The Ugly and Stupid

“Hey, Stupid! Can’t you do anything right?”

“Come on, let’s go somewhere else. We don’t want HER around.”

“What’s your middle name? Ugly?”

We may be in our fifties, sixties, or seventies and still hear the cruel voices from our childhood. The voices that uttered harsh barbs that cut and maimed us may still echo in our minds. That’s because most of us have faithfully internalized those messages and continue to feed them into our souls. We may not verbalize it, but our minds accost us with thoughts such as:

“I can’t believe how stupid I am!”

“I don’t think they would want to talk to me. Maybe I’ll just leave.”

“I look so awful.”

Stop. Think. Is it true? What does “He Who is Truth” say? Jesus says much to us in His Word to comfort, encourage, and love us. Here’s one example.

As His death approached, Jesus comforted and instructed His disciples. In the middle of His discussion, He said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” (John 15:3). Read that statement again, this time with the emphasis on the word ‘I’. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” According to that verse, the words that Jesus says to us are cleansing. They make us better. They give life and health.

Wouldn’t you rather have Jesus’ words residing in your heart and mind instead of the hurtful words of others or your own critical thoughts? You can.

It’s difficult to stop the critical thoughts without replacing them with something else. Replace them with God’s thoughts. Take a verse. Study it. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Allow it to replace your unhealthy thoughts. Allow the Lord to comfort, encourage, and love you through His Word.