Tell Yourself the Truth

“Tell yourself the truth, Brooke,”

My Mom always said.



 


Tell yourself the truth,

When you’re believing a lie.

Tell yourself the truth,

When worldly perceptions

Overtake Godly inheritances.

Tell yourself the truth,

In the midst of a panic attack,

In the place of unanswered hope,

In the mirror,

In the car,

By day, by night,

Whether you believe it or not,

Tell yourself the truth.



Because we choose life or death,

Blessing or curse.



My student came to me today,

A tear hovering on her eyelid.

“Jenny told me I’m a piece of crap.

I told her to stop and she kept saying it.”



I bent to make our faces level,

And said, “I’ll speak with Jenny,

But first – what’s the truth?

Are you a piece of crap?”

Her hesitant tear took the plunge,

Raced down her cheek.

“No.”

“What’s the truth?”

“I’m not a piece of crap.”

“What are you? Who are you?”

“I’m pretty valuable.”

“Yeah, you are. SO valuable.”



After a hug, she went back to her desk,

Smiling triumphantly in Jenny’s direction.

This girl hadn’t won the battle with Jenny,

Truth had won over evil.

Truth had taken that ugly “piece of crap” seed,

Uprooted it, and tossed it into the fire

Of God’s glorious identity for this child.



So tell yourself the truth,

When you disappoint people,

When you are pleasing.

Tell yourself the truth,

In plenty,

In want.

Tell yourself the truth,

About yourself,

About God,

About others.

Because Jesus didn’t just redeem your spirit from death,

He set your mind free too.