How To Control Negative Thoughts
What movie are you playing in your mind today? Do you have notions of despair, fear, or defeat? Or are they meditations of victory and favor? What we think plays a huge part in how we feel, act, and react.
Thoughts of favor and faith are simply saying what God says about you or your situation – and choosing to believe His Word.
Modern techniques to control negative thoughts encourage you to empty your mind to achieve peace, i.e. Yoga. But the Bible tells us to fill our minds with truthful, powerful, and redeeming thoughts.
Control Negative Thoughts
“Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” Philippians 4:8.
It is not merely trying to blot out bad thoughts using willpower but replacing negative thoughts with the truth of God’s Word. His Word brings you out of bondage to the enemy’s lies.
Sometimes it is difficult to control recurring negative thoughts and the more you try the worse it seems to be. Instead of thinking about God’s promises you may not be able to shake the thoughts of the worst-case scenario. Stop trying to erase these thoughts and start replacing them with God’s thoughts. This starts the healing process and a new, constructive habit.
Perhaps you received a negative report from the doctor, and you are battling fear. Stop. Find the promises in the Bible to replace those thoughts with scripture. “Surely, Jesus has borne my sicknesses and carried my pains. The chastisement for my wholeness fell upon him, and by His stripes, I am healed. With long life, He will satisfy me” Isaiah 53:4 -5
When told I had cancer and less than two years to live, I posted scriptures throughout my house so I would constantly have God’s Word in front of me if I looked in a mirror, at the refrigerator door, or the nightstand next to my bed. I would say them out loud for an even greater impact – I saw, and I heard the Word, and it drowned out the lies. “Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things told her from Lord” Luke 1:45.
Many think that if they could change their circumstances, they could have the lives they want. But that is not what Jesus said. Your life is a reflection of what has been hidden in your heart. If you want a change in your circumstances, you need to change what you believe in your heart. Change the message you have been repeating to yourself from a negative one to what God’s Word says about you.
Right Believing Leads To Right Living
Right believing always leads to right living.
“A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things” Matthew 12:35.
If you are experiencing weakness, failure, or defeat you are most likely believing that about yourself. Change your thoughts – change your life. This is NOT positive thinking. It is thinking God’s thoughts direct from His Word to you.
Guilt plays a huge part in your thought life. If you are trying to stop a bad habit and you slip up, guilt begins to tell you that you will never change or that you are a hypocrite and God is angry with you. The harder you try the worse it seems to get, so you quit. The devil loves to remind you that you are a failure so why bother?
But the Holy Spirit who lives in your spirit is there to convict you of righteousness – not condemn you of sin. The more you read scriptures telling you who you are in Christ and that you are righteous because of His indwelling, the more you will believe it.
You are righteous not because of what YOU have done or not done – but because of what Christ has DONE FOR YOU. See yourself as God sees you.
God's Word Is Unshakable
As the voice of the Holy Spirit becomes stronger it will eventually be the only voice you hear – which is the truth that replaces lies.
When you believe and confess with your mouth that you are the righteousness of God in Christ, a new power is released into your life that overcomes the bondage of sin.
“Then Jesus said to him, Away with you, Satan! For it is written, you shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” Matthew 4:10.
If negative thoughts come, do not give them time to take root. Do not dwell on them but replace them with words from God’s Word. Have you ever heard the expression that you cannot stop the birds from flying over your head, but you do not need to allow them to build a nest?
We defend ourselves with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. God’s Word is infallible, unshakable, and everlasting. Read Isaiah 40:8 and 1 Peter 1:25.
Control Your Negative Thoughts
When Jesus was tempted by Satan, His response was always the same. He quoted from the written Word of God. Each time He was attacked, He responded with “It is written.” This is our pattern to combat bad thoughts or temptations. Follow the same pattern in your life as Jesus did.
If Jesus quoted the Word to annihilate the lie, how much more should we do it? If fear tries to grip your thoughts, quote what God’s Word says instead of accepting the lie.
Challenge yourself for thirty days to replace each negative thought (lie) about yourself with one that God says in the Word. I would love to hear your testimonies about what changed in your life.