Wednesday, November 18, 2015

BEING STRONGER THAN OUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS


I was starting to get symptoms of a cold. The symptoms just kept getting worse and the voice in my head said, “I’ve got a cold.” I hadn’t spoken anything out loud yet and instantly I knew I needed to shout: “The Bible says, by Jesus stripes I was healed, so I’m healed!” My cold symptoms were gone overnight.

Sometimes we need to shout louder than the thoughts in our head—drown them out with a shout of God’s word (the truth). For those of you who aren’t shouters, you can speak His truth in your most assertive “outside voice.” Authoritative self-talk or self-speak with God’s truths can have a powerful and positive effect on an apathetic, wandering, or bored mind. It can rescue and release us from being lazy, the victims of “maybe” or “I hope so.”  And it can put a stop to confusion.

There’s a great example of this principle in John 11 where Jesus shouted to Lazarus to come forth from the grave. He had all kinds of negative words and thoughts coming at Him. First of all the religious leaders were trying to shame Him in front of the people. Even Lazarus’ sisters were bothered by the fact that Jesus hadn’t come earlier, and they said so. It had been four days since he died and friends had gathered to grieve. What did they think and speak when Jesus showed up late and told them the dead Lazarus was going to live?

Since the Bible tells us Jesus was tempted in every way that we’re tempted, His mind would have been bombarded by all kinds of negative thoughts (Heb 4:15). The discord of inaudible voices in the air was thick, raucous and confusing. I’ve been in situations where I could almost hear people’s negative thoughts and accusations and I bet you’ve been in situations like that too.

But Jesus put his faith in what God told Him and in the midst of the confusion He stood in front of the tomb and He shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”  “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’” (John 11:43-44).

We need to be assertive with the truth we speak to ourselves. We are not victims of our environments. Our faith isn’t insipid or limp, but “strong in the Lord and the power of His might” (Eph 6:10).

Jesus shouted louder and with more authority than the voices of cultural norm; life returned to Lazarus. Against the thoughts in my head, I shouted God’s healing words to my cold symptoms; my good health returned to me. We are so blessed to have great spiritual power available to us. (1 Pet 2:24)

Love, Carolyn



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