Inside Out

Envious, Embarrassed Anxious, Bored, Fearful, Angry, Joyoud, Disgusted, Sad

I remember my first time being embarrassed. There was a girl I liked in school. Her name was China Hall. China Alyse to be exact. She was the prettiest girl I ever saw in my life. I thought China would be my wife lol. Funny how life works. We dated, but everyone

Daniel 3:4–13 “A herald loudly proclaimed, “People of every nation and language, you are commanded: When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, you are to fall facedown and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” Therefore, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and every kind of music, people of every nation and language fell down and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever. You as king have issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men have ignored you, the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king.”

Can you feel that? The pressure in the moement. Knowing your life could potentially be over in a second. You’re fearful. You’re sad. Disgusted. You want someone to save you but they won’t do it. So what else. For no reason other than you being the most beautifullest thing you can be which is you; you have been deemed worthless.

Life can place you in some uncomfortable positions right? You work hard to do the right thing. To have the best surroundings, but the way life works, you’re starting to realize is not always so simple. Your actions now are not just what you do in that moment, but it carries over into additional moments. If you do something right or wrong you have to remember and it keep a mental note. You are now responsible for your memory. The way you judge the world is based on your experiences, which is logged or categorized into your memory.

Life is no longer one dimensional. Every thing has layers. It’s frustrating. You have to pay attention to nuances and relationships. You have people you like and people you don’t. You have boyfriends, girlfriends, crushes. Then you got your parents, siblings, friends, bullies, and cyber bullies. Balancing all of that is difficult. Even for your parents. Sometimes pressure can build up from trying to balance these things and you can become. You feel your control slipping right?

Think back to your text. How would you feel if people had lied on you and now you had to pay a consequence for it? Close your eyes and imagine a king that is known for killing believes that you don’t respect him. Tell me; what feelings you might have. (List the movie ones)

You don’t have a spirit of fear, but it is normal to be afraid. Normal to be angry. Normal to feel pain, disgust, anxiety. As much as we all want joy, the Bible says, Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.” We get excited about joy, but the verse actually tells us we won’t always have it. When that happens, remember Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.””

Being sad or even depression is not a bad thing, it is a part of life. Everyone will go through it. But remember Romans 12:12 “Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” Life is not a movie. You can’t stop Anxiety by pulling it off the board; it takes time, preparation, therapy even. You will feel less joy as you age. Life will become even more stressful than it is now; and you don’t deserve all the stress that you have to deal with. It will get worse, but put your hope in Christ. Say Hop in Christ.

*Can’t stop anxiety. You feel less joy when you grow up.

** We don’t get to keep our best and toss the rest.

***Life is not one dimensional

****High pressure moments, remember to stay grounded; ground yourself. Introduce Maultsby.

***** God is with you…Always. Lo, I am with you.

****** Being sad is not a bad thing, it’s a part of life like every emotion.

✨ What Is RBT Self-Dialogue According to Dr. Maxie Maultsby?

RBT Self-Dialogue (sometimes called Rational Self-Counseling) is a core technique in Rational Behavior Therapy (RBT) developed by Dr. Maxie C. Maultsby Jr. It teaches people how to counsel themselves using a specific, structured set of questions and statements that produce healthier thinking and reduce emotional distress.

In essence:

RBT Self-Dialogue is the process of talking to yourself in ways that are:

Rational (based on facts)

Healthy (emotionally constructive)

Faithful to your values

Self-calming

Emotionally believable (you can truly accept what you are telling yourself)

Maultsby believed that the fastest way to change negative emotions is to change the thoughts that produce them, and self-dialogue is the tool for doing so.

🧠 How RBT Self-Dialogue Works

Dr. Maultsby taught that every emotional response comes from a belief. To change unhealthy emotions (like anxiety, shame, or fear), you must replace the unhealthy belief with a new, rational and self-affirming belief.

He created five criteria for identifying a rational belief:

A belief is rational if it:

Fits the objective facts.

Helps protect your life and health.

Helps you reach your short-term goals.

Helps you reach your long-term goals.

Creates the least amount of negative emotion.

Your self-dialogue must meet all five of these standards.

When a thought fails these criteria, it is considered irrational or unhelpful and should be replaced.

✍🏾 What RBT Self-Dialogue Sounds Like

Dr. Maultsby would have individuals ask themselves:

“Is this thought based on facts?”

“Does this thought help me or harm me?”

“Is there a healthier, truer belief I can accept?”

“What would I tell a loved one if they felt this way?”

“What belief will reduce unnecessary emotional pain?”

Then the person writes or speaks a new belief to themselves that meets all five rational criteria.

Example (general):

Irrational belief: “I can’t handle this—everything is falling apart.”

RBT Self-Dialogue replacement: “This is difficult, but it is not impossible. I have handled challenges before. I can take this one step at a time.”

Example (ministry version):

Irrational belief: “God has left me; I’m on my own.”

RBT Self-Dialogue replacement: “Scripture tells me God is with me (Hebrews 13:5, CSB). This feeling is real, but it is not the truth. I can trust His presence and take the next faithful step.”