5 faith-based tips to beat negative thoughts and overthinking
Are you in control of your mind? Or your mind is in control of you?
Negative thoughts are like tiny seeds that can yield great fruits; if you give them a place to rest, they will germinate and take root in ways requiring therapy sessions and God’s grace to uproot. Here is why.
The mind is a fertile field
Positive and negative seeds are being sown into our minds daily (whether we realise it or not). So, it is up to you to get rid of negative seeds before they take root and germinate.
Negative thoughts are to be captured and dealt with, not nurtured and romanticised (2nd Cor. 10:5)
As a Believer, I'm an advocate for prayer, but I prefer the term ‘watchful prayer’. Scripture says, “Watch and Pray”, not pray only. You watch by being MINDful and sensitive as you pray.
We are to "safeguard our minds" because whatever gets in, if not examined and evaluated properly, will be expressed in our lives and our actions – in positive or negative ways.
It takes time to adopt this level of self-awareness, but a good place to start is by accepting responsibility for what happens to your thoughts. Here's how to do that.
1. Be mindful of your heart.
Keep your mind from becoming a place where 'anything goes'.
Proverbs 4:23 teaches us to guard our heart with all diligence because out of it flows the issues of life. This implies that we are to take responsibility for what happens in our minds. And if you don't, ‘anything goes’.
Choose what you listen to and what to ignore.
Don't give corrupt and negative things a second look.
Be conscious of your state of mind: know when you are happy, identify when you are sad, know when a negative thought creeps in, and detect when there's a mood swing. Also, it's important to identify your specific feelings and emotions, the image below will help.
2. Don't react to negative thoughts
When negative thoughts arise, avoid impulsive reactions. Instead, take a moment to consciously reflect. Understand the origin of these thoughts and associated emotions, and make a choice: either let them go (release those that don't serve you) or confront them with clarity.
3. Confront negative thoughts.
You confront thoughts by positive confession, not thinking. If you engage in a thinking battle, you will lose. If you engage in a confession battle, you will win!
A wise man once said,
You don't fight thoughts with thoughts; you fight thoughts with spoken words.
💡TIP: Quote scriptures - “It is written…”, or affirmations “I believe…”
This aligns with what psychologists call "cognitive restructuring", where you replace unhelpful thoughts with more positive ones.
Repeated positive talk can reshape your brain (neuroplastic changes), making positive thinking stronger. Additionally, the emphasis on spoken words reflects the understanding that language plays a crucial role in shaping perceptions and emotions.
4. Always ask God for help and empowerment.
Pray and carry the Holy Spirit along; he's your helper and spiritual friend, he won't judge or condemn you (no matter how weak you are). There might be times when things don't go well, and thoughts become too much to handle. In those moments God will give you what you need to keep going - the renewed strength, mercy, and forgiveness you can't give yourself.
5. Be intentional about focusing on the right things
Whatever you focus on grows. Whenever you identify a negative thought, address it, and confront it (the importance of confronting thoughts cannot be overemphasized!). And finally, refocus your mind on a positive thought to replace the negative one.
💡TIP: We are to think about those things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable” (Philippians. 4:8).
When you do this, your reward from God is his peace of mind.
The truth is...
It takes personal discipline and commitment to regain control of your mind, I'm not promising that it is easy. In fact, I know it's not. Especially if you're just starting, but it's possible.
With constant practice, overcoming negative thoughts will become second nature.
I’m confident that you can achieve this :)
Thanks for this
It's really helpful