It is almost time to welcome in August, the eighth month of the year. The number eight is the number of new beginnings. Are you ready for something new? Most of the preachers and teacher I've listened to have been saying "we are entering into a new season. You can't enter into the new with your old baggage". Most of the time they are talking about past hurts, disappointments, and unforgiveness. But this week, God has shown me it goes deeper than that. We can't enter into the new He has for us with our old way of thinking.
Yesterday, I was on a video call with a business group I'm in. The first question that was asked of the group was "What are you bringing into the group?" I panicked. My inner conversation was something like this.
"Oh no, I'm got nothing to add, no skills, no good ideas. What am I going to do? It will be my turn and I'll have nothing to say and I'll look really stupid. What if they don't want me here. Maybe I should drop off this call and quit before they realize it."
I don't know about you, but I tend to have this type of conversation with myself way too often. These conversations we have with our self are some of the most important ones we have. The world calls it self-talk.
These conversations influence our behavior, beliefs, attitudes, and habits. The bible tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45; Matt. 12:34) Eventual what we are thinking about ourselves will show up in some way. Sure, we have been trained not to say "I'm stupid, I'm ugly, or I'm not good enough out loud. But in our mind, that is what we are saying. I'm stupid may translate in an attitude of "I don't know how and I can't learn it". Saying I'm not good enough will cause us to miss out on some of the great things God has planned. For me, that conversation made me want to run away from that group before I remembered I am a daughter of the King! I carry His presence with me and I am here for a reason. I will not run but will stay and see what He has for me here. It is in these conversations we need to speak and encourage ourselves with the truth. Don't let the conversation be one-sided.
Not only do we battle our own thoughts and feelings, but Satan is also waiting for an opportunity to put his two cents into that conversation. When Satan first attacked humans, he did it by putting thoughts into Eve's mind. When the devil attacked Jesus in the desert, he attacked his thoughts. If Satan used those tactics before, we can expect him to try using them again.
Now before you start having a conversation with yourself on how impossible it is to fight your own thoughts and feelings and the ones Satan is attacking me with too, remember you have the advantage. Your Spirit is connected with God the creator of all things (including Satan). You are seated with Jesus, and He is seated far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this world but also in that which is to come: (Ephesians 1:21) Holy Spirit has been given to us as our helper and teacher. With all that on your side, I say YOU'VE GOT THIS!.
So this month, I invite you to explore this with me. Let's begin to turn those conversations around so we can truly experience all the "new" God has planned for us in this new season!
Exercise: Print out this journal page and answers these questions. (to print; right click on image; save image as, download; then you can print it)
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