Are Your Thoughts Shaping You?

Are your thoughts shaping you? Or are you shaping your thoughts? If you're not in control of your mind, who is? Who has control of what you think? Think about this.

Clearly, our thoughts feed our emotions, and our emotions affect our health and relationships. So you know you must beware of negative self-talk - it's toxic. But we aren't helpless victims of our thoughts. We CAN choose how they affect us. We simply must learn how to direct their course. Having control over our own thoughts gives us power to direct our feelings. You CAN learn to control your thoughts, affect your emotions, and influence your character.

When we repeat any statement enough, even unintentionally, we can cause it, over time, to become reality. For instance, if you repeat to yourself over and over that you are probably going to have a bad day - guess what? You experience so many negative emotions - possibly even physiological reactions, such as upset stomach, headache, or nervousness - that other problems occur, and simply as a result of your self-negative talk, which indeed causes you to have a bad day.

We need to beware of negative statements, especially about our own minds. We don't have to feel scattered, divided or fragmented. We've been given more than that as believers.

The Bible promises the believer a sound, well-balanced mind. In 2 Timothy, Paul writes, "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control" (1:7 AMP, emphasis added).

Scriptural teaching about our thoughts is not just informative; it's encouraging - and life changing! Memorizing, dwelling and practicing this Scripture can help bring order to your thought life and, as a result, improve your relationships, health and happiness.

Imagine the impact if we countered every negative thought about being scattered, divided, and fragmented with this forceful self-task: "STOP - that's not true!" Imagine the power of repeating the encouraging passage from 2 Timothy 1:7 aloud (see above). This can become a self-fulfilling prophecy too. And the result? A person who is calm, disciplined, and self-controlled, with a well-balanced mind, can create more of this positive, self-fulfilling prophecy.

So yes, you really can:
--Think yourself out of bitterness and resentment
--Think yourself into forgiving
--Think yourself in control of your emotions
--Think yourself out of worry and anxiety
--Think yourself out of stress
--Think yourself happy
--Think yourself successful
--Think yourself healthy

The possibilities are LIMITLESS! Ask God to help you control your thoughts!

Some people say they feel they're responsible TO their mind. The problem with that is we've given control to whatever is raging. When we give our mind control, we think we have to go along with whatever upset, worry, anxiety, negative, or destructive thought might be occurring. Being responsible to it means going along with whatever's occurring.

You CAN learn to be responsible FOR your mind. And that's essentially what Scripture instructs us to do. We can learn to direct our mind to reflect God's will. Your thoughts shape your emotional and physical health.

Take time to pray and read God's Word. You can't change by yourself. But you can spend time with the One who is able to help. Do what you can, and let God do the rest. It really IS that simple. Paul says in Phil. 4:8, "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."

REFLECT AND REMEMBER
1. Your life is directed by your thoughts. Your thoughts create your behavior.
2. Your thoughts affect the chemistry of your brain.
3. Your thoughts and emotions are closely linked. Toxic thoughts create negative emotions.
4. You can learn to be responsible for your mind. We are what we think.
5. God knows our thoughts. God gives us a well-balanced mind. God gives you the tools and His Word to change your pattern of thinking.
6. What happened in your life today because of what you thought? What can you build in your life with thinking God's way? What can you rebuild? If you sow good things, good things will grow!

Just know that God's version of a right attitude contains nothing negative. If we want God's best for our life, it starts with the right thoughts - his thoughts to be exact.