. That’s powerful! What you think about yourself and how you talk to yourself in your thoughts have the power to shape who you are becoming.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in
psychology explains it like this:
•
Your thoughts
impact (help to form) what you believe
•
Your beliefs
impact what you feel
• Your feelings often impact what you do
In other words, our lives move in the direction of our strongest and deepest thoughts. The question is, what are you thinking about the most? What are you saying to yourself the most? Even better, what are you allowing your “self” to say to yourself?
Your thoughts have extraordinary power.
Through Christ, you have extraordinary power over your thoughts.
You are not a victim of your thoughts. Through the power of God you can choose what you think about and what you say to yourself. However, it is a matter of CHOICE.
Romans 8:6
“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”
If we find ourselves struggling with negative and destructive thoughts, could it be that out mind is set on the things of this world rather than the things of God? It says that when we set our mind on the things of God that it leads to life and peace.
Here is the truth:
Toxic thinking not only impacts you, but also those around you.
Psalms 4:23 — “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Whatever is in your inner world
eventually becomes a stream to the outer world. In other words, if toxic
thinking is flowing inside of us, it will show up in our:
•
Tone (how we
speak to people)
•
Attitude (how we
react to people)
• Patience (how we treat people)
We have to break out of this cycle. Why? Because how we speak to ourself matters! It impacts not just ourselves, but the people around us. So, when we find ourselves constantly surrounded by negativity, toxic thinking, and negative thoughts patterns, what should we do?
Here are four things we can do remedy negative thinking:
1.
Guard
what you allow in your mind
Psalms 4:23 — “Above
all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
•
Don’t let
negativity run unchecked in your life
•
We don’t have to
sit listen to our self speak negatively
•
Not every thought
is worth thinking about
•
You can’t always
control every thought that enters your mind, but you can control what stays.
2.
Replace
negative thoughts with truth
2 Corinthians 10:5 —
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
•
We guard what we
allow in our mind, and then we replace those thoughts that do make it through.
•
Your thoughts are
not in charge, Christ is
•
You don’t have to
sit and listen to your self speak negatively to ourself
•
You can interrupt
those negative thought patterns and replace them with the truth
•
When a thought
comes your way,
1) — Don’t ignore it
2) — Ask yourself, is this true? (does it line up with scripture)
3) — What does God’s Word say?
4) — Declare God’s truth over yourself
•
Romans
12:2 — “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind.”
3.
Fix
your mind on God
•
The mind that is
set on the flesh is death, but the mind that is set on the Spirit is life and
peace!
•
If we want more
life giving thoughts, peaceful thoughts, encouraging thoughts, joyful thoughts,
loving thoughts, then we have to set our mind on the things of God.
Colossians 3:2 — “Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
•
To “set your
mind” means to intentionally place it somewhere. It is a choice you are making.
You must choose that you are going to think about the things of God.
•
You have to avoid
setting your mind on gossip, constant bad news, what people think about you,
your past failures and mistakes.
•
Your thoughts are
incredibly powerful!
•
However, through
Christ you have incredible power over your thoughts
•
Through the power
of God, you can choose to set your mind on God
‣
Remind yourself
who God is
‣
Remind yourself
of His promises
‣
Remind yourself
of where your hope comes from
•
Isaiah
26:3 — “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because
they trust in You.”
4.
Encourage
yourself in the Lord
• When you find yourself in a moment when you are
surrounded by negativity, do what David did and encourage yourself in the Lord.
Psalm 42:5 — “Why, my
soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I
will yet praise Him…”
• Notice what David did:
‣
He acknowledged
his discouragement
‣
He did not allow
it to consume him
‣
He was speaking
the truth to himself
• Encouraging yourself means reminding yourself:
‣
God is good
‣
God is faithful
‣
God is with you
‣
God is at work
‣
The season you
are in is not the end
•
1
Samuel 30:6 — “David found strength in the Lord his God."
• Encourage yourself in the Lord!
• Remind yourself that you can
‣
Trust in the Lord
‣
You are not alone
‣
Your hope is in
the Lord
