I Can't, I Don't, I'm Not

Negative thinking has ruled my life. Ruled it. God has shown me this past year how much it has ruled it-and it's not pretty.

I want to wake up positive and ready to face the day. Instead I wake up thinking "I don't feel good. I don't want to go to work". I want to feel comfortable in my own skin and with who I am. Instead I think "I'm not as good, pretty, successful, ______________ as she is".


I know those voices don't come from God. No way would He ever talk to me like that. He loves me, accepts me, made me like He wanted me to be. I know who the voices come from-Satan, "the father of lies". And I know I'm foolish to listen to a liar. But when I'm sick, or tired, or too busy to spend time with God, I fall back into my old bad habit of listening to those lies; and even worse, believing them. That's just wrong.

With God's help, I'm getting better. He's teaching me to capture those thoughts as soon as I have them-not to dwell on them-and replace them with His truth. Some things that help me:

*Keeping a gratitude journal of reasons to praise God. Listening to praise music can help get into the right mind set.

*Finding a Bible verse that refutes the lie. I write them on index cards so I can refer to them when I need to.
For example: "It's dreary today. I don't have any energy." is replaced by "This is the day which the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it", Psalm 118:24. AKJV

*Making a list of positive affirmations to say each morning.
 For example: Today I'm going to believe God loves me with an everlasting love.

*Making refuse and choose statements.( From "Taking Every Thought Captive" by Alaine Pakkala )
For example: I refuse all discouragement and choose to hope in the God of all hope.

The only pathway to true contentment is from the inside out-not from the outside in. Our success or failure in life will be determined by how we think-not by what we have,. It's the battle raging between our ears. What you think and the way you think will determine the quality of your life. (From "The Power to Change Today" by Gregory Dickow.

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ", II Corinthians 10:5. NIV