Dealing With Negative Thoughts

Scriptures: Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8

All of us have struggled at times with negative thoughts.

Negative thoughts creep in often in the midst of situations or circumstances that are already chaotic. They come paired with feelings such as stress, fear, frustration, anger, and uncertainty. Negative thoughts can come as the result of negativity, and then they can breed further negativity. It is a vicious cycle. A self-perpetuating entity that only leads to further negativity.

These negative thoughts are often either learned patterns in our relationships or from distorted perspectives that we’ve picked up along the way.

However, we can’t really change our behavior without changing our thoughts. Scripture urges us to change our thinking in order to renew our minds.

Here are a few tips on how to deal with negative thoughts:

1. Avoid spending energy on things you can’t control. Mentally strong people don’t complain about bad situations beyond their control. They recognize the one thing they can always control is their own attitude.
2. Avoid dwelling on the past. There is strength in acknowledging the past, especially in things learned from the past, but a mentally strong person avoids letting past mistakes define them. They invest the majority of their energy in the present and the future.
3. Avoid giving up after failure. Every failure is a chance for improvement. Failure is a natural aspect of life, and as such, we must develop resiliency despite our failures.
4. Avoid resenting other people’s success. It takes strength of character to genuinely feel joy and excitement for other people’s success. 1 Corinthians 13 states that love rejoices with others, and does not become jealous or resentful when others succeed.
5. Avoid worrying about pleasing others. Know any people pleasers? People who go out of their way to please others? People who are mentally strong are able to withstand the possibility that someone will get upset with them, even if they speak up.

Let’s align our thoughts in life with God’s truth, so we can be who we were created to be in Christ.

Scripture: Acts 22:6-10

Our God is the same God yesterday as He is today, and as He will be in the future.

The greatest part of this truth is that the problems that we experience today, He has already assisted others through countless times over.

Dealing with negative thoughts isn’t new. In fact, there are numerous examples found within scripture that display moments in which someone has relied on God to shift their stinking thinking into a more positive mindset.

One of the most clear examples of this would be the transformation of Saul.

Saul was a self-professed enemy of God’s people. He took many violent actions personally as a means to further kill, imprison, and humiliate God’s people. Saul had a violent and aggressive mindset when regarding believers, and sought to make a name for himself by taking action against innocent people. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to say that at this time in his life, Saul was evil. His mind was plagued with negative thoughts about the people of God.

Yet, while traveling to Damascus, Saul was struck blind. He was questioned by the Lord, who asked Saul why he had chosen time and again to persecute Him.

The rest of Saul’s life would be spent making efforts to undo much of the wrongdoing that he had done. Now called Paul, he would travel the world preaching the gospel. Paul dedicated the rest of his life to uplifting the people of God, and educating all around him who had yet to hear the good news.

Saul was filled with negativity. He used this negativity as fuel to a dangerous fire.

But Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul used this new outlook on life to change the world, and he changed the world by first changing his own mindset.

Paul himself was very aware of this drastic shift. He spoke about his previous life many times, and assured those around him that the only way that this massive change was possible was through the Lord.

Paul learned to deal with these negative thoughts, and as such, those around him took notice.

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:7-9

To deal with negative thoughts is not to say that you won’t have moments of sadness, anger, or frustration.

The fact is, you are going to continue to experience moments of adversity, or times in which you may not have the best outlook on your current situation.

To be human is to feel all of these emotions at various moments within our lives.

To have faith, however, is to recognize that while things may not always be going the way that you want, you are ultimately protected by the blood of Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Lord despite what may be going on around you.

Moses struggled with self-confidence.

King David dealt with lust.

Job faced extreme loss.

All of these individuals struggled with negative thinking, and for each this thinking was the result of very different circumstances. Yet still, regardless of the object of their poor thinking and often poor decision making, God encouraged them and provided them with guidance through it all. God didn’t tell them that they had no reason to be upset. Instead, He showed empathy towards them. He understood the pain that they felt, and the difficulty that they were facing.

God stood beside them. In times of grace and of sin. In moments of prosperity and destruction.

Nowhere in the Bible does it promise that we’ll have an easy life. Yet, in numerous moments does scripture explain our need to take our concerns, our frustrations, and our fears, and lay them before God.

When I have moments in which negative thinking rears its ugly head, I make a point to talk to God about it. Whatever it is, He has heard it, seen it, met it, and defeated it!

Negative thoughts must be dealt with. They can’t be swept under the rug, because then they might take root in the foundation! We must bring them to God, so that He may deal with them and guide us on how to manage our own mindset.

Scriptures: Philippians 4:8, Isaiah 26:3

The importance of dealing with our negative thoughts and mindset cannot be overlooked.

A negative frame of mind can become the catalyst for destructive behavior and actions, and this transformation can come rapidly. A negative mindset, if left unchecked, can lead us down paths that we’re not meant to go down.

Living with a negative mindset is similar to driving a car through the fog without your headlights on. We are unable to sift through the fog nor make out any signs or hazards along the way. A negative mindset alters and distorts our perception of reality. It taints our decision making skills and worse, it’s contagious.

As much as we may try to shield others from this, our negative thinking will bleed over into every aspect of our lives if we allow it to grow freely. Our peers may then have to shoulder the weight of our negativity, often leading them to follow suit.

Negativity is a virus that breeds rapidly, and spreads even quicker. When we begin to take notice of a consistently negative mindset, we must take the steps necessary to ensure that we get to the root of the problem, address it, and ask God for the best plans moving forward to ensure that we can defeat this negativity for good. By taking your concerns to God, you can be certain that you are receiving the best advice possible for properly dealing with the negative thoughts that you’re having.

He leads us in periods of uncertainty. When we are surrounded by darkness, He is the light that guides our feet. When all we see around us is negativity, we must look towards Him to find the good, and then share this good with those around us.

Negative thoughts may arise, hidden within the vessel of stress and uncertainty, but they have no room within the plans that He has created for us!

Scripture: Philippians 4:6-7

The power of negativity pales in comparison with the strength of positivity, and our God radiates positivity throughout His people.

When the world throws fear onto us, He comforts us.

When we face feelings of despair, He instills hope within us.

On days where we feel uncertain about the road ahead, He provides us with an inner peace that compels us to move forward.

It is this divine peace that will guide us through periods of turmoil and despair. This type of inner peace cannot be duplicated. It is gifted to us directly from the Lord, and I believe that the vessel through which this inner peace is delivered to us is directly from scripture.

In times of despair, we must remember that the Bible is one of the greatest tools within our arsenal. Scripture tells of hundreds of different moments of darkness, with dozens of different individuals, all of whom made the decision to reach out to God, who healed their brokenness, and made them whole again.

He can do the same for you.

He knows the specific parts of your life that are allowing negative thoughts to flourish within your mind.

Whether these thoughts are related to toxic relationships, financial burdens, substance abuse, or simply past mistakes, God has seen them a thousand times over, and He has defeated them every single time!

Darkness will come, but so too will the light.

If you’re struggling with negative thoughts, you don’t have to shoulder them on your own.

Bring your burden to God, lay them at His feet, and He will walk alongside you, guiding you through them and gently nudging you in the right direction.

He’s done it before, and He’ll do it again.