Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. ~Psalm 27:14 (AMP)
Our thoughts determine our attitude. When we get down and depressed, it’s usually because our thoughts have taken us there. Meditating on our problems instead of our possibilities never produces hope and a confident expectation that God will act on our behalf. Scripture teaches in Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.” (HCSB) If we are going to have any peace in our life, we have to discipline our mind to focus on God and His abilities verses our problems and our abilities. For many of us, to change what we focus on is a battle, but it’s worth the effort and the discipline. The main reason we need to bring our thoughts into captivity is because they can detrimentally affect our attitudes. Have you ever woken up feeling blah? Have you ever had a dusty cloud following you around like Linus in the Charlie Brown comics? Sometimes it seems to just come from nowhere. But that is not the truth. It comes from what we have been thinking. Maybe we have been focusing on that situation we cannot do anything about. Maybe we have been focusing on that person whose mindset is contrary to what we believe is right or true. If we focus on what we cannot do anything about instead of taking it to God in prayer, we are going to cause ourselves anxiety and grief. Jesus said in Matthew 7:7 “Ask and you will receive…” (NIV) then in verse 8 He goes on to say “…for everyone who asks receives.” (NIV) Do you believe God’s word? Do you believe that word? God is more than capable of helping us control our thoughts, but we have to “ask” and then work with Him in obedience to receive because He says it is our responsibility to cast negative thoughts down.
Our self-talk can be a powerful weapon against our own soul or an amazing tool to propel us forward in experiencing the overcoming life Jesus gave His life for us to have. But we must be committed to eliminating those thoughts that continually produce negative attitudes in our hearts. You know the ones that say, “it will never change” or “they will always be the same”. Never and always can be a long time. If you want another dose of yesterday, just keep expecting it, saying it and setting the course. What are you expecting? Think about what you are thinking about. Don’t let negative thoughts drag you down, replace them with thoughts that bring hope to your life. Get in the habit of believing God is working everything out for your best possible outcome. More of one thought can minimize another. When we meditate on all that the Lord has done for us and the endless possibilities of what He can do in our lives, it minimizes our problems. Take the time to think about what you could focus on more to minimize something else. We need to strategize our thought life sometimes. We need to purposely look for the positive and begin to thank God for it. Meditate on the situations He has already turned around for you. You might not be where you want to be but thank God you aren’t where you used to be. Over time changing your focus will change your attitude and you will begin to expect God to act. He is your help, and He is your God!
O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reason to praise Him for all that He will do. He is my help! He is my God! ~Psalm 42:11 (TLB)
What are you expecting today? Answered prayer? Or more trouble?
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