Over a year later and we are still battling those voices in our heads. The voices that say, “If only you would have…,” “Why didn't you see this coming,” “You can’t handle this anymore,” and so many more.

 

We all have our inner voices that try to blame, hold us back, keep us in despair. Even the heros of the faith had their irrational thoughts in the midst of their trials: Job questioned, “why did I not perish at birth, and die as I came from the womb,” When God didn’t act as Jonah wanted, he said, “it would be better for me to die, than to live.” Solomon in all his wisdom thought, “I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.” There’s plenty of instances in the Bible of people who decided that life was too hard and that dying would be better: Rebecca, Elijah, Paul, just to name a few.

 

Sometimes it’s our own inner voice telling us these lies and sometimes its voice of the enemy, who’s only desire is to steal, kill and destroy. I have to take steps to guard against those voices when they come because thoughts have serious consequences. There’s an old saying, “Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.” There’s profound truth in that.

 

Julian’s irrational thoughts led him to take his life and if we aren’t careful, our thoughts can destroy our lives too. Though there’s no way to rid the voices altogether, there are ways to armor ourselves to battle them when they come. The other day, I made a list of the irrational thoughts I battle. Then I listed a rational thought to combat it and found Scripture to support the rational thought. Though I can’t always trust my own thoughts, I can trust God’s Word. Listed below are some inner voices I hear on the regular that can put me in a slump for hours, sometimes days.