Yes You Do Self-Talk so Make it Work For You!

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Did you know that most people talk to themselves? You talk to yourself don’t you? Of course you do. We all do! People engage in self-talk all the time. You see people talking to themselves as they walk down the street or as they drive in their car. They talk to themself when they are intently working on something. They talk to themselves when they are frustrated or mad. Athletes talk to themselves as they are focusing on their next effort and achievement. People that engage in public speaking or performing talk to themselves before they hit their stage. I could go on and on but the bottom line is this, people instinctively talk to themselves.

If we talk to ourselves all the time anyway, why not speak words that will benefit us and others? Why not talk the promises of God? Why not profess them over our life? Why not profess who we are in Christ? Why not talk to ourselves about God and how awesome He is? Why not talk about the victory that He will lead us to in every situation? Does that sound crazy? It’s not! It’s simply an exchange of negative words, for Christ-centered words!

Most people do the opposite. They talk unbelief and cursing over themselves. Maybe you’ve heard others or yourself say things like:

“I just know I am going to get laid off.”
“They’ll probably ask me to take a pay cut.”
“It’s flu season. I always seem to catch the flu.”
“I’ll catch a cold. I get one every year.”
“We are never going to have enough money to get a bigger house.”
“I’ll never find a man I like that will love me.”
“I’ll never find the right person to marry.”
“This country is going down the tubes.”
“I’ll never be any good at this.”
“Why can’t I get this? Why am I are so dense?”

This kind of derogatory self-talk is common. People talk to themselves like this every day—not to mention talking to themselves about others! “What an idiot! What in the heck is he doing?” People instinctively self-talk speaking doubt and negative expectation over their life and others daily!

Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” Since the majority of all people admit to self-talk, why not turn it to our advantage? Why not build ourselves up rather than speak destructive words that do affect our heart and mind and perpetuate discouragement. We are motivated to talk to ourselves instinctively so why not just put God’s promises and words in our mouth and speak faith-filled edifying words? After all, words have more power than we understand.

Psalm 33:6 (NIV) reminds us that God used His Word to create. “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) reminds us “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Become more purposeful in the words you speak over yourself and others in your self-talk. Either talk with God or talk to yourself about His love and promises to you! Fill your mouth with faith-filled words that carry good expectation. Speak words of thanksgiving knowing God is always with you and despite circumstances is there to help you! It doesn’t cost you anything but will change everything! And you already do the self-talk thing, so make it work for you! Use it to build you up! Not reinforce discouragement!

Say or pray, Heavenly Father, I thank you that your Word says you have given me the mind of Christ. I thank you because of the Holy Spirit in me, I have your thoughts and your ways within me. You said you give wisdom liberally to those who ask. I ask you and thank you for your wisdom operating in my life. I thank you that your word says that because I love and obey you, you bless everything I put my hand to. I love you and praise you for blessing all I do today. I praise you that your word is working to create everything that is good and beautiful for my life. I thank you for your promise saying You would withhold no good thing from those that love you. I am blessed to be a blessing today and I say it, pray it, and praise you for it!

Proverbs 13:3 (NIV) “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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