You are either your worst critic or greatest cheerleader. Either you tear yourself down or you build yourself up. The words you tell yourself can usher in fear or faith. Are you against you? Or are you for you?
God is for you. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31). He has cast his vote. In his opinion you are worth the death of his Son. You are valuable, purposeful, and important. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isa. 43:1 RSV).
If God is for you, shouldn’t you be for you? Does it make sense for you to be against you? You are against you when you call yourself dumb, ugly, or poor. You are against you when you tell yourself there is no solution, hope, or promise in life. You are against you when you decide you have no talents or friends or future.
The words you tell yourself have power. If you tell yourself something often enough, guess what? It becomes your version of the truth! Those offhand negative remarks you mumble about yourself aren’t harmless; they are toxic. They actually agree with the devil. They give him a foothold. “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit” (Prov. 15:4 NIV).
Hold fast to the promises of Scripture. Tell yourself the truth about yourself. The apostle Paul modeled this for us. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:37–39 NIV).
Personalize that passage. Insert the sources of anxiety that come your way. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither poor health nor poor decisions, neither college debt nor pink slips, neither today’s deadline nor tomorrow’s diagnosis, nor any job transfers, neither addictions nor moral failures, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Be for you! God is.
VERSE FOR REFLECTION
Use Romans 8:37–39 as quoted above.
PRAY IT THROUGH
Lord,
Make my tongue a tree of life! Help me see myself and my situation in light of what you have done for me. Keep your love for me in the forefront of my mind today.
In your precious name, amen.