I’m trying to get up to speed on the Daily Affirmation trope that seems to be more and more an assumption among many people online, and probably in person. In the desultory way I have, I’ve been clicking on a lot of those 2 to 3-hour Affirmation loop videos on Youtube, along with reading lists is Daily Affirmations. My favorite, though, are the TikTokers who literally give you one single affirmation you’re supposed to say for the whole day. Some of those people are super cute.
So anyway, spoiler alert, doing Daily Affirmations is a big waste of your time, and also, no matter what anyone says, I’m pretty sure the only thing they accomplish is making other people’s lives more shallow, boring, and miserable, because while you’re repeating to yourself how wealthy, successful, healthy, and happy you are, you’re literally not having time to think about other people, or God for that matter. So even if you think you can take some Bible “promises” and repeat them in an affirmational way, you’re not getting the point of the Christian life which, I’m so sorry to say, doesn’t have anything to do with that sort of activity. But what should you repeat to yourself if you don’t do a Daily Affirmation? How will you fill the bleak gap in your life that once was occupied with all kinds of thoughts about yourself? Well, I’m here to help. I’ve been reading Jeremiah for what feels like years, and I have some replacements for you. Here they are:
*I am not dismayed because I do not want to be dismayed by God. For real, I am not dismayed. I am not.
*God is contending with me but it’s fine. I’m totally fine with it.
*When I said, ‘It is hopeless,
for I have loved foreigners,
and after them I will go.’ I really didn’t mean it.
*I am totally not the desolate voice on the bare heights weeping over perverted sons who have lost their way. I am cheerful and happy happy happy all the time. Snerk.
*Today I lie down in my shame and let my dishonor cover….No WAIT THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEANT TO SAY.
*Today besiegers come from distant lands and shout against the cities of Judah because of course they do.
…I better skip to the end or this will take weeks…
*I see Nebushazban coming so today will surely be the day that this is true: “But I will deliver you on that day, declares the Lord, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the Lord.’”
Well, obviously this isn’t working very well. So that’s too bad.
What I think I love most about the Daily Affirmation idea is that as more and more people seem to be doing them, the general emotional well-being of the West seems to be getting worse and worse. Being good at the maths and the graphs, I’m sure that the affirmations are what are literally causing everything to be so bad, rather than just a rash-like symptom of the deep illness at the cultural root.
But setting all joking aside, I will say once again, with more tears, that if you want to be happy, or have any nice things, you can’t go after happiness or the nice things. You have to abandon yourself into the arms of Jesus who knows what you need and whereof you are made. If you go looking for him, a lot of other things will be added to you, some of them even nice things, but if you don’t look for him, you won’t have anything in the final reckoning. Have a nice day! Or rather, just have a day and don’t worry about whether it’s nice or not. God can handle it one way or another.
Photo by Daniel Herron on Unsplash
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