One small whisper in the dark can ignite a bountiful choir of light. Brené Brown says it beautifully,
“The dark does not destroy the light; it defines it. It’s our fear of the dark that casts our joy in the shadows”.
Words have the power to implement change. How do you speak to yourself when nobody else is listening? Does the negativity of your words shackle you, or are you instilling God’s truth within your being?
Our self-talk directly impacts our thoughts. In return, our thoughts impact our feelings. Imagine that your feelings are a seed that’s been newly planted. Imagine that your thoughts are the soil it’s been planted in. Imagine that your self-talk tendencies are the water with which you nourish your soil and seed.
If the water is contaminated with negativity, disbelief, and lies, the soil is likely to tarnish, and the seed is unlikely to grow. The same is true of our internal dialogue. If you are constantly feeding your mind with negative self-talk, your thoughts will suffer, and you will feel emotionally debilitated.
But what happens if the water is clean? The soil will flourish. The seed will bloom. When we are mindful of the words we instill in ourselves, our thoughts and feelings reap the benefit. While confronting our self-talk tendencies seems daunting, God is there to help guide the dialogue.
God instructs us,
“And never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace” (The Passion Translation, 2020).
I love this verse, as He reminds us that our words are to be viewed as “beautiful gifts” of encouragement.
Next time you speak to yourself, ask whether the words are “beautiful gifts” of encouragement. If they’re not, ask yourself what you can do or say differently to ensure they are nourishing your soul properly. While one word or phrase may seem minimal, the growth reveals exponential.
The world conditions the mind to doubt, and only the self can condition the mind to love. Throw out the contaminated water filled with the doubts of the world and pick up the clean water provided by God. If you do, your soil will flourish. Your seed will grow. So, what are you waiting for?
Olivia King
THERAPIST