Stop Playing Negative Tapes In Your Head! Here's How!
The thoughts sneak in without fanfare. Just a whisper of an idea that seeks to destroy:
“He constantly puts work before you. You are not that important to him.”
“If you don’t homeschool her, she will not get a good education.”
“She has the perfect life. If you had made better decisions, your life would be easier too."
“Just go buy the next size up already. It’s just another example of how unhealthy you are and your lack of self-control. The days of size 8 are long gone, sister.”
“Why are you even trying to build friendships with these people? No one will accept your invitation for dinner.”
“You have been speaking harshly to your kids for the last 5 years. It’s not going to change.”
“If you don’t control your kids’ every move, something terrible will happen to them and you will be all alone.”
“What’s wrong with you? Why can’t you just stick to a cleaning routine and put the laundry away in a timely manner? You are a failure in small things, so you must be a failure, period.”
“Your parents were right. You aren’t good for much.”
“He’s not a spiritual leader so your boys will never learn to lead their own wives Biblically.”
“She’s so good at her job. You, on the other hand, aren’t making much of an impact with your life. Maybe you need to put the kids in daycare and go back to work. Besides, the kids might be better off too since you aren’t that great of a mom.”
“Your to-do list is a mile long this week. There is no way you will accomplish everything you need to.”
“Your sons are so wild. Everyone thinks you are a bad mom.”
Do any of these thoughts sound familiar? Are these tapes playing in rotation in your head?
Take a moment and let the weight of just one of these thoughts sink in. How does it make you feel? What are the physical changes you experience when you believe these thoughts? Is your blood pumping? Is your heart dropping? Your head hanging? Or your spirit sagging?
Mine is.
But we really don’t have to turn up the volume on these lies. That’s what they are: lies.
And the best way to banish the bull is to call Satan’s bluff.
Here is a simple practice I gleaned from a recent message from author, Alan Fadling and two key questions to ask yourself that will change your thought life for good:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xga8clMQvCc&w=420&h=315]
YOUR TURN! What do you think? Are your thoughts more like friends? Or enemies? Are you up for the challenge to try this for the next week? If this post blessed you, PLEASE, share it with others!
(For more on this topic and other Biblical thoughts on Sabbath, rhythms of rest, and ways to reprogram your heart and mind for peace, check out Alan Fadling’s new book, An Unhurried Life!)
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