I’m Catholic, but I don’t practice the religion.
I believe that there is a God, but Christianity hasn’t practiced what they preached over the years. It has generated many questions that haven’t been answered.
I didn’t know self-affirmations were a thing until the pandemic hit. I’ve noticed pop-up ads encouraging the new ‘religion’ (that’s what I call it) and how to access self-empowerment. At a time like this, I’m ready to receive anything that improves my mental health. Testimonials have flooded the Internet, delivering a sense of hope and fulfillment to persons affected by the pandemic. I was intrigued by the power it held, and I felt a sense of peace by reading the articles.
Contrarily, I was confused. Was this becoming a replacement for the Christian beliefs? I’m not praying to God; I’m putting faith in myself to overcome any adverse situation. I felt like Judas (if you know, you know). My parents and grandparents taught me the importance of prayer and how to grow closer to God. My traditional teachings dissipated as I become more fascinated by the self-affirmation model. The younger generation is fixated on mastering the technique of Self-affirmation.
I was torn between my traditional beliefs and the new religion. Self-affirmations work, but I felt I was moving further from God. Who receives the credit for my accomplishments? God or myself? I decided to research this quandary and made calls to my Christian friends.
Self-affirmation is defined by a more psychological and systematic approach to spirituality. Just like a religion, it creates various techniques to release spiritual energies. Christians believe that any significance we have is because of the blood of Jesus Christ. This religion has removed the traditional and emotional aspects of mainstream Christianity and focuses on materialistic benefits. The younger generation has created a false representation of what Christianity is. Without guidance, they have shifted their faith to self-affirmation. I decided to reach out to my Uncle — The Apostle (my name for him). His wisdom is infectious, and I appreciate his open-mindedness to the younger generation’s culture. He noticed the recent trend and called it ‘self-praise’ for wealth, health, and competence.
“We, the older generation, should be held accountable for the spiritual shift. Young persons are experiencing harsher situations — and the pandemic — with no mentorship or guidance. We were taught from a young age the teachings of God and his miracles. Now, parents are busy providing basic necessities that religion is not practiced in households. These Millennials are more intelligent and require a better explanation than ‘because God said so.’ The traditional Christians have made it difficult for young persons to learn God’s teachings. They haven’t accepted the culture change, new trends, and passed judgment.”
How can we change this?
He mentioned three ways to practice positive affirmations and turn our thoughts to God and His work in your life.
Understand His Teachings.
Reading the Bible is not an ‘old people’ thing. Like reading a book, it gives us knowledge and wisdom about past life experiences. For the non-readers, there are audio versions of the Bible. It may be difficult but reach out to someone who can help. You’d be surprised at how many young persons are reading the Bible. The older generation can play an integral role in this area.
Self Praise is no Praise.
Rather than self-affirmations, positive affirmation is not human-centered. Many people experience a connection to something more powerful than themselves. Use words that do not condemn your teachings.
- I am focused and productive.
- Today is going to be a great day.
- I focus on positive progress.
- I learn how to do new things.
Create positive affirmation with biblical teachings.
This can be done by writing an important scripture verse many times and committing it to memory. He stated that God’s words are powerful and can change a person who hears them.
At this point, I waited for the lecture on attending church and combatting the seven deadly sins. The conversation was healthy. His advice didn’t seem unrealistic. He firmly believes that the Scripture should be given the highest dedication, but affirmations are an additional strategy. It can help with bad habits, trauma, shaping behavior, and negative self-image. I’ve tried many things and failed, so it wouldn’t hurt to practice these steps.
What do you think? How can you see the list working for you in your daily struggles?
