Have you ever gotten stuck with negative thoughts in your mind? Have you ever rehearsed something from your past over and over, or created scenes in your mind of what a conversation might look like? These futile activities can become mental ruts that we fall into unknowingly.
I know, from my past experiences, that these frenzied activities are absolutely worthless. My mind would not stop. It was like a hamster running on a wheel. I was emotionally exhausted, and it was all so futile. The truth is, rehearsing a negative dialogue is a destructive form of meditation. It is Satan's counterfeit meant to replace biblical meditation. It definitely affects our brain's function in a negative way, and certainly our brain's communication to our body. It can destroy our health and sense of well-being.
Ephesians 4:23-24 is God’s wonderful prescription for spiritual health and vitality. It says, “And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” His way will effectively produce a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.
I encourage you to read Psalm 77. Asaph was the author. He changed his futile thought process by focusing on God’s faithfulness. Verse 10 says, “This is my anguish; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High” (NKJV).
God has given us his perfect way through renewing our minds with the truths of his Word. It is like filling in our old mental ruts with living soil. It becomes the seed bed for disciplined thoughts that bring peace of mind. We are able to be still. We are fortified and strengthened in our innermost being.
Holy Spirit, I ask you to renew our mind. When we start a negative dialogue, I ask you to remind us to refocus. Thank you for teaching us how to implant truth into the soil of our heart that will set us free from negative ruts.
Throughout This Day: If God prompts you to shift your focus from any negative internal dialogue, consider asking him for a truth, a passage of Scripture, or a song on which you can focus instead. Then thank him for it!
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