There’s a song that says “sometimes you wake up young and sometimes you wake up old”. Can you relate? Do you ever look at yourself in the mirror and think, dang I look awful today? Or, make a mistake and call yourself stupid….or even worse?
I for one am guilty and know I shouldn’t let the ugly words or thoughts enter my mind….or come out of my mouth. I believe we all have the tendency to criticize ourselves far worse than anyone else does.
Why do we let negativity win control over our minds more than positivity? Why is it easier to remember and focus on something negative someone said about us, than to remember the good stuff?
Some days you might feel good about yourself and other days you just don’t and can’t figure out why. If only we could see ourselves as God sees us. If only we could grasp the realization of how much He loves us, in spite of all the imperfections, flaws and failures that are so stinking obvious to us.
If we could look into a mirror that God provided, would it give us a whole new meaning to the purpose for our lives? Would it change the way we see ourselves and others in the world? Would we be a light in someone else’s darkness? Would we give more instead of take?
Let it sink in….to Him we are more precious than diamonds or gold. He says we are beautiful when we feel broken. When we feel guilty about failing over and over again, He says we are forgiven…every single time. We have no need to feel lonely because He is with us….at all times.
Imagine how many ways our lives could change if only we believed the truth about ourselves…from His viewpoint. We might even sleep better at night and wake up with renewed hope for the day ahead. We might even take another chance on love even if it costs us a broken heart.
In our shallow little minds, this information seems almost too good and easy to be true. Doubtful thoughts start flying when we try to wrap our minds around these simple facts.
The fact is it’s not easy because we are human and our minds have spent years and years convincing us that we are not enough. Our negative thoughts have dug a rut so deep into our heads that they’re hard to replace with His thoughts. Yes, it’s hard….but not impossible.
Criticizing ourselves becomes as natural as breathing. In fact, half the time we don’t even realize we’re doing it. The words out of your mouth impact how you see yourself and the world around you. And, if you repeat them enough it will also influence how others see you.
However, all is not lost! If you truly want to change your deeply rutted negative thoughts bad enough you’ll need to do the work and replace them with what His word says about you. It will take dedicated focus, work and determination to change negative thoughts into positive ones. It doesn’t happen overnight.
Is it worth trying? Only you can decide the answer for yourself. If you want to change your view, ask the Holy Spirit to let you see yourself and others through His eyes. However, be prepared and arm yourself with His word because you will be fighting a spiritual battle as you make the change.
He says I am beautiful! Let’s replace our mirrors with His mirror!
DebbieK's Blog 