Talking Back To Yourself

**Vulnerability Alert**

My inner voice is usually pretty brutal.  I have always wanted to succeed, to win, to show no weakness, to always have it together, to be cool as a cucumber, to fake it till I make it, to be looked up to, to have influence, to be liked and admired, etc.  Its something that I fight, I believe that the enemy uses this voice to keep me from taking risks, from doing what God may be asking me to do, from leaps of faith, from having that conversation, from starting that project, insert whatever the situation is in front of me.

Some of the the things my inner voice says:

You’re not good enough!

You think you can do that?

Why would anyone listen to you?

There are so many better _____ than you!

You’ll never be as good as _____

You can’t provide enough for your family

Being a pastor makes life harder

You aren’t a good friend

And those are just a few…

Now, let me be straight up… it’s not like these negative thoughts are running 24/7.  They just pop in and the most inopportune times, like when something is challenging, when things don’t go the way you want, when conflict happens, etc.

The inner voice can be paralyzing.  Younger me put his head down and tried to do more… stay busy,  and the voice doesn’t have a chance to speak, the enemy can’t get a word in because there was no room. The older I get the more I am learning how to talk back and not allow the negative thoughts to have a stranglehold in my mind.

I am learning how to combat the negative with the truth.  My identity is not in what I do but who God has already said I am.  He has created me for a purpose, with a plan and I am unique for what He has for me.  Giving in to the lies of the enemy just holds me back from purpose.

Talk back to yourself, don’t believe things that aren’t the truth about who you really are and go after your purpose like there is no tomorrow!

I’ll just be here cheering you on!