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 drive in their cars. They speak to themselves when they are intently working on something. They talk to themselves when they are frustrated or mad. Athletes talk to themselves while focusing on their next effort, goal, and achievement. People who engage in public speaking or performing talk to themselves before they hit the stage. I could go on, but the bottom line is that 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 declare the promises of God and 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 wild? It’s not! It’s simply exchanging the profession 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 will never have enough money to get a bigger house.”
- “I’ll never find a man I like who 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 so dense?”
and on and on…
This kind of derogatory self-talk is common. People talk to themselves like this daily—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 expectations over their lives and others daily!
Ephesians 4:29 (KJV) says, “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”
Since most people admit to self-talk, why not turn it to our advantage? Why not build ourselves up rather than speak destructive words that affect our hearts and minds and perpetuate discouragement? We are motivated to talk to ourselves instinctively, so why not just put God’s promises and words in our mouths 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 and bring things into existence. “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 with praise and thanksgiving or talk to yourself about His love and promises and encourage your own heart! Fill your mouth with faith-filled words that carry reasonable expectations. 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 you on the inside and effectively improve your circumstances over time. And since you already do the self-talk thing, make it work for you! Use it to build you up! Not reinforce discouragement and tear you down!
So as we close today, 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; I have your thoughts and ways within me. You said you give wisdom liberally to those who ask. I ask you and thank you for your wisdom in the thoughts that I think, the words that I speak, and the things that I do. 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 excellent and beautiful for my life and that You help me to live a life that glorifies You daily! I thank You for Your promise that You would withhold no good thing from those who love You. I am blessed to be a blessing today, and I say it, pray it, and praise you for it! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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