Verse of the Day
“If your thinking is controlled by your sinful self, there is spiritual death. But if your thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.” Romans 8:6 ERV
Lesson of the Day
Today, let’s think about what we think about. What we tell ourselves every day matters. If we believe something about our identity that isn’t true, we may struggle to believe what God says about us.
However, if we root our identity in God and allow His Spirit to shape our lives, we will begin to see ourselves the way He sees us. This will influence how we respond to people, situations, opportunities, and events.
There are three ways we can guard our thoughts and declare God’s truth over our lives:
1. Identify the lies we tell ourselves.
Our words and actions often reveal the narratives we believe. We should ask ourselves:
- Is this thought marked by fear, insecurity, pride, bitterness, or a lack of confidence?
- Is this thought leading us toward cynical or self-serving behavior?
If the answer is yes, the narrative probably needs to be addressed and adjusted. Identifying where and when we began believing the lie can help us change the way we think.
2. Shift our perspective.
For every lie, there is a truth that can replace it, and God’s truth can be found in the Bible. We can bring the lies before God, search His Word, and allow the Holy Spirit to show us how He sees His children.
3. Declare what is true.
We can turn the truths found in Scripture into specific statements to declare over our lives each day. If God—whose Word is truth—says something about us, then it must be true. Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to transform our thinking until God’s thoughts about us become our thoughts about ourselves.
Encouragement
It can be helpful to write down a few biblical affirmations and place them where we will see them daily. I create custom affirmation pillows with Scripture references and affirmation mirrors, and I have made them for many members of my family. Because my daughter faces difficult personal battles and sometimes criticizes herself, I made her a mirror so she could look at herself while speaking God’s truth over her life.
These products are useful tools for keeping God’s Word before us, so I will leave a link on the homepage of The Daily Bread Community for anyone who is interested. However, this page will remain dedicated to studying and sharing God’s Word.
We must learn to see ourselves the way God sees us. God made us in His image, and Scripture says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made:
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: Marvellous are thy works; And that my soul knoweth right well.” Psalm 139:14 KJV
God did not make any mistakes. He is a miraculous Potter. Since the beginning of time, He has created people of different sizes, complexions, shapes, personalities, and features. We were never supposed to look or act exactly alike.
The world may make people feel unworthy because they are different, but God designed us to be different, unique, and set apart.
Here are a few biblical affirmations that can be written in a journal or placed on a bathroom mirror:
I am enough because I am a child of God.
I rejoice in suffering because Christ suffered for me.
I am not ashamed of Jesus because His sacrifice changes lives.
I am greatly loved, so I love others as I have been loved.
Nothing can separate me from God’s love.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
You are the Creator of everything. When You formed heaven and earth, You said it was good. When You created humanity, You said, “Let Us make man in Our image.”
Everything You do is good. We know that You made each one of us wonderfully and with purpose. Help us to be content with who we are and how You made us. Forgive us when we criticize ourselves or others.
When You gave us different appearances and personalities, You did not intend for one person to be considered better than another. You created us to be loved and to love one another.
Thank You, Lord. You did not have to show us such great love, but You chose to love us.
In Jesus Christ’s name, we pray. Amen.