Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
"You know you can't do that - you always mess things up."
"Do you hear yourself? What makes you think you can do anything right?"
"You always mess things up. You are worthless."
Do you ever hear voices like these? I do. And when we hear them, we are tempted to think it is God talking to us. But it's not. How can you know? The Bible tells us.
Gentle words are a tree of life;
a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:4 (NLT)
Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone. Colossians 4:6 (NLT)
God tells us in the Bible to watch our tongue, to guard what we say and to use our words to build each other up. God will never do anything contrary to what is in his Word so you know that those negative thoughts are not his.
Will God convict you when you are doing something wrong? Absolutely. But his words will be words of encouragement or gentle reproach, not condemnation.
So, next time you hear Satan utter those awful thoughts in your head, fight back. I'll share some tips on how to do that tomorrow.