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  • Wait … Did I Just Think That??

    Posted on April 24th, 2012 jadijohnson No comments

    Thousands of thoughts pass through our minds every day.  What we fail to think about are our thoughts themselves and their effect on our day.  If your thoughts are prevalently negative, that is the kind of world you are living in.  Your thoughts can taint your entire outlook. 

    We can control our thoughts!  How?  Actually, it’s fairly easy.  If you want to improve your day, you first have to improve your thoughts.  Block the negative thoughts that are pounding you like a hammer.  You have the authority to admit only the thoughts you desire into your precious mind.

    The first step is to become aware of your thoughts.  Make it a new habit to examine the thoughts you are allowing in.  How do they make you feel?  Would you classify them as positive or negative?  If a thought is positive, let it stay.  If it is negative, toss it out.

    Here is a little secret about negative thoughts:  They breed!  One negative thought gives birth to another, and another, and another, until you feel discouraged or overwhelmed.  Can you guess who planted that original thought in your head?  You guessed it!  Satan did.  He loves when we’re feeling defeated.  We’re so much easier to lead astray than when we’re keeping our minds and our hearts on God.

    Remember Matthew 22:37?  We’re to love the Lord with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind.  If we’re busy focusing on God, we won’t fall prey to Satan’s schemes.

    The next time you realize that you’re feeling down, ask yourself what you have been thinking about today.  Have you been fretting over money, your job, or your relationships?  When we worry, we’re giving negative thoughts a free pass into our minds.  Throw up your hand and say, “Stop!  You can’t come in.”  Take control!  After all, it’s your mind we’re talking about here.

    I can’t end this post without prompting you to read Philippians 4:8.  You’ll be glad you did!

     

    3 responses to “Wait … Did I Just Think That??” RSS icon

    • Great post!

      I think people instinctively feel that their negative thoughts are uncontrollable or, worse, from God for some unknown purpose. I completely agree that peace and awareness of blessing (as opposed to existence of it) is a matter of perspective, controlled by our habitual thoughts. We can train our minds to focus on Christ through His word, worship, praise, and prayer.

      I dont think the importance of praise can be overstated. I believe it was praise that truly opened me up to receive the blessings God had in store for me, including most importantly a vibrant and intimate relationship with Christ. It was the act of saying “thank you” (for even the small things most of us take for granted) that softened my heart to receive His peace and blessing.

      Thanks for the post!

    • Actually, I often HOPE that my negative thoughts are outside my control!! I definitely wouldn’t want to take the credit for most of them! I like what you said about our actions influencing our thoughts. After all, if we’re praising God, there is no room for a negative thought. Same goes for reading the Bible, or praying.

    • Praise is a wonderful thing. It blesses both the giver and the Receiver. How it must make God smile to be appreciated! The very act of breathing is a miracle, yet we take it for granted every day. I’ll try to be more like you — say thank you for even the simple things!


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