Positive affirmations and mantras as seen as a quick way to boost self-esteem. Women are told to repeat phrases like “I am enough” or “I am worthy” in order to replace negative self-talk with confidence. These methods can feel comforting in the moment, especially if you’ve struggled with self-worth or have been deeply wounded by the words of others. Yet no matter how sincere your tone or how many times you repeat the words, they can never reach the deep spiritual need of your soul, because they’re built upon the shaky foundation of self instead of the unshakable truth of God’s Word. I toured for two decades with the queen of positive affirmations, Louise Hay and other famous New Thought / New Age authors who used and promoted positive affirmations. Our personal lives were train wrecks. The positive affirmations that we wrote about didn’t work for us either. That’s because only Jesus can save someone’s soul, and transform their lives from the inside-out. This isn’t about material prosperity; this is about the only way to salvation and true and lasting peace. At best, positive affirmations are like a band-aid on a deep wound. They may cover the surface, but they can’t cleanse or heal what’s beneath. The Bible tells us the truth about ourselves apart from Christ: that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That means our worthiness doesn’t come from looking inward and declaring our own goodness, but from looking upward to God, who has shown us His mercy through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. When we build our sense of worth on who we are in ourselves, we’ll either fall into pride when life is going well or into despair when we fail. But when we are grateful for God’s grace and mercy in saving us and adopting us into His family, our identity in Christ remains secure no matter how we feel. Affirmations that focus upon yourself will inevitably keep you circling around your feelings, your moods, your successes, and your failures. That’s a trap the enemy would love for you to stay in, because it keeps your eyes off of the Lord. Scripture calls us to meditate on God’s Word, not on our own self-proclaimed worthiness. When David encouraged his own soul in Psalm 103, he didn’t repeat “I am enough” or “I am strong”; he said, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” The focus was entirely on who God is and what God has done. True hope and lasting peace come when we shift our gaze from self-centered mantras to God-centered praise. If you’ve been leaning on positive affirmations to carry you through hard days, I urge you to replace them with the promises of God’s Word. Instead of “I am worthy,” say, “God has loved me with an everlasting love.” Instead of “I am enough,” say, “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.” Instead of “I am strong,” say, “The Lord is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” These aren’t empty words meant to conjure up a mood; they’re eternal truths spoken by the God who cannot lie, and they won’t fade when your feelings shift. Please don’t settle for the shallow waters of positive affirmations. Step into the deep, living waters of God’s truth. Let His Word be the meditation of your heart, and you’ll find that your confidence rests not in who you are, but in who He is, and that’s a foundation that will never be shaken. How to Avoid New Age & New Thought Deception a.co/d/0DDm3SQ