If i’m to be completely honest with you, limiting beliefs are something that I’ve struggled with for most of my life. These beliefs, rooted in fear and self-doubt have hindered my personal and spiritual growth. In many ways, they have also held me back from realizing my full potential.
When I discovered affirmations, they became a weapon that I could use against these limiting beliefs.
I’ve always been one to gravitate towards encouraging bible verses and inspirational quotes. Feel good words were always sure to lift my spirits when I’m feeling down.
Positive affirmations have the same effect.
Using positive affirmations have helped me challenge negative thoughts that often come up and replace them with empowering and faith-filled statements.
In this post, we’ll discuss the power of positive affirmations and how you can use affirmations to change the trajectory of your life.
What Is An Affirmation?
An affirmation is like a pep talk that you give yourself. It’s usually a sentence or string of sentences that are intended to encourage and motivate you.
The power of positive affirmations really comes from the ability of these words to become part of your subconscious or part of your nature.
You see, from the moment each of us are born, our brains are being programmed. Every single one of our experiences (even the ones that you don’t think are important), our environment and words that are spoken to us, all come together to shape our current thoughts and mindsets.
The way you think and the way you behave is a result of all of your previous experiences.
The problem with this is that many of us have been exposed to a lot of negative. From news reports to the mean words that your neighbour said to you when your 11.
All of these things shape your mindset and the way you view yourself and everything around you.
But, what would it look like if you didn’t have to passively take in everything that’s thrown at you?
Affirmations can act as a defensive tool that can be used to reshape your mindset. By repeating positive phrases, you can start to tune out the negative that may have already been programmed in your mind and redirect your thoughts towards more positive ones.
Overcoming Limiting Beliefs
When I first became a mom, I had a lot of limiting beliefs around my ability to be a good mom.
- I’m not cut out for this.
- I”m not even good with kids
- What if I get it wrong and I mess up my kids for life?
- I have no ideas what I’m doing
These are only some of the thoughts that went through my mind on a daily basis. These thoughts often prevented me from showing up as my best. In the early days, I was afraid to go out in public for fear that others would see how ill equipped I was to be looking after a baby.
The fear was paralyzing and I didn’t know how to get out of it and actually enjoy what was supposed to be a magical season.
In the end, I started to read more personal development books and learned the power of affirmations.
Looking in the mirror and telling myself that I am enough may have seemed cheesy at the time, but doing it over and over again helped me to realize “you know what? I am actually good enough.”
As much as my mind tried to convince me otherwise, I continued to tell myself that “I was the best mom that I could be for my children. No one else could do a better job mom to them than me, because God chose me to be their mom.”
The more I repeated these affirmations, more I believed what I was telling myself. The easier it became to overcome those limiting beliefs that were literally limiting my potential and making me miserable.
These principles can be applied to overcome limiting beliefs in pretty much any area of your life.
How To Overcome Limiting Beliefs
Take a moment to think of an area where you’ve been believing some negative and toxic lies about yourself.
Write down a few affirmations to help you get through, and repeat until you start believing your own words.
It may feel like it’s giving delulu but believe me, it’s worth it when you can finally break free from mindset and thought patterns that are holding you back.
Affirmations And Christianity- My Take
As a person of faith, I initially approached affirmations with caution, wondering if they would align with my Christian beliefs.
There’s some talk among Christian circles about whether affirmations are something that a child of God should partake in.
There are 2 main arguments that I found critiquing the use of affirmations to overcome limiting beliefs.
The first is the fact that the use of positive affirmations is often lumped in with other ‘worldly’ theology such as manifestation.
As I delved deeper into the practice, I discovered that affirmations actually make sense and align with my Christian beliefs.
There are also legitimate concerns around the use of affirmations as Christians. The main argument that I’ve seen are about how affirmations are inherently selfish.
The focus on personal desires and positive self-talk may potentially divert your attention away from other important aspects of walking in faith.
There seems to be a focus on getting what you desire, rather than on character and service.
While this is a fair point, I think it’s important to strike a balance, and focus on affirming words that are in alignment with the word of God.
The use of affirmations don’t have to inform your entire walk with God, but they can be a part of it.
Biblical affirmations are statements that are rooted in scripture. It’s not about speaking empty words, but instead aligning our thoughts with Gods words and promises.
The bible says that we should take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. This means that when we find ourselves thinking and acting in a way that doesn’t align with the way of God, we can redirect our thinking to align with Gods words.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
We practice positive affirmations when we sing praise and worship songs. The repetitive lyrics and melodies serve as a powerful form of positive affirmation. They imprinting the messages of faith, hope, and gratitude deep within our hearts and minds.
Whether we’re consciously aware of it or not, these uplifting songs become a continuous loop of encouragement, reinforcing our beliefs and connecting us to a higher source of strength and inspiration. So, in essence, every worship session is a symphony of positive affirmations because they help to shape our outlook on life.
The Bible encourages believers to focus on the positive, uplifting aspects of life (Philippians 4:8), and affirmations have become a tangible way for me to do just that.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
My biblical affirmations are carefully curated to reflect the timeless truths found in scripture. Instead of dwelling on the challenges, I shift my focus to affirming God’s promises and the strength He provides. Statements such as “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) became daily reminders of my identity in Christ.
Want to delve deeper? Check out these biblical affirmations for Christians dealing with anxiety.
Should Christians use positive affirmations?
Ultimately, I believe that each individual believer should be the one to decide whether they want to incorporate affirmations into their spiritual routine or not.
My advice would be for you to prayerfully consider what it is you want to get out of using positive affirmations and make a decision that you feel comfortable with.
Practical Tips For Using Affirmations
- Begin with Positivity: Integrate affirmations into your daily routine during both highs and lows as a source of positivity and encouragement.
- Personalize Your Affirmations: Tailor affirmations to address specific challenges or areas of personal growth, making them uniquely yours.
- Blend with Prayer: Combine affirmations with prayer to deepen your connection with God, seeking His guidance and strength.
- Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge and celebrate the positive changes and growth you experience through consistent affirmation practice.
Growing In Confidence
My journey with affirmations began in a season of challenges, but it has grown and become an integral part of my personal development journey.
Affirmations have helped me not only to overcome limiting beliefs and mindsets, they have helped me to step out of my comfort zone, tackle challenges with greater ease and overall feel like a more confident version of myself.
If you find yourself navigating a difficult season, you can consider the using the practice of affirmations to help you get through. With each positive statement, you’re not just changing your mindset; you’re building your faith and unlocking the doors to personal transformation.
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