Our thought life has a big influence on how we respond to situations, it affects our feelings and emotional well-being, and impacts how we view our circumstances. We have thousands and thousands of thoughts each day, and many of them are negative. As a widow, I have found that in the intensity of grief, my thoughts tend towards despondency, leaving me feeling stuck, overwhelmed and inadequate.It’s easy to look to books on grief, self-help and mindset, and while those are not bad in and of themselves and can be helpful at times, they can become a worldly replacement for where our focus really should be, and that is on Christ. He is the only one who can truly help us change our destructive thought patterns.
I want to share three ways to help you eliminate negative thoughts and refocus your heart and mind on Christ.
1. Captive
II Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
Taking our thoughts captive is so important. It’s easy to let our thoughts go where they want to go, but soon it starts to dictate our feelings and our actions. When you’re in the midst of grief, it’s OK to experience the intensity of the emotions. There’s nothing wrong with being sad and missing your spouse. Tears are normal and needing time to process your feelings is an important part of your grieving journey. Even Jesus experienced grief at the loss of his friend Lazarus (John 11:32-36).
But we have to be careful not to let our thoughts cross the line into self-pity and bitterness and let that control our actions and attitudes. In our grief and sadness, our thoughts need to be taken captive by the cross of Christ. Let Him direct your thoughts and attitudes. Pray for peace and guidance, and allow His Word to fill your mind and heart with His truth and promises. Surround yourself with a community that will help steer your focus back to Him, offering support and encouragement through your journey.
Next week I will share the second and third way to help you refocus your mind on Christ.
This blog post (part 1 & 2) was inspired by a fitness podcast episode I recently listened to. Click here to listen to the episode.
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