Dear Dr. B,
I’m wondering how to combat negative thoughts and overcome negativity by speaking the truth instead. Do you have any practical applications for how to put that into practice?Sincerely,
Nagged by the Negative
Dear Friend,
The best way to combat negative thoughts and overcome negativity in general is to fight back with God’s Word. The following 4 step process on eliminating negativity will help with identifying lies you’ve agreed with so you can replace them with God’s truth from the Bible.
How To Overcome Negative Thoughts – 4 Step Process
Step 1: Make the choice to overcome negative thinking
The first thing you have to do is make the choice to overcome negativity in your life. It sounds to me that you desire to do so, so you’ve made the first and hardest step! Congratulations!
Step 2: Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth
The second thing I’d recommend is that you pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. What we are talking about here is really a matter of identifying the lies we have agreed with and replacing them with God’s truth. Sometimes, however, the lies are so firmly entrenched in our thinking that we aren’t even aware that they are lies. That’s where we need the help of the Holy Spirit to identify them for what they are, and to show us God’s truth. Scripture tells us “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).
Step 3: Record God’s promises in a notebook or journal
The third thing I’d recommend is that when you have your daily quiet time (I’m assuming you have one. If you don’t, then start having one!!), as you come across God’s promises to us in Scripture, jot them down in a notebook or journal so that you can refer back to them. Those are the truths that you’ll use to overcome the negativity that threatens to overwhelm your mind.
Step 4: Recognize negative thoughts and record the truth that combats them
Fourth, when you begin to recognize negative thoughts, jot them down; then, jot down the truth that combats it.
How to overcome negative thoughts: replace them with God’s Word
9 Examples for overcoming negative thinking:
- When you are tempted to think, “I can’t figure it out,” think instead, “God will direct my steps” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
- When you are tempted to think, “It’s impossible,” think instead, “All things are possible” (Luke 18:27).
- When you find yourself thinking, “I’m not smart enough,” remember that God says He will give you wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:30).
- When times are difficult and you feel like you can’t go on, remember that God promises that His grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9).
- When you don’t think you can manage a situation, remember that God has promised that He will supply all your needs (Philippians 4:19).
- When you are afraid, remember that God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
- When you feel alone, remind yourself of the truth that says that He will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5).
- When you have made a mistake and find it difficult to forgive yourself, remember that God has already forgiven you (Romans 8:1).
- When you feel unloved, remember the truth that God loves you (John 3:16).
Write out these truths and recite them often if necessary until they become part of your beliefs. And pray and ask God to help you truly believe them. That’s the kind of prayer He delights in answering!
Dear One, you are loved. You are beautiful. You have a bright future with a purpose and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). It’s up to you to believe it. Will you?
Because of Him, #Hope Prevails!
DrB
Other Popular Hope-Filled Posts with Scripture:
Who God Says You Are: 17 Scriptures About Our True Identity – 17 Bible Verses with what God says about you and who God says you are
Whose Opinion Counts including What God Says About You: 20 Scriptures That Define Your Worth
10 Scriptures When You Need Strength – we all need the strength of the Lord
10 Scriptures for Mothers Suffering from Depression – there is hope and help for depression
Your RX: 40 Scriptures that Combat Worry, Fear, Anxiety and Panic – fight back
(If you have a question you’d like Dr. B to answer, contact her here now. Your name and identity will be kept confidential.)
Depression doesn’t have to become a permanent part of life.
There is hope.
Hope Prevails: Insights From a Doctor’s Personal Journey Through Depression and the companion Hope Prevails Bible Study help the reader understand how depression comes to be, recover their joy, reclaim their peace, and re-establish their true identity, while knowing their worth, remembering their secure destiny, and being confident that nothing separates them from God’s love.
Hope Prevails and the Hope Prevails Bible Study are must-reads for anyone suffering from depression or knows someone suffering from depression.
“Dr. Michelle Bengtson’s enlightening book, Hope Prevails, provides a master blueprint for overcoming negative thoughts and toxic emotions. Targeting a generation who feels lost and hopeless, this book provides meaningful help to everyone who has endured unexpected heartache, pain or trauma. Hope Prevails offers effective answers on how to overcome loss and reach for a life brimming with peace, joy and limitless dreams. Reading this book will drastically improve your life.” ~ Tracey Mitchell TV Host, Preacher, Author, Downside Up
WOW!!! I need this today and everyday. Thank you so much. 🙂 I do need to write these Scriptures and say them aloud every day.
Excellent post! I found all your practical suggestions extremely edifying!
When I became a new believer, I bought a small, pocket-sized book that contained many of the difficult things that we experience in life correlated with the promise of God to encourage us. I need to retrieve that book again.
The more immersed we are in God’s promises, the more peace and joy we will experience, the abundant life that Christ desires for us.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for this post. God has used your words to lift me up today. Blessings to you!
What a great word, Michelle!
I found your post on Grace and Truth today.
Sharing it on Pinterest.
Hope you have a great weekend~
Melanie
WOW! Such great wisdom here – I especially love step #4 write the truth that counteracts the negative (lie). This is exactly what I teach people too… so very grateful to be your neighbor at #FaithFilledFriday
This is great. Will be sharing this blog post with several of my pts.
hi michelle:) hope you are continuing to improve from your bout with pneumonia. weakness is not fun! difficulty breathing isn’t either. enjoy the period of rest for what it is girl. great guidelines for combating negativity. so often the truth of philippians 4:8 is helpful. we forget it when the words we hear in our heads are about us and are a mix of lies, but in Christ, they aren’t true anymore! the labels aren’t true anymore for sure…we are no longer liars, or even whores or other evil names satan tries to throw at us. the labels can’t stick anymore when we belong to the king!
Hi, these are great verses and points. I hope you will share with my readers on Literacy Musing Mondays. Here is this week’s link:
http://maryanderingcreatively.com/literacy-musing-mondays-thoughts-growth/
Mary,
Thanks so much for the opportunity to share with your readers! I so appreciate how you offer that forum for doing so. Always great to have you visiting here. Be blessed!
The way to transform a mind is through the word of God. Great post!
Anne,
You’re right! In fact, there is no other way to make true, permanent transformation except through His Word and the working of the Holy Spirit. Thanks for visiting today. I hope we see you again! Blessings.
Such a fitting and powerful use of the Scriptures. Your words inspire, too. Glad I found you through the Literary Musing Mondays linkup.
Eli,
Welcome! I’m so glad you found us too! I hope you’ll take some time to look around. Blessings to you!
great post! I read in Oswald this moring to grab my mood around the scruff of my neck and get rid of it! ha – that works too!
Sue,
I love that thought!! We have more power and control over our mood than we like to acknowledge! Because of Him, #HopePrevails!
Great post! And very practical and helpful! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Blessings to you!
When I struggled so greatly with negativity in the past, I believed that choosing to see the positive side of things was “ignoring reality” and I didn’t want to be a silly Pollyanna – closing my eyes to reality and fooling myself about how bad things were. Eventually I became so negative other people didn’t even want to be around me! Then God gave me the concept of The Glass Half Full. The truth is that both good things and bad things are going on in this world (the glass is both half full and half empty). I can acknowledge the reality of both while CHOOSING which I want to DWELL on. Focusing exclusively on negative reality results in personal misery and driving other people away. Perhaps that is why the Apostle Paul encourages us “fix your thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worth of praise…Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9) With His Spirit living in us and empowering us, God gives us freedom to choose!
Kay,
I understand where you’re coming from. God doesn’t call us to ignore the facts, but He wants us to think on His truth. I love that when we have a Philippians 4:8-9 mindset, He promises we will experience His peace. I want that!! Because of Him, #PeacePrevails!
These are so good! Generally I am a very positive person so negativity is a bit foreign to me but when you hear the negative from those around you, you must combat the thoughts that you keep hearing so they do not take root in your heart and mind. It is like taking our thoughts captive. I have learned over many years to just ‘NOT GO THERE’! A choice I make to not entertain the negative but always focus on the positive side of each situation and issue. Just FYI, I shared 2 of your RX resources this afternoon with a spiritually adopted daughter dealing with a toxic, unholy, argumentative person. One of the ones I shared was the 9 Truths From God’s Word That Combat Negativity! Thank you for having these resources available for me to use. Love you Dr. Michelle! .
Excellent post, Michelle, I actually use this method and it works quite well! I admit I was skeptical when I first tried it because I tried everything else I could find, but I underestimated the power of God’s Word!!
God’s truth really is our tool for combating the lies of negative thoughts. It seems so easy, too free and easy, but it works.