I was reading a book called Emotions by Charles Stanley last night and I felt he wanted me to say something about not reliving mistakes and failures and not being trapped by our circumstances and negative self-talk that lies to us. That we have a choice.
From my own life, I can say that I have been trapped by my own negative self-talk countless times. My self-talk can say: I’m no good, I’m all alone, no-one cares, I’m unlovable, there’s no point trying cos I always stuff things up, I’m a failure at life and being a human.
Know that if you have these thoughts, you’re not alone. And know that these thoughts are a complete lie. Our thoughts are not truth. Our perspective is not reality.
We have a choice. We can choose to believe our thoughts, the lies we tell ourselves, or we can choose to believe what God says about us.
He says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, created in his image to do good, he forgives us, he will never leave us, he has a plan and future for us, he fights for us, he provides for us, guides us, and loves us unconditionally.
Sometimes we get stuck not because of things we have done but because of circumstances beyond our control.
Again, from my own life, I can say that countless times I’ve been discouraged and cried for days and nights because things just felt so dark and empty. I’ve despaired and struggled to trust God and felt far away from him. I’ve felt that things will never change.
Know that if you have these feelings, you’re not alone. And know that our circumstances and our feelings don’t have to control us.
I’m always amazed by those stories of people who have done terrible things or go through terrible situations, and some become bitter, and destructive while others become compassionate, and make a good impact in the world. This shows me that it’s not what we have done or what happens to us that determines who we are or what we can do. It’s about our perspective, our attitude, what we focus on, and what we believe.
We have a choice.
In the times when I feel discouraged because of my circumstances, I can remember that God is always at work in my life, he fights for me, and he makes all things work together for good. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. He gives us a hope and a future.
I’m reminded a book by Victor Frankl called Man’s Search For Meaning. This man suffered in concentration camps and lost loved ones. He gave me the insight that no matter how life or people treat us, we can always choose how we see and treat ourselves and how we see and treat others. So choose to see yourself and others well and choose to treat yourself and others well.
We have always had a choice and we always will have a choice.
The path of life and death is before us and we can choose which path we take. Reliving mistakes, beating ourselves up, believing our negative self-talk, letting our circumstances control us does not bring life for us or those around us. Trusting and believing what God says about us brings life.
This morning, the devotion I read was not a message that was for everyone. I felt neglected and was like: Where’s the message for me and all those people who this doesn’t fit? I’ve often thought this when there hasn’t been a message for the broken, the hurting, the grieving, the outcasts, the single, the childless, the jobless, the homeless, the people struggling with mental health.
So here’s my message to us all: We are created to be who we are and to give what we’ve been given to help others. Reliving mistakes and our failures stops us from doing this. The negative self-talk stops us from doing this. Letting our circumstances define us stops us from doing this.
In particular, I want to say to those who are struggling with something they have done. If you’re beating yourself up, let me remind you God has removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. He doesn’t see them. We see them and focus on them and watch them, and rewind and replay them. Stop. Because God has erased the tape. Stop playing the tape. It’s gone.
Or maybe it hasn’t gone. Maybe the better analogy is the tape is there, but God has wiped it clean. And now he wants to record something else on that tape. Something new and beautiful and glorious and light-filled and joyful. But you keep recording the old mistakes and the failures. He keeps wiping it clean. Let him. It’s done. Let him record the purposes and the plans he has for you instead. The future of hope and light and love and helping others through the trials you’ve gone through.
When you play your tape and people watch it, will they see something that gives them no hope or comfort? Or will they see something that shows them the power and love and goodness of God?
Every trial and hardship is an opportunity to grow, to be closer to God, to know him more, and be more effective in helping others who are facing their own trials and hardships.
We have a choice. What will we focus on? The path of life or the path of death.
Will we listen to the negative self-talk and the lies? Or will we listen to the voice of God?
I know it’s difficult. But it’s our life at stake here. And it’s the lives of those around us too.
When we choose to trust what God says, that brings life to us and to those around us. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday. The past is past and there’s nothing we can do about it. But we can always do something about right now. Dwelling in despair on the past brings death to the present. Let’s bring life right now and dwell in God’s love and truth.
I know it takes effort and sometimes we don’t want to put in that effort, and sometimes it feels like the effort won’t matter. I understand how powerful thoughts and feelings and circumstances can be, but God is more powerful than our thoughts and feelings and circumstances.
So what choice will you make? I pray we choose life.
It’s a journey. So please don’t be discouraged when the old thoughts and feeling come back. It can take a long time to break our default thought patterns. We will probably struggle and go one step forward, three back. That’s okay. Let’s struggle together and go on that journey of choosing life each day. I’m with you.
I like putting action to intentions, so maybe you want to journal about this journey or read some books to help you along the way. Maybe you want to put up scriptures of truth around your room or listen to songs that speak truth. Maybe you want to start a prayer journal, do a daily devotion, or do a bible reading plan to pend time with him and be drawn closer to him. Listen to God’s prompting and make a start today to get to know God’s truth and so we can believe it and live it.
Juni Desiree 