Track Your Thoughts

Hello beloved child of God, I hope you’re fine by God’s grace.
Have you started working on filling the table I have you yesterday on your body sensations and feelings with respect to corresponding events?

You should keep working on that everyday.

Today however, I want us to talk about our thoughts.

I want to prove to you that what you think is directly connected to how you feel.

Just follow me as well imagine two scenarios.

Scenario nº 1

Imagine you’re seated in your living room right now and you receive an email from one of your uncles who’s living abroad. He had no children and he has a great billion dollars-worth company for which he wants to find a successor. Since he has no children and he’s always loved you as his nephew/niece, he wants to give it all to you. He feels old and he doesn’t want to keep working. He’s prepared everything to spend the rest of his life traveling around the world and helping the poor, but he wants you to take over his business for free. If you just say yes, you become his heir and in two weeks time, a private jet will come for you, so that you get into your new life.

Now observe yourself

While you were reading this, you felt well right? Your body started secreting endorphins, you felt joy, perhaps you even smiled or laughed, your posture suddenly got better, and you started feeling great.

Why?

-Because of your thoughts.

Having such good news triggered positive thoughts in your mind, and because you thought positively, your body felt great.

Scenario nº 2

You are seated in the living room and you receive an email from the dean of your school. In the email the dean tells you that the school has lost 40% of their subsidies and as such, they will have to reduce the number of scholarships. Your scholarship (50%) is cancelled because your grades last semester weren’t the best of best. You immediately receive a call from your parents saying they can’t keep paying for your 50% of your school fees and that you need to find a job. Then you receive a text from your fiance saying that they realized that you weren’t meant for each other and they want to end the relationship.

Now pay attention to your body. Your posture changed, you aren’t feeling comfortable, nor happy. You may even feel a tense sensation in your temples, like a headache. You may feel some sort of sadness.

Why?

– Because of your thoughts. Imagining all those negative things happening to you just made you think negatively and impacted your health and your feelings.

Philippians 4:8 KJV

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Proverbs 4:23 NLT

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Raise your hand if you want to think thoughts which are true, honest, just, pure, lovely , of good report and worthy of praise.

Now raise your hand if you just can’t figure out how to do that when you’re in a negative situation.

I raised my hand for both. For real it’s not easy.

However, The Bible tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This means that as Christians we have the ability to identify incorrect thoughts and to change them through God’s Word.

At times we don’t even notice that we are thinking negatively. Nevertheless, a good way now for you to realize that you are having negative thoughts is when you feel bad. The emotion you’re feeling shows you there are thoughts behind that emotion which need to be processed, to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

We’re going to modify our table from yesterday and we will add a section for our thoughts.

This is our next daily exercise

Exercise: Tracking My Thoughts

Fill the table above and add your body response, your feelings (rate them on a scale from 0-100) and make sure to insert the corresponding event. Then write your thoughts concerning event. What do you think about it?

In order to help you figure out what you think about the event, you can ask yourself the following questions.

1. What meaning does this event have for me in my life?
2. Will this event affect my future in any way?
3. What bothers me about the event?
4. Does the event say something about me as a person?
5. What passed through my mind as I noticed the event?

Once again I took this exercise from the “Anxiety and Depression Workbook for dummies” by Laura L. Smith and Charles H. Elliott.

Prayer

Father Lord God Almighty King of Glory, I want my thoughts to be true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report and worthy of praise as You said in Your Word, and not just when everything is fine but also when things aren’t going as I want. Help me to identify thoughts which don’t meet this standard and to bring all of them captive to the obedience of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

It’s Now Your Turn

What thoughts are you battling with right now?

Please let us know in the comments section.

Don’t forget to share this on your social media accounts and to invite your friends and family members to join us as we’re waging war against depression. You may save a life by sharing.

If you’ve not done it yet, subscribe to my Newsletter so as not to miss any post on depression and also, make sure to invite anyone whom you know is suffering from depression.

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Invitation

Click here if you’re looking for a church. I recommend Elevation Church to you. A wonderful Christ-centered Church in which you aren’t limited by your location and in which you can see what God can do through you.

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