Have you ever heard that little voice inside that tells you that you’re not good enough? The one that says you will never succeed or amount to anything in life?  No doubt we all have at one point or another.

Maybe it stemmed from a mistake you made, or trying to compare yourself to someone else, or perhaps someone treated you badly.

Whatever the cause, when we listen to that voice, it takes our failures and imperfections and turns them against us.  As a result, we begin to feel insecure and start doubting our God-given abilities.

I want to tell you that those negative things are not true, so we should never believe them.  Those kind of thoughts have absolutely no place in our lives.   All they do is hold us back from the true potential God has in store for us.  Always remember that we were made to be victorious!

1 John 4:4 You are from God,little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

Even though we may know this, it still can happen.  So how do we overcome these negative thoughts?

The key is learning to replace the negative thoughts with positive ones.  We need to understand who God made us to be and just how much He loves us.  That is what really matters.  Here are a few scriptures that tell us:

We were wonderfully made:

Psalm 139:13-14 13 For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.  14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

We are valuable to God:

Matthew 10:29-31 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

We were chosen by God:

1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

We were created for good works:

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

His plans will benefit our lives:

Jeremiah 29:11  ^‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’

He loves us so much that He gave His only Son to reconcile us back to Him:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

He loved us from the beginning:

1 John 4:19 We love, because He first loved us.

Once we begin to realize these truths and let them sink in, you’ll see there is no room left to think negatively about ourselves.  Any time you’re feeling down about yourself, remember these verses to help extinguish those self-defeating thoughts.

Even if it takes a while, the important thing is to keep trying.  Remember that the Lord is always with you and ready to help you every step of the way.  Be encouraged by focusing on His great love for you and all the things He has blessed you with.

Stay positive and know that you were made for great things!