You Are Your Thoughts
The wise man wrote, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he,” (Proverbs 23:7 KJV).
We all experience a range of thoughts and emotions daily. Some are positive— Waking up in the morning and making that first cup of coffee, feeling the promise of the day God has made, watching your children laugh, feeling the hug of your spouse, or listening to that great song in the car you have been playing on repeat.
Others can be negative— Feeling overwhelmed, overworked, distant from God, angry, sad, anxious, or lost. These emotions can greatly impact our world. They affect our attitudes, our relationships, and even our bodies. Thoughts are the core of what makes up our identity. In a never-ending cascade, our thoughts become our emotions, which become our words, which become our actions, which become our identity. As a person thinks, so they are.
God has created us in His image, but our thoughts can directly impact that image in a positive or a negative way. Scientists have determined that within our bodies we have more than one hundred chemicals that are controlled and released by our thoughts. If you have positive thoughts, your brain releases chemicals that make you feel good. If you have fearful thoughts, your brain releases chemicals that cause your senses to be heightened. Every day, you have many thoughts. Psychologists at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario report that they have performed fMRI brain scans that allow them to count each thought, and say the average human has 6,200 thoughts per day.
In his book Deadly Emotions, Dr. Don Colbert wrote, “The mind and body are linked. How you feel emotionally can determine how you feel physically.” He goes on to state, “Researchers have directly and scientifically linked emotions to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diseases related to the immune system. Studies have also highly correlated emotions with infections, allergies, and autoimmune diseases.” Our thoughts affect so much more than just our mind and our actions. Literally, they directly impact our physical health.
A negative thought has negative consequences. Unfortunately, the first negative thought makes it easier to have a second, which makes it easier to have a third, and so on. Essentially, you find yourself in a rut of negative thoughts that feed harmful emotions. The first bad thought is not so bad. After all, it is only one thought. Nevertheless, one bad thought trickles just a little toxin into your body and begins to clear the way for a second harmful thought and more toxins. Before long, your mind and body are flooded with poisons that negatively affect your decisions, mood, and physical body.
Take a moment and think about your 6,000 or more thoughts. How do they make you feel? What chemicals are being released? Are they positive or negative? Are they optimistic or pessimistic? It matters, because your thoughts are not simply innocuous blips passing through your brain. They are seminal to who you are in totality and they are determining the course of your life.
Jesus said, “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad,” (Matthew 12:33 NLT). In other words – anxiety or peace, fear or faith, pessimism or optimism – they are all the fruit of what is happening within your mind.
You cannot think negative thoughts and live a positive life.
Do you want to break the cycle of negative thoughts and emotions? Do you want to change how you think to build a happier more fulfilling life that God wants for you? If so…
First, you must believe that change can happen. If you don’t believe in your ability to make positive change, you won’t. Begin by relying on God to strengthen your faith in Him and in yourself. Jesus said, “Because you believed, it has happened,“ (Matthew 8:13 NLT).
Second, determine that you will no longer accept every thought you have. Yes, you will have the occasional derogatory and negative thought, but you can learn to quickly replace it with a positive thought. Reframe your negative thoughts by finding the positives in every situation. For example, you can complain that traffic is crazy and congested. Or, you can be thankful you have a vehicle and you live in a community that has a lot going on. You can be frustrated that you are experiencing a relationship with God that feels distant, or you can feel blessed that He will always leave the door open for you to seek Him. It’s the same scenario, but it is two different perspectives. Decide that not every thought is welcome, and seek what opportunities can be derived from it instead.
Third, read your Bible. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free,” (John 8:32 NLT). It may sound too easy, but there truly is power though the reading of the God’s Word to give you liberty from deadly emotions. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) says, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” You will be pleasantly surprised by how God’s word and his teachings can breathe life into you and give you a positive path to walk.
Fourth, meditate on God’s Word. Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV) speaks of meditating on the Word of God: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.” To meditate is to think about, to ponder, to ruminate over. It is not simply reading the Bible, it is deeply considering what it means and from that being able to prosper and fulfill God’s desires for our soul. It is an amazing promise – I encourage you – take advantage of it.
Fifth, meditate on God’s love. Psalms 48:9 (NLT) says, “O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple.” Negative thinking says, “I’m not lovable,” “I don’t deserve love,” or “I will never find love.” But, the positive mind knows it is not really about our ability to be loved. Instead, it is all about God’s fathomless love toward us. And this promise should shake every negative thought you have to its core. “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life,” (John 3:16 NLT)
Sixth, pray about your thoughts. The apostle Paul wrote, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT). Seeking God’s wisdom, His love, and His very being through prayer can be the catalyst that helps you on your journey to positive thinking. Come to Him with your negative thoughts, seek from Him strength and guidance to change your mind and your attitudes. Literally, ask God to deliver you from negative thinking and build you with positive ideas. Trust that He will never leave you, and He will always listen to you.
Seventh, speak positive words. The wise man instructed us, “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences,” (Proverbs 18:21 NLT). Keep speaking positive things because your words can bring life and positive consequences.
Finally, decide which thoughts you will accept.
Maybe your dad or mom told you that you were worthless or that you would never make anything of your life. Maybe you are experiencing thoughts of hopelessness or lack of faith in yourself to make change. God’s word, however, says that He “…made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it,” (Psalms 139:13-14 NLT). Therefore, have faith in God’s creation of you. Seek Him in your times of need or doubt. You have been created in God’s image, and you are perfectly made for His purpose.
Maybe the enemy wants you to think that your past will always haunt you, or that you will never overcome your mistakes. That’s what the enemy wants. But God says, “there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1 NLT). Allowing yourself to be condemned over past mistakes is negative thinking, but choosing to live in God’s promise of “no condemnation” is positive thinking.
Maybe you don’t feel loved. But the Bible says, “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord,” (Romans 8:38-39 NLT). Meditate on God’s love, feed your brain with His goodness.
Maybe you feel incomplete, not enough, or insufficient. But God’s Word says, “You also are complete through your union with Christ,” (Colossians 2:10 NLT). In ourselves, we are not complete and can never be, because we were not meant to do life without Jesus. But, with Jesus, we have everything we need.
The enemy wants you to think you are alone and to be lonely. But God says, “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,” (Isaiah 41:10 NLT). You are never alone! God is always with us. Choose to be aware of His presence; refuse to never be alone.
The enemy wants you to think it is impossible to change from being negative to positive. But God says, “I am the LORD, the God of all the peoples of the world. Is anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 NLT). Nothing is impossible. If Jesus can resurrect from the grave, then believe that He can resurrect our thoughts from dead negative thinking.
Never give up! It won’t be easy. If you have built negative roads in your mind that are easy to travel, you’ll have to reconstruct those roads. But, in your times of doubt and uncertainty, remember what God’s word tells us— “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up,” (Galatians 6:9 NLT).
Remember Paul’s encouragement— “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns,” (Philippians 1:6 NLT). Think about that truth; God has begun and is continuing to do a great work in you – that’s a great thought!
It will take time; You will slip up and have a negative thought, but don’t let it get you down. As Proverbs 24:16 says, “The godly may fall many times, but they will keep getting up.” Just keep thinking, “Get up!”
Philippians 4:8-9 (NLT)
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 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. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.