Interrupting the Cycle of Negative Thinking
By Ashley Moore
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. 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.” - Philippians 4:8, NLT
Dr. Daniel Amen calls negative thoughts A.N.T.S., shorthand for automatic negative thoughts. Just as we would take action to remove actual ants in our space, we should intentionally remove negative thoughts from our head space. But why is it important to break the cycle of negative thinking in the first place? And how do we get rid of negative thoughts?
Why the Cycle Must Stop
Negative thought patterns steal our joy, feed us lies, and keep us from rightly worshiping God. Have you ever noticed that it is much easier to notice what is wrong in the world? We can’t help but see how our spouse loads the dishwasher imperfectly. We hate how that person in front of us pushes the brakes before moving into the turn lane. It irks us that we don't quite compare with the other moms at school. All day we are bombarded with thoughts, and if gone unchecked, we can become anxious and discontent.
Negative thinking turns into anxiety, creating a compound effect and making us feel more defeated. We find it difficult to make room for spending time in God’s presence, and we definitely don’t feel there's anything worth praising God about. We may also find ourselves isolated as a way to avoid people and not get sucked into comparison. But being alone and complaining only furthers our misery and robs our joy.
How to Get Rid of Negative Thoughts
God never wanted us to exist like this. He doesn't desire that his children are hyper-focused on all that is broken in the world. He knows we enjoy life and our relationships more fully when we praise Him. So how do we stop the pesky cycle and finally eliminate the A.N.T.S.?
Here's the truth: we won't be able to rid ourselves of all toxic thoughts completely. But we can practice breaking the cycle! Imagine putting a giant barrier in the middle of a stream of ants to reroute them back outside where they belong! We do this by following Paul’s command in Philippians 4:8. Instead of ruminating on all the ways life isn’t measuring up to our standard of perfection, we think about true, honorable, lovely, pure, and admirable things. We dwell on things that are excellent and worthy of our praise.
This verse can serve as a litmus test when you notice a negative thought. You can ask, is this true? Is this worthy of my time and attention? Is this excellent or honorable? Or this scripture can serve as a prayer. Ask God to help you notice what is true, honorable, pure, and lovely in the world. And as you notice those things that are excellent and worthy of praise, practice thanking God for those things. You will find your joy in His presence (Psalm 16:11). No one likes when ants get in the house, and neither should we tolerate A.N.T.S. in our minds. By understanding how negative thinking harms our souls and intercepting those with better thoughts, we can finally break the cycle of negative thinking.
Intersecting Life and Faith:
Start a gratitude list. Write three to five things you are thankful for each day. These things can be big or small. Use this list to begin your prayers with gratitude and praise toward God. Spending time with God increases our joy! And as you think about what is good, you train your mind to notice more of what is good and lovely in your life.
Further Reading
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Related Resource: How Habit Stacking Will Help You Discipline Your Mind, Body, & Spirit
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