The Tongue in My Mind: Introduction
The Bible Study Group of which I am a part, recently studied the book of James. This followup study specifically addresses James 3:2-12. A passage that condemns the duplicity of our tongues.
While it is obvious that we can speak words of encouragement, understanding, hope and healing to those with whom we come in contact, it is also painfully obvious that we can hurt, demean and destroy using the same mouth, the same tongue.
We recognized that what we say to ourselves is important for recovery and growth, but we didn't specifically acknowledge that too often we slice and dice ourselves with self-talk that demolishes and demoralizes.
The following lessons are intended to give practical self-talk suggestions for resisting the things we tell ourselves that would depress us and work toward telling ourselves Bible truths that will bring vibrance and joy to our lives.
More specifically, we plan to gain tools that will ignore and resist the demonic messages vying for our attention and learn to focus on who we are in Jesus Christ.
Pay attention to what you think about.
people do not live by bread alone; rather, we live by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
This is not easy. We have grown up letting our minds attend to whatever is put before them. Messages from childhood have given us a foundation of badness upon which we continue to base our self-esteem.
Note: self-esteem is what we think of ourselves. Not what others think of us.
The first time I realized the magnitude of this reality was when I was watching the movie - Pretty Woman. A business man and the call girl he has hired for a more than overnight association are talking. They have spent a fair amount of time together by this point in the movie and he is trying to tell her that she has what it takes to be in a much better line of work. He becomes a bit frustrated as his sincere compliments fall on deaf ears. "The bad stuff is easier to believe." she explains.
In the many years since the Bible was written, the science of psychology has caught up with Solomon, recognizing that as a person thinks in their heart, so they are. (Proverbs 23:7) Cognitive behavioral therapies are based on the idea of changing the mind to fix whatever ails you.
Fighting the "easier to believe" messages - bringing our thoughts into captivity - involves hard work. We have to step out of our comfort zone and consciously insist on telling ourselves the truth as it comes from the Mouth of God.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Use your name
"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."
Listen to me, all you in distant lands!
Pay attention, you who are far away!
The Lord called me before my birth;
from within the womb he called me by name.
God has called us by name! This is serious!
When I was a kid - well . . . the concept has continued into adulthood and I've done it to my own kids - if my Mother said my name, I knew there was something particularly personal to me that she wanted to let me know. If she used both my first and middle names I knew it was especially important, and if she used first, middle and last, I was in trouble.
When we speak His word to our thoughts, we should also use our name. It is more personal, more direct. The use of one's name gets our attention in a way that a non-directed comment won't.
Zacchaeus, come down!
Lazarus, come forth!
Jane, remember you are promised strength for your day.
Mary, comfort is available. Ask the Holy Spirit to come close.
Doris, Jesus promises to forgive. Go to Him.
Suggestion: if it's particularly important, use all your names! AND say them out loud.
Keep it up
Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Life giving words are a choice. and your choice has far-reaching affects!
I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations.
I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin.
But I do not excuse the guilty.
I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren;
the entire family is affected—
even children in the third and fourth generations.”
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
No matter how good we get at self-talk Bible style, there will be days when fatigue, stress, catastrophe, will send us into default mode and we will suddenly realize we've been allowing our adversary's messages to get through. When it happens forgive yourself, reset and get your thoughts back on the God track.
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.
Every day, several times a day as needed, ask God to help you notice the things you're telling yourself and to correct you when the message is a lie. You cannot do this without Supernatural Help!
Prayer
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Psalms 19:14
