I think there can be a darkness within each one of us that loves to reach up, take hold of our confidence, and pull it down into an abyss of self-pity.

You know the days. The bad thoughts or feelings start to steamroll. It’s the opposite of positive momentum. You feel deflated. Then you catch an unflattering glimpse in the mirror… Then a friend says something spiteful…

Next thing you know you start to believe the darkness. And instead of it coming from an outside source, it comes from within. You start to pick on yourself, beat yourself up, and un-believe who you are and what you can do.

Today I’m here to tell you this: Never trust your self-defeating thoughts on the days you feel most defeated.

None of us are immune to bad days. They happen. That’s life. But those are definitely not the days when we’re thinking most clearly.

So what you need to do is (a) acknowledge that your day is junky and that your thoughts are going south, and (b) take Paul’s advice for peace in Philippians 4:8 (ESV): “whatever is true… think about these things.”

And what is true? That you are a child of God. That you are valuable. That your life has purpose. That in Christ you are a new creation—forgiven, saved, made holy, and a living, breathing ambassador of God’s love.

Darkness loves to suck at your soul. As the saying goes, misery loves company. But don’t be hospitable to untruth. It needs a firm deportation notice to the other side of the galaxy. To do that, acknowledge what’s going on, and take Paul’s advice for peace: “whatever is true… think about these things.”

Never trust your self-defeating thoughts on the days you feel most defeated.

By Matthew Ruttan

–I’m on vacation until August 26. So today’s devotional is previously published from the book: “Up! – 313 Devotionals To Help You Start Your Day in a Biblical, Relevant Way.” Click here to learn more about the book, to read endorsements, and to find order information.

–Bible quotes are from the NIV.