Negative Thinking

Sometimes our minds can play really bad tricks on us.  We can pretty easily run an ongoing dialogue in our minds that is pretty negative...about ourselves.  You won't get the job!  You're not that good at that!  You can never lose weight.  You're invisible.  You're never going to get better.  Why did you say that?  Thoughts run amuck.

For me, negative thinking can jump into my brain faster than a blink of an eye.  If I don't capture those thoughts quickly, I start to believe a bunch of things that aren't necessarily true.  Toxic thoughts are very dangerous.  They leave no room for truth.  They settle into the deep processes of our mind and can suck the life right out of us.

The other day, my husband challenged me with some negative thinking.  I bemoaned to him my crazy thinking that "I can never seem to win at...."  First and foremost, he said "What do you mean win?  What makes you think you have to win?"  You see, I had allowed some destructive thinking to wreak havoc in my mind.  Doubts, anxiety and insecurity reign as I allow such stinkin' thinkin' to settle in and make its home.

So, what's a good solution?  Feeling blue, I was sitting in the parking lot at the Braundera Y waiting for a meeting.  All at once a song came on.  A Casting Crowns song I had heard countless times.  This time, I feverishly wrote down the words.  "But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me.  reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed.  The giant keeps on telling me time and time again "Boy you'll never win!  You'll never win!"  But the voice of truth tells me a different story.  The voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"  And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory." Out of all the voices calling out to me I would choose to listen and believe the voice of truth."

God met me at the moment I needed him that day.  He gave me a song.  He gave me truth.  I had to stop my runaway thinking.  It had become toxic to my soul.  Hey....you and I need to be able to hold our thoughts to a higher standard.  For me, God's word breathes life into me.  As I take in God's word, it leads to peace, not anxiety.  Freedom to pour love on others, not be consumed with myself.  Let's listen to the voice of truth today.

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

"As a man thinks in his heart, so is he."  Proverbs 3:27

Nancy B. Abbott serves as Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.