I have an internal narrator. We all do: Those sometimes pesky little thoughts that swirl through our minds, predicting and projecting information about our life. Why that jerk cut you off in traffic. Whether a coworker or family member likes or dislikes you. How a particular event or activity will go. But how reliable are these thoughts?

At times my internal narrator is unreliable — particularly when facing occasions that tempt me to worry, such as working on a tough deadline, or leaving my family to go on a big trip or thinking about a difficult challenge. In literature, that voice is called an “unreliable narrator.” This is when the person telling a story cannot be trusted. Maybe they chronically exaggerate. Or they are lying or biased.

“Don’t believe everything you think,” goes the saying.

But if we can’t always believe our own thoughts, who or what are we to believe? Particularly in an age when everything feels relative. Instead of speaking “the truth,” we now speak “my truth.” The problem is that what feels true to me today is likely to change depending on my circumstances tomorrow. So which thoughts can be trusted?

The first step in identifying unreliable thoughts is to recognize that they are usually negative. My work isn’t good enough. I’ll never finish this project. Nothing I do matters.

Second, replace a negative or unreliable belief with a positive. My work isn’t good enough yet, but each day I’m learning how to make it better. This project may be hard, but if I keep at it, I can finish. Not everyone appreciates my efforts, but some people do.

And third, look to something bigger and more powerful than yourself for guidance and purpose. For instance, when anxious thoughts begin to crowd out my peace, I remind myself of the truth, “I am a child of God. My Father is with me.”

Knowing that my thoughts aren’t always reliable helps me to move beyond the limitations of my fears and continue working toward the good things that God has for me. The Bible is full of such promises. One of my favorites is Isaiah 41:10, “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (NLT).

As one of God’s children, that’s my guarantee. No matter what my circumstances, God’s voice is one on which I can rely. He doesn’t exaggerate. He doesn’t lie. He isn’t biased. And his truth never changes. Only I can choose which voice I will listen to. But the more carefully I listen to the truth, the deeper I am able to trust.

Meadow Rue Merrill, the award-winning author of “Redeeming Ruth: Everything Life Takes, Love Restores,” writes for children and adults from a little house in the big woods of

Midcoast Maine. Connect at meadowrue.com.