Long before psychology came around, God said your thoughts determine your feelings and your feelings determine your actions.

You are constantly talking to yourself—all the time. You’re talking to yourself right now! Research indicates that most people speak at a rate of 150 to 200 words per minute, but the internal dialogue that you carry on with yourself (self-talk) is more like 1,300 words per minute.

The problem is that in all of our self-talk, a lot of people are like Job. In Job 9:20, he says, “Everything I say seems to condemn me” (GNT). The truth is, we are our own worst critics. Some of us are constantly putting ourselves down. We could walk into a room smiling, but inside we’re saying, “I’m not smart or pretty enough. And I’m always late.” And most of this dialogue is unconscious.

God wants you to stop putting yourself down. When you put yourself down, who are you really putting down? You’re really pointing to the Creator who made you. When you say, “God, I’m worthless; I’m no good; I can’t do anything,” you’re actually saying, “God, you blew it with me.” That’s why God says it’s wrong to put yourself down.

How do you eliminate negative self-talk so you can become a more confident person?

By using the principle of replacement: “Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right . . . Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about” (Philippians 4:8 TLB).

There’s no better antidote to low self-esteem than to read God’s Word every day. Study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and apply it in your life. Get in the Bible and start believing what God says about you.