Shattering Negative Thoughts With Biblical Truths

Faithful on the Clock

Faithful on the Clock is a podcast with the mission of getting your work and faith aligned. We want you to understand Who you're serving and why so you can get more joy and legacy from every minute spent on the clock. Thanks for joining us and taking this step toward a more fulfilling job and relationship with God!

Want to join us on social media?

We'd love to have you stay up-to-date with the show on all our platforms!

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

In this episode...

Shattering Negative Thoughts With Biblical Truths

https://faithfulontheclock.captivate.fm/episode/shattering-negative-thoughts-with-biblical-truths

We all have negative thoughts, but if you don’t want them to hold back your success, you have to learn how to control them. Episode 117 of Faithful on the Clock offers strategies and Biblical concepts to help.

Timestamps:

[00:04] - Intro

[00:47] - You don’t have to be ashamed of the negative thoughts you have. There’s nothing that could scare God off or stop Him from wanting to heal you.

[02:07] - What negative thoughts sound like

[03:38] - Understanding where negative thoughts originate — or, at a minimum, acknowledging they always have a source — can help you appropriately assign responsibility for the thoughts you’re having and take appropriate action.

[05:47] - One of the main concepts from dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) — that more than one thing can simultaneously be true at the same time — means you can leave room for “also” and get out of the black-and-white thinking that’s common with negative thought patterns.

[08:38] - Many negative thoughts revolve around your identity. It’s critical to center yourself around who God knows you to be, rather than to accept what the Devil whispers you are.

[12:21] - Because human beings are flawed and imperfect, our thoughts include biases and gaps. We can lean on God’s complete understanding of who we are instead of leaning on our own understanding.

[14:11] - Negative thoughts often are anticipatory. But remember that the future is God’s and focus on staying present in the moment.

[16:26] - Making changes to your environment can be incredibly helpful in stopping negative thoughts because it makes it easier to have different experiences, which changes what you focus on and prevents you from playing the usual mental scripts that are familiar.

[17:38] - Prayer

[18:18] - Outro/What’s coming up next

Key takeaways:

• Negative thoughts often bring shame, but there’s nothing you could think that God doesn’t know or that would scare Him off. You won’t be trapped in your negative thoughts forever.
• Negative thoughts can take a lot of tones, being both explicit or subtle.
• Negative thoughts always have a source. If you can figure out where the thoughts originate, you often can take more appropriate responsibility and let go of the shame you might be carrying.
• Negative thoughts typically tend to involve black and white or absolute thinking. Concepts from DBT therapy might help you learn to accept that multiple elements can be true at the same time. Looking for the alternatives in this way can ensure that your negative thoughts have proper counterweights.
• Many negative thoughts distort your sense of identity. Reassuring yourself of who God says you are can keep you from accepting that you don’t have high worth.
• When trying to combat negative thoughts, remember that your perception and understanding is flawed. God’s is perfect. So, seek to gain His understanding, based on Proverbs 3:5.
• Many negative thoughts are anticipatory. Reminding yourself that the future belongs to God thus is helpful. Try to stay present by conversing with God and using other grounding strategies.
• Changing up your environment can make it easier to break the mental patterns you have.

• Living Free From Anxiety | Louie Giglio

CTAs:

• Keep a journal to note the negative thoughts you have through the day. Continue this for at least a week. Then review the journal and look for patterns that might offer clues about changes you can make that would help your mental state.

What’s coming up next:

Our brains have an incredible capacity to change over time. Episode 118 discusses why it’s critical to direct our neuroplasticity through our use of time to serve God effectively.

Support the show!

Visit the Faithful on the Clock Patreon page to choose a tier plan and become a supporting member. You'll gain access to goodies like early episode access, newsletters, and more based on the plan that's right for you.

patreon.com/faithfulontheclock

Want to give a one-off tip or donation? Use our Captivate support page. You can become a member there with the same great tier options you'll find at Patreon, too.

Support Faithful on the Clock