Watch Your Mouth—Your Ears Are Listening

There’s a powerful insight often attributed to Bruce Lee, who said, “Never negatively talk about yourself, even if you’re just joking.” The fact is, many of us have mastered the art of negative self-talk with a smile—cracking jokes at our own expense, dismissing our gifts, or casually saying, “I’m just bad at this,” “I always mess things up,” or “That’s just how I am.”

But here’s the truth: your spirit doesn’t know when you’re kidding. Your mind records it. Your heart rehearses it. And eventually, your life starts to reflect it. The scripture says it like this: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

Notice the language—fruit. Words are seeds. What you speak consistently doesn’t stay theoretical; it becomes tangible. It grows. It produces.
Every time you speak negatively about yourself—even if just joking around—you are casting a vote for a future you don’t actually want.

Jesus was very intentional with words. He didn’t deny reality, but He spoke beyond it. When others saw lack in themselves, He spoke provision. When others saw death in themselves, He spoke life. When others labeled other people or even themselves by their past, He renamed them according to purpose. Positive self-talk is not denial. It’s not ignoring the pink elephant in the room. Rather, it is alignment. It’s choosing to agree with heaven over habit.

Here’s the truth: You would never tolerate someone following you around all day, mocking you, belittling you, and reminding you of every failure. Yet many of us allow that voice to live rent-free in our minds—and we call it “being realistic” or “just joking.” But faith doesn’t grow in hostile soil.

Friends, I’m asking that starting today, you become as intentional about speaking to yourself as you are about speaking to others. What if your inner dialogue sounded more like encouragement than criticism? What if you encouraged yourself, rather than calling yourself out of your name just because you made a mistake.

The words you speak to yourself should match where God is taking you, not where you’ve been. You are not what you used to be. You are not your worst moment. You are not the punchline of your own jokes. Because even when you’re joking around—your ears are listening, your heart is learning, and your future is forming. So speak with purpose. Speak with hope. Speak with faith. I believe when you make this your habit, new doors will begin to open, favor will become your daily bread and you will see your prayers answered.