You Are Not Flawed

Do you find that you often think and speak negatively to yourself? I frequently wrestle thoughts that try to tell me what and who I am (and am not). I work hard at overcoming these thoughts, and I want to help others win the battle, too! Negative thinking and negative self-talk are actually very common challenges that most everyone wrestles with. The most important voice we ever listen to, is the one between our own two ears. It’s important we don’t let that voice lie to us and contradict God’s truth. I talk to women very often, and I’ve come to the conclusion that everyone battles lies from the enemy. And for many of us, these lies are ones we are telling ourselves.

Ugh, way to go. What else can you mess up today?!

You’re such a bad __(insert role here).

You won’t be successful, why bother.

Failure. Ugly. Not capable. Not enough. Too much. Hard to love. Not worthy.

Flawed.

Do any of these sound familiar? Beloved friend, I want to start with reiterating you are not alone. Pause for a moment and imagine that right now we are seated across from each other in my home. Here we are, with hot coffee (or tea) in hand, tissue box on a nearby table and hearts fully tuned in. Precious friend, listen closely and hold these words deep: you are not flawed.

No ma’am. YOU are created by the Creator of the universe on purpose, for purpose.

Deeply, incomprehensibly loved with a love like no one and no thing on this earth can give you. How special is it, that the days of your life have been dreamt up by the God of the universe with great affection (Psalm 139:14-18)?! His thoughts about you are so loving and so lovely!

SO…WHY ARE NEGATIVE THOUGHTS SO EASY?

The tendency to think something is wrong with us goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. The minute the consumption of the fruit occurred their thoughts changed, nakedness and an open door for shame entered their minds (Genesis 3:1-7.) There are countless articles and studies available from scientific / psychology journals that speak to the natural tendency of the human mind to lean toward negativity, too. Curious what some of the non-faith-resources say? I have linked a few articles for you –> (here, here, and here. Searching Google will bring you back around 800 million results, as well.)

DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TIPS FOR BATTLING NEGATIVE THOUGHTS?

Yes! I have two specific, simple tips from the Bible I’d love to share. These tips have helped me tremendously, I hope you find them helpful as well. [Disclaimer – if you are in need of counseling – please connect with a counselor – it’s so healing, helpful, brave and wise!!]

TIP 1:

God has given us a wonderful gift in equipping us and empowering us with His Holy Spirit. Through the Bible, He also instructs us to take thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and to recognize that we are in a spiritual battle. Your first practice (“tip 1”) is to capture those negative thoughts immediately! Recognize them as the lie that they are, in the moment that they occur. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to help you in this practice.

TIP 2:

The Bible includes guidance on where we should set our mind and thoughts upon (Philippians 4:8). Take a moment and look up Philippians 4:8, do your thoughts to and about yourself line up with the verse? If not, I want you to build a reserve of Bible verses that tell you what God says of and to you. Write them in your journal, on a note card, a sticky note – place them somewhere that you will see them often. Commit one verse at a time to memory, and speak the Word over your mind and heart in those moments that your thoughts don’t align with what God told you to think upon. You were made with purpose on purpose, start seeing yourself through His eyes!

Storing God’s Word in your heart helps you know who you are in Christ, and that you are not a mistake. As Annie F. Downs says,“…that is the place where I find my courage — knowing that while I am making mistakes, I am not a mistake….God doesn’t make mistakes.” (100 Days to Brave, day 8)

You are not flawed.

I leave you with this powerful quote by Thoreau:

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”

-Henry David Thoreau

Be intentional in your thinking, soak up God’s truth and love yourself well, friend.

Peace in Christ,

Amy

(originally posted on 1.12.21, repost due to site-reconstruction in 2023)