70% of the words you speak each day are to yourself . . . all inside your own head.
Of those 65,000 thoughts you have each day only 5,000 are new.
What are we telling ourselves?
The majority of us have a variety of negative things we say over and over to ourselves. Much of it is subconscious, but so much is retold to ourselves in our mind. We have a constant tape recorder replaying things people told us when we were young or things the Evil One throws out to deceive us.
What is a negative thought? Whatever is not wholesome, or is proud, or just does not line up with God’s word or His plan. These untruths bring us into a place of negativity.
Here are some of mine:
You are fat.
You are not good at that.
She doesn’t like you.
You are not a good mother.
I can’t. . . .
I should have . . . .
I know I am not the only one who struggles with negative thinking. I am told I am a very positive person, but if you only knew the thoughts I struggle with in my head. I can completely understand why God put this verse in the Bible.
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
How do we take our thoughts captive?
The thing is, the thought comes in and there is not much we can do about it. Or so I used to think. Because my mind created such impulses and desires, I knew I needed to grab on to this verse. I wanted to handcuff those negative thoughts and throw them in jail!
Once I attended a class on Mental Detoxing and I learned the key to this verse. It lies in the words “cancel-cancel”. I started to listen to my inner voice and hear what I had been saying to myself. Once I identified a negative thought, I would say “cancel-cancel” to myself. Then I replace the negative thought with a positive one, something more inline with God’s word. For example, “My body is sick and I am not getting any better”. I replace it with “God is healing my body and I will get better”.
Much research has gone into the idea that our bodies - our very cells - listen to us. They take command from us.
Other thoughts I may have like “I am fat” can be replaced with God’s word, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made”.
You can always substitute a lie, with truth . . . with God’s word. “Cancel-Cancel” and replace.
So I am encouraging you mom, and myself. Can we replace those thoughts in our mind with truth, with positive thoughts?
My prayer for us today is Philippians 4:7:
“Father God, I pray for all us moms. Help us to take our thoughts captive. May we have the peace of you, Father, which transcends all understanding, that will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus”.
