Rid Yourself of Deceptive Self Talk

In Romans 12 Paul the Apostle say that we are to present our self to God as a living sacrifice. This is a once for all act – sacrifice yourself. It means submitting to the Lordship of Jesus Christ in your life. This starts a process of transformation into a fully dedicated follower of Jesus Christ!

Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but
be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind

WEBSTER: 
RENEW = to change in character or nature, or function

God wants to transform each of us.

God wants to transform us from:
Worrier to courageous
Broken to renewed
Bondage to freedom
Depression to optimistic
Angry to forgiveness
Defeated to victorious
Selfish to selfless
Worldly to Godly

When you think of it, growth is in a constant form of transforming. God wants us to be transformed but HOW?

BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND –
This was not some psychobabble. This was 1900 years before Freud.
Jesus knew the way humans function.

We are told to be “transformed”!
What does that mean? Paul uses the Greek word, that  we get our word “metamorphosis” from. Such as in the caterpillar that changes into a butterfly. In this text it is translated “transformed” and is in the passive voice, which indicates that this process is being performed by an outside force, in our case, the Holy Spirit. In addition “be transformed” is in the imperative mood (command), which suggests human responsibility. We are to allow the Spirit to do His work within our hearts and lives.

How does this transformation take place?

Paul says “by the renewing of your mind”. Stated another way this renewal depicts an essential change in character of your thinking – you can now think a way that wasn’t possible before. This renewal is the gradual conforming more and more to that new spiritual world into which we have been introduced & in which we now live and move.

We need to change our SELF TALK

Thoughts cause feelings. Many emotions you feel are preceded and caused by a thought, however abbreviated, fleeting, or unnoticed that thought may be!

It is this early thought process, this self talk  that we need to be renewed.

What is self talk?

The inner man, the inner voice, the real way you feel, what you mutter under your breath, those thoughts that cause moods and behavior that sit underneath the service – We know seven things about self-talk

Self talk is: Subtle – in shorthand. Listen to the emotion that these short phrases have – emotionally laden words – “getting sick” – “can’t stand it” – “lonely” – “ won’t be loved”  – “no good” “rejected”  – “should have”  “could have”

Self talk is: Almost always believed! This is where jumping to conclusions comes from, mind-reading, over generalization, polarized B& W thinking. This is where chronic anger, grudges, prejudices, bitterness comes from here. – grudges, unforgiveness

Self talk is: Spontaneous – Our self talk is believable because they come out of nowhere. So they are not challenged.

Self talk is: Often negative – We tend to awfully. This is where ungratefulness, pessimism, complaining, whining comes from. Over generalized, mind-reading

Self talk is: Different than our public speech - We come and put on our Sunday talk and then later we talk to others in a different way. Our self talk often flies in the face of what we say we. This is why we can be one way on Sunday and a different person at work, home or alone in front of the computer.

Self talk is: Persistent and self-perpetuating – Hard to turn off.

Self talk is: Learned – This is the part that gives me the greatest hope! If indeed our self talk isare learned then it can be unlearned and new thoughts can replace them. THIS IS WHAT PAUL MEANT WHEN HE SAID, By the Renewing of your mind!

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT YOUR SELF TALK?
Start listening to your self-talk and bring all your thoughts into line with what God’s word says.

Start renewing your thoughts by praying scriptures.

Renounce negative thinking as sin and ask God to help you believe the truth.

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