“Why did I say that?”
” I am such a jerk!”
” I just can’t seem to get it right.”
” I am so stupid.”
” I feel like such a failure when…”
” I never measure up in my job… as a mother…as a wife… as a husband…as a daughter…as a son…as a student. ”
” I feel so alone.”
” I don’t belong here.”
” I don’t really matter.”
Or maybe your self talk sounds something like this:
” No one is going to take advantage of me.”
“‘“They’ have an issue. ”
“I’ll just quit if ‘they’ don’t like it! What’s wrong with ‘them’?”
Have you ever heard these statements before? Or…let’s bring it a little closer to home. Do you ever say these things to yourself? Maybe someone significant said them to you, and you believed him or her. Um….put downs and patterns of behavior!!!
What about conflict? Can you have healthy conflict and come out on the other side with a heart of compassion, or do you end up with anger, bitterness, malice and slander? Or worse yet, do you just sweep it under the carpet and pretend it doesn’t exist? Problems!!!
If I am a new creation in Christ and the old has gone, why do I find this Christian life such a struggle? This is difficult to grasp. We have been delivered from the penalty of sin(forgiveness/justification). We have been delivered from the power of sin (new birth/regeneration/sanctification), but we have not yet been delivered from the presence of sin (glorification). Sin is no longer my master, but it is my enemy. I no longer have to obey sin. Does it mean I will never sin? No! I John. 1:8. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus made a way for us to deal with sin. Paul tells us in Ephesians that we will fight a battle.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the
devil. Ephesians 6: 10-11.
How do I know how to fight the battle? Where do I begin? Sometimes I don’t even know what I’m fighting! Good news…2 Peter 1:3…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
We have the plan book! The very voice of God speaking to us…His Word.
In the weeks to come, we will tackle some of the tough questions : How and where did I develop those put downs, patterns, and problems? What triggers them? How do I go about changing them? Along the way, we will delve into a bit of brain research…fascinating!!
