Troublesome Topic: AFFIRMATIONS SHOULD BE GOD-CENTERED NOT SELF-CENTERED

Back when I was a teenager, I remember the few times I saw Robert Schuller on TV; he always had something to say about positive thinking. I did not fully understand then what I do now. My particular friend circle on Facebook mentions positive affirmations quite often. Their affirmations are generally very centered on self, which is not Biblical, so I struggle with that whole philosophy. The Bible has a good bit to say about what we should be thinking about. Here are some verses to start off our discussion of what the Bible has to say about the importance of our mind.

Matthew 22:37 (NIV) “Love the Lord you God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This verse admonishes us to love God with all our mind. He wants to be the center of all of our thoughts and actions. When people look at our lives they should see Christ in us because He is the one we are called to love with all our being. What we love will impact every aspect of our lives. Our attitudes should be an attractive overflow our of our love for God and set us apart from the world around us. Our speech should be different because what we allow in our minds is God glorifying. What we put in will come out. Our actions should point others to the One that we love.

Romans 12:2 (NIV) “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” We must allow God to renew our minds. The world is sending us messages everyday that are not Biblical. We need to replace these messages with the truths of God’s Word. As we do this we will be more able to test and approve what God’s truth is and live in the reality of His transforming power. If you are filling your mind with truth, all your conversation will be flavored with that truth including self-talk.

Colossians 3:1, 2 (NIV) “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set you minds on things above, not on earthly things.” If we are in a loving relationship with the Lord that is clear of any sin this verse instructs us to desire and think about things that will last for all eternity and that glorify our great Savior. We need to make sure and set aside specific time to be in God’s Word and interacting with Him through prayer. It is not always easy. It takes discipline and consistent work but will yield great results in your life.

All of our spoken words should be flavored by the One we love because our lives are all about pleasing and glorifying Him. We need to carefully guard what enters our minds as we see in Philippians 4:8 (NIV) “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” This is the filter through which everything we read, hear and see must get through before it is allowed in our mind. As an outflow of that, any words we speak are going to be beneficial for others and ourselves. Paul instructs the Thessalonians in I Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV) to “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

Have you ever paid attention to your self-talk throughout the day? I had someone bring this to my attention when I was newly married. She told me what I shouldn’t be telling myself and why, but she didn’t really tell me how to counter those messages through the truths of God’s Word, or maybe she did I just wasn’t ready or fully able to grasp everything. We are talking to ourselves constantly but is it God glorifying conversation? We need to be in the Word to know what God tells about who we are and how He views us, so our self-talk is glorifying to Him. We need to carefully guard our hearts and minds so that what comes out of our mouths is flavored with Biblical truths.

This is why I have never used worldly affirmations to speak to myself. God has given us a wealth of truth in His Word that we can use to replace the lies of the enemy and of the world. In my section on resources, I will include several different resources where you can find Biblical truths to replace the lies. Here is the link Books Audry Recommends for Emotional Healing. I personally have 10 or so verses that I repeat out loud every morning and various times throughout the day as needed. I also like to use Essential Oils as I recite those verses. The scent of the oil helps the part of the brain that is responsible for decision making to benefit even more from what you are speaking. Speaking them out loud is very key for every person, because as you speak it you are also hearing it and it will be picked up by the subconscious more effectively.

Jesus, himself, used Scripture to fight off the attacks of the enemy when He was fasting and praying in the desert before starting His ministry. He is our example to follow in life. If He as the Son of God used Scripture, how much more should we as weak human vessels make use of the truths that are found in God’s Word. The enemy of our souls can use our negative self-talk to make us ineffective for service in the kingdom. But as we allow God’s Word to renew our minds, God can use the overflow from our lives to be a blessing in the lives of other believers and non-believers.

I encourage you to start by pinpointing 1 or 2 negative self-talk phrases that are most common for you. Look for verses that would replace that lie with God’s truth. Every morning recite those verses at least 3 times to help provide a firm foundation for your mindset through out the day. As the lies come back to your mind immediately reject them and recite the chosen truth from God’s Word as many times as you need to completely replace that negative phrase.

Also, I encourage you to think about ways you speak with others. We as Christians need to be affirming of others in our lives whether they know the Lord or not. Are there ways in which you commonly communicate with others that tear them down rather than building them up. We live in a very divisive culture. It is so easy to “tease” those that we think we know well. After all they know that I don’t mean it, but we need to be aware that the enemy can possibly use that in their lives to discourage them. Our words need to be the aroma of Christ to everyone we come into contact with. Don’t wait until someone’s funeral to speak affirming words, speak while they can benefit from the encouragement.

As you do this be prepared to meet resistance from the enemy. He is not going to be happy that you are endeavoring to be obedient to God in this aspect of your life. He will likely counter with other failures from the past. God will never beat you up over past failures, that is the enemy at work. God is simply waiting for us to come to Him for the strength and power to resist the attacks of the enemy. Resolve to focus on God’s truth. It is always encouraging to me when as I am praying or thinking through an issue a verse will come to my mind that guides my thinking or praying. It is then that I know that God’s truths are beginning to overcome the lies of the enemy in my heart and life.

Don’t settle for the world’s self-centered affirmations. Instead, search God’s Word for the truths of who He says you are. His Word is empowering and eternal.

The next lesson is: Fear