Rootedنموونە

What messages have you been given about yourself in this life? What words have stuck with you throughout your life? What has shaped your view of yourself?

I’m not smart.

I’m not attractive.

People don’t seem to like me.

I’m not good at many things.

The list could go on and on. Maybe these messages have come explicitly from other people in your life. Maybe they’ve taken hold after negative or challenging experiences. Maybe they’re words you’ve spoken over yourself. Regardless of where they’ve come from, it’s important to remember that, at the end of the day, they aren’t true. Words that bring shame, pain, hurt, or harm to your view of you aren’t of God. That alone makes them not true or of value.

So, what can we do? How do we set ourselves free from them? By leaning into the truth. Truth, after all, is designed to set us free. So why not take hold of it? This week, make a list of negative thoughts that seem to repeat in your mind. Next to them, look up a truth that speaks directly to those thoughts. Keep the list handy to help you change the messages coming at you and focus instead on the truth.