3 Declarations to Quiet Negative Self-Talk

Do you ever struggle with negative self-talk? I’m guessing you do! Thoughts like, “I’m such a failure,” “I can’t do this; I’ll mess it up,” “I bombed at work, and now I’m going to get fired,” or “I’m a bad mom.” You are not alone. All of us have probably had one or more of these thoughts at some point in our lives.

Negative self-talk is when we criticize and condemn ourselves. It’s pessimistic and self-defeating. Most importantly, it’s not from God. He has given us, as humans, the ability to govern our thoughts. We can decide which thoughts we will allow to flourish and which need to be uprooted.

The Psalmist wrote, “Every morning I will silence all the wicked in the land” (Psalm 101:8). I would like to suggest to you that, at times, it’s our own thoughts that are wicked.

Often, those self-condemning thoughts are rooted in childhood trauma. Maybe, as a kid, you were told you were stupid, or that you would never amount to anything, or that you were unable to do anything right. Parents and other authority figures mess up and say things that should never be said to a child. But as an adult, you have a choice about which of those messages you will believe and which you will silence.

3 Declarations to Silence Negative Self-Talk

I will not make an agreement with the enemy. We have an enemy, and he loves to stir up trouble in our souls. He lives to accuse (Revelation 12:10). Don’t agree with his accusations because he is a liar. Romans 8:1 assures us that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. So don’t condemn yourself! Those thoughts are not from God. Rather than agreeing with the enemy about who you are, dare to believe what God says about you. You are holy, precious, honored, and dearly loved!

I will drench myself in the love of God. God delights in you and sings over you with love (Zephaniah 3:17). There are moments in life when we simply need to soak in the love of God. One way to do that is to sit before God in the quiet and open your hands, ready to receive His love. Ask the Holy Spirit to raise your awareness of God’s love.

I will remain faithful to what God has called me to do and not obsess about success or what others think. What God has called you to do, He has equipped you to do. When self-doubt screams in your ear, remember, “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24). Learn to leave success in God’s hands. Learn to surrender the opinions of others and simply walk in obedience to the calling God has for your life.

Friend, often we are our own worst enemy. Don’t give negative self-talk space in your thinking. Instead, dwell on the Word of God and allow His words to saturate your mind.

This week on The Connected Mom Podcast, we are replaying our episode with Jennifer Dukes Lee on letting go. Jennifer is amazing and is a great model of mothering adult kids. 

Don’t forget that the Our Father videos are now live on RightNow Media. If your church is looking for a Bible study for this fall, why not suggest Our Father and dive into the Lord’s Prayer together? The videos are free to those who have a membership with RightNow Media. You can order your copy of Our Father to use alongside the videos here.