When it comes to emotional wellbeing, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church says God and the Bible are always better options than any self-help book in the world.
Many people, Christians included, are prone to negative self-talk. Even though people's minds are amazing, Warren says they need to be careful because "God said your thoughts determine your feelings, and your feelings determine your actions."
"The problem is that in all our self-talk, a lot of people are like Job. In Job 9:20b, he says, 'Everything I say seems to condemn me.' If you're typical, you are your own worst critic. Right? You're always putting yourself down," he wrote on his website.
Warren says most of the dialogue that goes on inside our heads is unconscious. People could walk into a room with a smile, but deep inside, they are telling themselves: "I'm fat. I'm not smart enough. I'm ugly. And I'm always late."
But Warren says God wants Christians to stop putting themselves down. He reminded them that criticizing one's self is actually criticizing the work of God. "When you say, 'God, I'm worthless; I'm no good; I can't do anything,' you're actually saying, 'God, you blew it with me.' That's why God says it's wrong to put yourself down," he explains.
To eliminate negative self-talk, Warren suggests that Christians take to heart the Bible verse Philippians 4:8. It reads: "Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about it."
The pastor urges people to focus on what they want to be and on what God wants to do in their lives. "I don't know any better antidote to low self-esteem than to read God's Word every day. Study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and apply it in your life. I can't tell you a better thing to help you raise your confidence level than to get in the Bible and start believing what God says about you," he says.
At the same time, Warren tells Christians that discouragement always comes in life. But they can always take comfort in the fact that they belong to God's family, and it does not matter how good, spiritual, or smart they are because God loves them regardless of their sins and flaws.
