Counsels on Mental Health

Counsel #6 — Challenge Your Inner Critic

Picture: Counsel #6 — Challenge Your Inner Critic CMH 72.1

We all have that voice that whispers negative things to us about ourselves. Acknowledge its presence, but resist the urge to give it control over your value. Counter its criticisms with facts: God loves you; His grace reverberates in your life, resonating in your abilities, your generosity, and your strength. Think back on the triumphs you achieved, the mountains you climbed, not by your own power but by His. Practice self-compassion, speaking to yourself as you would to a loved one. Try whispering these words to yourself: "You are cherished, capable, loved." Replace “I am nothing” with “I am everything to Jesus.” In the eyes of Jesus, you are not the sum of your flaws, but a reflection of His divine grace, as He wraps you in His robe of righteousness and purity.^[75] CMH 72.2

“There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:1 NKJV CMH 72.3

“It is not pleasing to God that you should demerit yourself. You should cultivate self-respect by living so that you will be approved by your own conscience, and before men and angels…. While we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, the Word of God does not condemn a proper self-respect.” Ellen White in Daughters of God, p. 142 CMH 72.4

Reflect: What Bible passages affirm your self-worth and self-identity in Jesus Christ? CMH 72.5