Athletes do it all the time.

They talk trash to and about the opposing team in order to consistently gain a mental edge over their opponents. It can be fun to watch them as they get into each other’s head. Larry Bird has been crowned the #1 trash talker in the NBA in this report. I would not have expected him or Reggie Miller to be in the top five of NBA trash talkers.

Are you a trash talker? It can be fun to talk trash to friends & co-workers just out get a rise out of them!

But we have an opponent in life that actually gets us to talk trash to ourselves. It’s an insidious method the devil uses to get in our heads. He uses it to gain a mental edge over us by distracting us from the One who loves us most. He gets us to focus on ourselves and our shortcomings instead of focusing on Jesus and all He’s done for us. The devil gets us to consistently put ourselves down in various situations:

• “I can’t even do the simple things right.”
• “I always get sick from allergies this time of year.”
• “My boss never gives me a break.”
• “My body just doesn’t cooperate in getting pregnant.”
• “All the men/women in my family get this disease. I guess I’ll get it too.”
• Blah blah blah blah…

All of this putting down of self makes life a drag, filled with pity parties, bouts of anxiety, and excessive self-condemnation. It’s time for a change! Instead of agreeing with what the devil says about you in your thoughts and then activating those thoughts by saying them, choose to agree with God and speak His Word. If there’s trash that you’ve been talking to yourself about a particular situation in your life, it’s time to throw out the trash! Find a scripture that promises the opposite of the negativity you’ve been saying about yourself. Find a verse that clarifies how valuable you are in God’s eyes and then begin to say that to yourself.

Why waste time talking trash to yourself, putting yourself down with your own words? Allow yourself the freedom to speak peace and blessing to yourself so you can enjoy life more!