08/03/2023
STOP RIGHT THERE. If you want to change your world, then change your thoughts. Your internal dialogue directly influences both your emotions and behaviors. For instance, if you tell yourself nobody cares about you, then you are guaranteed to become sad and withdrawn and to behave in subtle ways that alienate you further from the love and attention that you long for from others. Many psychologists subscribe to a form of therapy known as Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) wherein negative thought patterns about self and the world are identified and challenged in order to alter unwanted behavior patterns and/or to treat mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. This form of therapy originated with Aaron Beck sometime in the 1960s. However, I often tell people who I work with that God was the original creator and founder of this therapy approach (which may be why research supports its effectiveness time and again across situations, problems, and time and has been shown to be one of the most efficacious psychological treatment approaches). In Matthew 15:18-19 we are told that “those things that come out of the mouth come from the heart and defile a man, for out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies and blasphemies.” In other words, as a person thinks in his heart, so is he. Our behavior starts in our hearts, the seat of reflection. Thoughts enter our hearts through the eyes, ears, and other senses. The raw material of our behaviors is what we expose our minds to and allow to settle into our heart. This means that we “set nothing wicked before our eyes” and that we “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:5). If we are to think and behave in a God-honoring way and in a way that promotes optimal mental heath, then we must saturate our minds with His truths and “hide His Word in our hearts so that we don’t sin against Him” (Psalm 119:11). Because, again, it all begins in the heart.
What type of music do you listen to? What kind of television shows do you watch? What sort of books do you read? What is the content of your conversations with others? Would Jesus feel comfortable if he were literally in the flesh listening, watching, and reading along with you, and participating in that conversation? Or would it grieve Him? Anything that is unwholesome we should say WHOA to so that it does not filtrate our heart and thoughts, which will be reflected in our behavior. Let’s guard our minds by disciplining ourselves to say STOP 🛑 RIGHT THERE when we are confronted with anything that may defile us (1 Corinthians 9:27).
If you need help in changing your “stinking thinking”, then please reach out to a licensed and trained mental health professional who can guide you through this process. You may be suffering from a mood or thought disorder that is making your thought life feel chaotic and confused making it difficult, if not impossible, to reign in your thoughts. This is not a moral failing or a character flaw but rather a medical condition wherein certain brain chemicals become imbalanced and create cognitive challenges. There is help and hope. The Feeling Good Handbook written by David Burns is an excellent self-help tool to assist you in getting started.
