You’re in a yoga class and you look around. You don’t see anyone else struggling with their downward dog as much as you are. You sink into yourself and that’s when it starts. That’s when the voice of the internal critic becomes louder than any other voice in your head. It tells you that you should not even be in this class. What were you thinking? It tells you that you will never be as good as the other ladies. It tells you that you stink at this. Before it’s berating ends, it hits you up with the grand finale by saying you’re worthless.

 

If you’ve had your mind go down this rabbit hole this quickly, keep reading. If not, share this with someone who has.

 

I have had this happen to me more times than I’d like to admit. But over time, God had shown me how to quiet the inner critic’s voice by replacing it with His voice. With what His word says about you.

 

Nowhere in His word does He call you worthless. In fact, He calls you His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6).

 

Nowhere in His word does He condemn you (Romans 8:1).

 

Nowhere in His word does He tell you that you are no good. In fact, He calls you His child (Galatians 3:26).

 Over time, you can learn to not engage with that voice. The voice could have come from your childhood. A parent that was always hard on you. It may come from a friend that rejected you. Wherever it came from, the message has stuck with you. This critic has played in our head repeatedly. It took years for these messages to take root in your heart and mind. It will take some time to build up the habit to resist and fight the critic. But you can fight it and you can overcome it. You will do this through believing Christ’s truth about who you are.

 

My prayer for you today is that God makes you bold and plants you firmly in your identity in Him. You are a child of the God most high. And even if your downward dog isn’t perfect – who cares? Because of Christ, God sees you as perfect – even in your Yoga class.