All at once, I stopped in my tracks. The ferocious sight captivated my attention.
My late afternoon walk meandered along the river’s edge, and I drank in my surroundings. All at once, I stopped in my tracks. The ferocious sight captivated my attention. A vicious whirlpool dominated the current, and an ominous swirling motion pulled objects into its powerful, downward grip. The vortex made me shudder, and I wondered what I would do, should I find myself trapped by the underwater tornado.
However, the daunting force in the river leads us to consider another whirlpool, the whirlpool of negative thinking. Such swirling in our heads, leaves us being pulled down by a cruel and dominating strength with a pattern that is both dangerous and destructive.
Negative thinking possesses countless faces and can unexpectedly gain a life of power and strength. A thought, an event, an announcement, a comment, a call, a conversation, a situation, a text, a letter, a fear—to name a few—all hold the potential to take over and take us under.
So, is there a way forward when negative thinking threatens to take us down? Yes, I believe there is. But we must read the river and be vigilant. The recent teaching of our pastor offers a strategic plan. With his permission, I share four phrases for Escaping the Whirlpool of Negative Thinking:
Don’t rehearse it Don't nurse it Don’t curse it Ask God to reverse it
“A sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) is a self-disciplined mind of someone who knows how to handle their thoughts, control their mind, and not let their thoughts and circumstances control them.” (Chad Hovind)
The Bible definitely sheds supernatural light on the murky mental waters of negative thinking. While these concepts are not a formula, they do offer strategic steps of action :
Don’t rehearse it: Monitor your soul talk, and refuse to let mental anguish loop over and over in your mind. Rehearsing the thought—event, announcement, comment, call, conversation, situation, text, letter, fear—over and over inside our heads takes us places God never intended us to go. Instead, turn toward Philippians 4:8 for the counterclockwise motion needed. “Finally …whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.”
Don’t nurse it: Deny the negative thought—event, announcement, comment, call, conversation, situation, text, letter, fear—emotional fuel. Counter the pull, and lift your eyes to heaven where your sanity can be restored (paraphrase Daniel 4:32). Look to God. Let it go. Love like never before!
Don’t curse it: Resist the swirling urge to harbor resentment. Rather, embrace the opportunity to know the sweet and supernatural Presence of Jesus in a place of pain or difficulty. “When you walk through the waters, I will be with you …” (Isaiah 43:3). “In everything give thanks, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1Thessalonians 5:18).
Ask God to reverse it: Reach upward and grab hold of the promises of God. Only God in His sovereignty can take the negative thought—event, announcement, comment, call, conversation, situation, text, letter, fear—and redeem it. But He can and He will! “For God causes all things (ALL THINGS) to work together for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
As long as you and I walk the trail of life, the danger of being caught in the whirlpool of negative thinking lurks just around every bend. But, God be praised; He does not leave us helpless. He offers His Word—placed in the Hand of The Holy Spirit—to provide fullness of joy, even within the confines of our heads. (John 17:3)
Living With Eternal Intentionality®
How has COVID-19 made the threat of negative thinking more prevalent for you?
Which of the 4 phrases in the strategy against negative thinking draws you in the most?
What is one step you want to pray about and initiate in order to see negative thinking give up its hold on your thought life?
*Chad Hovid, lead pastor at Horizon Community Church, gave permission for these four phrases to be used.
