I Don't Belong Here

                                                       Image courtesy iStock                                "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me." That popular children's rhyme from the 70s and 80s, though known to be untrue, was chanted anyway. Deep down, we all desire the strength to be unaffected by words. Proverbs 18:21, God tells us that life and death are in the power of the tongue. Words carry weight in both the spiritual and physical realms. In Genesis 1:3, God spoke, and out of nothing came light, the world, and mankind. We are made in His image, and with that comes the power of our words. While we cannot create thin...

  Content Warning: Mentions Suicide One of the biggest lies I used to believe was that all my thoughts were my own. In my teens, I realized some of those thoughts were the Holy Spirit speaking to me. I might have a thought, like, "I'm about to have a flat tire," and dismiss it as my imagination, only to have a flat tire moments later. Or, I'd be with someone and something just wouldn't feel right; something in my head would tell me to leave, and I would, later realizing it was the Holy Spirit warning me of danger. It took me much longer to understand that the enemy could do the same thing. I'd hear myself think, "You're not good enough for anyone." Many good, Christian guys asked me out, but I pushed them all away, believing the thought that they deserved better than me. I was never good enough—not for my friends, my family, or even my jobs. Image courtesy Tenor II Corinthians 10:5 says to take every thought captive. I've heard this scripture...