Be Kind To Yourself

Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

Colossians 4:6 NLT

I talk to myself.  If you were to follow me around, especially on a day that my children are all at school and I am by myself, you would find me talking quite often.  You might wonder who I am talking to, who I am carrying on long conversations with, and the answer is myself.  Right or wrong I have lots of conversations with myself that include asking myself questions, giving myself comments and answers and telling myself what to do about this or that.  I plan out my day outloud and discuss with myself the best order to do things.  I look back on my many discussons with myself and wonder how many times I have been rude or unloving.  How often have I put myself down or labeled myself with a name I don't deserve?  I don't always talk nicely to myself.  I don't always offer myself grace.  Often my discussions are ugly and unkind and that isn't God's desire for me.      

Friends, it is important that we talk to ourselves the way we would talk to our best friends.  It is important that we treat ourselves with gracious conversation having the right response for our lives, as well as others.  We are precious to God and as much as He wants us loving others, He demands we love ourselves too.  And let's admit we aren't always that loving when we tell ourselves we are fat, stupid, ugly, inadequate, unworthy, and so on.  Gracious conversation with ourselves is just as important as lifting others up.  We must give ourselves the same grace we are willing to offer others.  After all, a positive attitude will better spill out in encouragment and love for others, than when we feel negative and bad about ourselves.  Next time you notice your self-talk pay attention to what you are saying.  If you aren't being kind and gracious then stop that talk immediately!  Love yourself as you do others and start changing the way you talk to yourself today!