I’m sure all of you know that no matter what happens in your life that alters your course for a moment, it can be taken with either a negative or positive viewpoint. Unfortunately, many see it negatively unless it is meant to make you happy. Nevertheless, some people have been very disappointed with birthday or Christmas gifts. There’s one where a girl’s father gave her a car for graduation, but her reaction was negative because it wasn’t her favorite color.
So we can see that negative thinking and poor body image can seriously affect your life. You end up feeling tired, anxious, discouraged, or even depressed. But there is no reason to become a prisoner of negative thinking, feel more secure in your identity in God, and be less vulnerable to negative emotions. It may not be easy and require some of the most challenging mental work you will ever do. But in the end, you will be on the road to feeling better about the person God created you to be so you can do what He calls you to do.
There is a theme attached to negative emotions people have been experiencing. They include Anxiety, Discouragement, Fearfulness, Frustration, Low self-esteem, and others. But how can this be? Aren’t God’s people supposed to live victorious lives because Jesus has overcome the world? Unfortunately, most people know that message mentally but do not allow it to reach their hearts.
Let this impact your mind: “The thoughts on which you abide determine the world in which you reside.”
Wouldn’t it be nice if your old ways of thinking were wiped out when you accepted Jesus as your Savior? But that doesn’t happen. You may still hear critical voices from the past, anxiety about your present circumstances, or fear of the future.
This revelation explains how God’s people can be in just as much bondage as people of the world. As God’s child, you were never meant to live under mental oppression unless you remain a slave of our sinful tendencies. To cope with this, the Apostle Paul tells us we must knock down every tower of proud ideas that raises itself against what God’s Word tells us. We should also capture every thought and make it give up and obey Jesus the Anointed One who guides you in overcoming these issues (2 Corinthians 10:5).
Thus, we learn that negative self-talk should not be allowed to roam freely in your mind where it can wreck your life; you are “called” to actively take those thoughts as prisoners by the power of God’s Word. That takes work and patience, and yes, it takes time. But the effort is worth it because it keeps you from settling in Negativville.
Just imagine if all Christians would take this instruction to heart and put it into practice. We would bear the spiritual fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The world would see something different about us and want to know our secret. That would open the door for us to tell our unconverted neighbors and co-workers, even some family members, about Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2)!
If you believe in that vision, try joining others in a 40-day challenge to transform negative self-talk into positive thinking using God’s Word.[1] Remember again: ensure that the world you live in is consistent with the abundant life that Jesus has for you! Be blessed with health, healing, and wholeness.
Courtesy of Kimberly Taylor:
Christian therapist for living fit, healthy, and empowered in Christ.
Down an Unfamiliar Road 