“I keep fighting voices in my mind that say I’m not enough
Every single lie that tells me I will never measure up
Am I more than just the sum of every high and every low
Remind me once again just who I am because I need to know…”
Lauren Daigle
This song tugs at the heartstrings of my heart whenever I listen to it leaving me welling up with tears. Today as I write this article I’ve thought about and prayed for you (the reader), and the lyrics. Keep them in mind as you go through this piece…
Understanding Core Beliefs
Core beliefs are our most deeply held assumptions about ourselves, the world, and others. (1) They are often untrue, but they are the root cause for automatic negative thoughts, and they shape our reality.
Core beliefs were first theorized in the context of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and they are known as schemas, which shape how we process and interpret new information (2)
Judith Beck suggests three categories for core beliefs which are:
Worthless
Unlovable
Helpless (3)(4)
In this blog post we focus on the worthless core belief. (Watch out for the next blog post where we talk about unlovable core belief.)
Facing the Worthless Core Belief
Worthless core belief is characterized by saying or thinking thoughts like
I’m worthless
I’m unacceptable
I’m toxic
I’m bad
I’m immoral
I’m evil
I don’t deserve to live (5)
If you’ve been going through this list, and making a mental note of the thoughts that bother you maybe you might want to read through this.
You are worth it. L’Oreal was right–you’re worth it. Don’t take it from me, but take it from the One who created you.
Psalms 139:14
[14]”I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.”
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. A marvelous masterpiece. The next time that small voice whispers that you’re worthless respond with a resounding I AM FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE.
I’m willing to break grammar rules to put my point across, so you better be ready to smash those beliefs!
You are acceptable. You have been chosen by God.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” 1 Peter 2:9 (6)
You are a chosen generation, and God’s special people. I know this may be hard to believe if you’ve been rejected. Maybe it was your father who walked out on you, perhaps a lover or a friend. The truth is God has chosen you. When everyone else was leaving, He was standing by the door waiting on your invitation to come in. Remember that He said He would never leave you nor forsake you, so the next time those thoughts creep in stand tall. Don’t cower because you’re chosen and special.
You deserve to live. Don’t think for a moment about taking your own life. (If you have been struggling with suicidal thoughts reach out to UK Mental Health hotline 0800 689 5652 (7)
God made you in His image, and He was pleased. No matter how lonely life gets know that there is One who loves you and cares for you. Oh how He longs for you to cast your burden upon Him for He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7)
You are not evil, immoral or toxic. When you’ve made a mistake, forgive yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. It turns out I too found it difficult to forgive myself. It was easy to forgive others but I held myself to a higher standard. It wasn’t long that I realized my behavior was choking my inner peace and I had to learn to forgive myself. It was a journey that I took one day at a time, and so can you.
Always Remember…
Now that we’ve addressed the elephant in the room, life is going to be easy. Wait a minute, is that even true? No….a big NO. Life is never easy. You will fail at something but I like what Denzel Washington said when he addressed a congregation of graduates, “You will fail at some point in your life accept it. You will lose and embarrass yourself. You will suck at something. I’m telling you to embrace it because it’s inevitable.” (8)
Embracing failure will make challenging those thoughts easier as you take one step at a time. Allow the Holy Spirit to help you.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You because I am worth it. I’ve believed the lies that I’m evil, toxic, worthless and bad for a long time. I choose to believe what You say about me because I’m more than the voices that tell me that I’m not enough. I ask the Holy Spirit to help me in my journey in Jesus Christ’s Holy Name Amen.
1. Schaffner A. Identifying and Challenging Core Beliefs: 12 Helpful Worksheets [Internet]. PositivePsychology.com. 2020. Available from: https://positivepsychology.com/core-beliefs-worksheets/
2. Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. Meridian.
3. Beck, J. S. (2005). Cognitive therapy for challenging problems: What to do when the basics don’t work. Guilford Press
4. Beck, J. S. (2011). Cognitive behavior therapy: Basics and beyond (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
5. Comparetto M. Strive On Counseling – Mental Health North Carolina [Internet]. Strive On Counseling – Mental Health North Carolina. 2022 [cited 2025 Feb 4]. Available from: https://striveon.me/blog/2022/10/19/what-are-negative-core-beliefs-how-do-you-change-them
6. Bible Gateway passage: 1 Peter 2:9 – New King James Version [Internet]. Bible Gateway. BibleGateway; 2015. Available from: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20peter%202%3A9&version=NKJV
7. Mind. Mental Health Helplines [Internet]. Mind.org.uk. 2018. Available from: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/mental-health-helplines/
8. FALL. FALL FORWARD – Denzel Washington Motivational Speech Video [Internet]. YouTube. 2021 [cited 2025 Feb4]. Available from: https://youtu.be/Ko09F7op8ic?si=vri8QHH9KQuc-Zyq
