Take Negative Thoughts Captive

Oct 7, 2024

3 min read

Have you ever examined yourself and realized that you complain too much or think too negatively? Has this affected how you perceive daily life and the things that come with it? As a mother of a two-year-old, I cannot tell you how many times both prior to and now I’ve heard about the “terrible twos”. Society has coined this term to describe toddlers because this is the time that their exploration truly begins, emotions can be variable, and they’re mobile. Although I have had some challenging days, I made the decision not to approach this age group with this notion in mind. Firstly, why would I deem my child terrible? Secondly, this is the age when their brains are like sponges so if you perceive them as terrible, they learn to be this way. They are literally learning how to be humans from us--their parents. Armed with this knowledge, I’ve decided to take on the twos as a terrific time to teach! My daughter is learning to pray, to share, to help with day-to-day chores, to spell her name, etc. In fact, an article on ScienceDirect states that toddlers have intrinsic motivation¾the desire to do something because it makes them feel good internally rather than for external validation or reward. This characteristic makes them naturally good helpers and gives them the desire to help more when they have been helped. This phase in her development is actually the terrific twos!

I’ve certainly taken this as an opportunity to allow God to shape me into who He wants so that I can be a model for my daughter as she learns. One of the things the Holy Spirit nudged me on was negative thoughts. They seem to be so pervasive at times! These thoughts turn into complaining which leads to speaking negativity over your life and situations. If left unchecked, this can lead to a downward spiral into destruction. A scripture that comes to mind in combatting negative thoughts is Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” We must crucify our flesh daily (Galatians 5:24) and allow the Holy Spirt to renew our minds so that negative thoughts are taken captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). When God says that we should give EVERYTHING to Him (1 Peter 5:7), this includes your struggles with complaining. He knows us and which things we’ve tolerated, situations we’ve lived through, and the people we’ve met that have formed our thoughts. Because He is the ultimate way-maker (Isaiah 43:15-16), He can also lead us into freedom from this sin.

Challenge yourself to be mindful of the thoughts you have and words you speak because they are powerful in determining our perspective. Even things we may write off as sarcasm or colloquialism may be negatively affecting our lives.

Alternatives to negative thinking:

Sing a worship song: remember, the words you speak are powerful and singing is another utterance of words.
Acknowledge the reality and truth of your situation. Then, pray and ask God to help you release this to Him.
Read your Word. This helps us to gain God’s perspective to better understand and discern His will over our lives.
Think of a fond memory instead. Go through photos in your phone that correlate with this memory, play the song you heard at the time, etc.
Think of the goodness of God and who He is; make a list if this helps to refocus your mind.
Workout!
Do your favorite hobby.
If the thought is rooted in trauma, do not be afraid to seek counseling from a Holy Spirit-led mental health expert.

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Colossians 3:16 NIV

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