To truly denounce something, it must be replaced with something else...
Sometimes I have negative thoughts about life when things are going too well. Just this past Sunday, I was in the kitchen cooking, content and joyful. I had a half smile on my face because I was thinking of all of the things I am grateful for and how lovely my fiancé is, then BAM! Out of nowhere, I started to have some of the most unheard-of imaginations, like him getting into a car accident on the way home from work, or a home invasion that night while we slept, or some other random and off-the-wall thought that could interfere with my happiness. This has been happening for years. Sometimes solely related to me, and other times including my family and friends.
For a while I thought I may need a therapist to talk through my thoughts. I didn’t even know if this kind of thing was diagnosable. Did I have anxiety? I wasn’t sure. I typically would denounce the thoughts and rebuke them in the name of Jesus. However, they often came back soon after. I had to learn that to truly denounce something, it must be replaced with something else. So, if I am going to rebuke something, the word of God must replace whatever I rebuked.I immediately stopped cooking, pulled up my Bible app, typed in the word “fear” in the search bar, and the verse Philippians 4:6-7 came up – a verse I knew well. But reading it in that moment provided me with so much comfort. It says: “Do not fret, do not worry, instead of worrying pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. I began to feel His peace over me as I prayed, and the thoughts vanished.
I decided to take it a step further by sharing that moment with Christian for two reasons. Many times, I feel that sharing what is going on with me gives the issue more power because I am acknowledging that it is real, but in fact it is just the opposite. I’ve learned that sharing the issue allows us to deflate the power that it holds over us because it is exposed for what it really is – an attack from the enemy – and doesn’t allow for it to fester like a cancer within me. The second reason I wanted to share it with him was because it was an opportunity for him to relate things I talk to him about with a current example. What thrilled me most about this moment is that it was the most powerful I have ever felt over my negative thoughts in my life!I remember a time when I was planning a trip to a city I had never been before, and it was the week I was supposed to leave out. I was still living at home at the time and remember almost canceling the trip because I felt something bad was going to happen to my mom while I was away. I freaked out. I didn’t share with anyone how I felt but did my best to ignore the feeling. I took the trip anyway and profusely asked the Lord to protect my mother in my absence.The tricky thing about these imaginations was that I wasn’t sure if God was giving me a heads up about something in the future or was I really just tripping.
These are the things I had to identify to realize that the negative thoughts were, in fact, a trick of the enemy:
1. They only came when I was happy, in love or just in a good space in my life.
2. They only involved myself and the people I love most.
3. They were always the most horrific things I could possibly think of.
4. Most importantly: they never aligned with any of the promises of God had for my life.I am in the process of reshaping my mind to not anticipate when the other shoe will drop. I know it’s a defense mechanism, but I also need to remember that God holds both of the shoes.
What I do to overcome negative thoughts daily:
1. Remember that negative thoughts are normal part of being human but doesn’t have to be debilitating.
2. Pray and read God’s word daily because it keeps my mind centered on Him and not feeding into negative thoughts.
3. Memorize or keep scriptures on hand that can to quickly replace the negative thoughts and immediately denounce them, preventing them to take root. (Side note: a method by Marie Forleo says for every negative or doubting thought you have counteract it with three or more other positive ones)
4. Be cognizant about what others say that could influence my thoughts.
5. Lastly, I don’t watch horror movies (lol) because they simply disturb my peace, even if they are cheesy and not really scary. They also plant thoughts that I wouldn’t have ordinarily orchestrated. My shifted mindset has allowed me to see my negative thoughts for what they truly are, the enemies attempt to interfere with God’s peace in my life, which has allowed me to be more empowered to denounce them. I hope this helps anyone that may be dealing with something similar or even more severe.
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