Did you know that you listen all day, every day to the person who talks to you the most—yourself?
Here’s what you might be hearing: “You don’t deserve to be healthy … Everyone thinks you’re a loser … This is all your fault … Just give up … You don’t have what it takes … You’re such an idiot … You messed up again and your mistakes can’t be fixed.”
Dr. Jennifer Londgren writes in A Guide to Mental and Emotional Wellness, “How many times do we criticize ourselves, insult ourselves, taunt ourselves … How may times is the voice in our heads sarcastic, exasperated, overwhelmed, or downright abusive? … We would never say to a friend the things we say to ourselves … When we stop criticizing and attacking ourselves and fighting the life we have, only then can we heal and grow as Christians” (pp. 26,27).
“Wait a minute,” you might counter, “I do deserve to be criticized, even condemned, for my sins. I do deserve to be attacked by cruel justice because I disobey God every day, I’ve hurt people, and I’m not the holy, healthy person I should be. I deserve eternal death in hell, and all the criticism and condemnation that comes with it.”
Here is the Bible’s answer. You are absolutely right. You and I do deserve all those things. But don’t forget, all of what you deserve has already happened to you, in Jesus Christ.
The criticizing judgment of God has already pounded and pounded again on you like a huge, holy hammer when the nails were pounded into Jesus’ hands and feet.
The condemning attack of God’s justice was so intense that it broke God’s heart and killed his Son Jesus with the death for disobedience that you deserve.
So, all the criticism, all the condemnation, all the judgment and justice of God, it’s all done. Finished. You don’t have the right or any permission or a call of God to perform that criticism, condemnation, judgment and justice again. It’s over.
The Bible promises, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus … He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you … The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:1,11,6).
So, you’ll always be talking to yourself. Just be careful with your words. Speak words of the Spirit’s gospel truth to yourself, not lies that you believe with your flesh.
It sounds similar to this. “I am a perfectly made child of God. Connected to Jesus. All the time.”
PRAYER: God, help me believe this and speak your truth to myself: “I am a perfectly made child of God. Connected to Jesus. All the time.” Amen.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP: For more myths and misunderstandings about self-talk, read A Guide to Mental and Emotional Wellness by Dr. Jennifer Londgren.
You can also watch my sermons, “mis(Understanding Mental Health” Part One and Part Two. Subscribe to the CrossLife Church YouTube channel to receive the sermon video each week.
