Why I’m Always Focused on Negative Thoughts
Inside: I think the worst, and it really limits me and my faith. Problems seem to trickle in, and soon, everything is going bad. I’m always stuck on negative thoughts.
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Are you like me? I think the worst, and it really limits me and my faith. Problems seem to trickle in, and soon I think, everything is going bad.
My husband travels for work a lot. Usually, when he leaves, things happen. It’s like Murphy’s Law: “anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” I told you, negative thinker, here.
The water heater suddenly dies or something amiss happens with my car. Then one of my kids gets sick with some virus, the dog runs away and the garage door won’t shut.
Problems brew problems.
These troubles, happening around me, somehow infiltrate into my brain, and now I’m the problem.
I’m a failure.
Nothing good happens to me.
Faith gets fractured when negativity becomes the front seat.
What is happening around me is not a direct correlation with me. My troubles are not me unless I let my mind start thinking and acting that way.
When those negative thoughts come, do you ever think?
- God is disappointed in me
- God doesn’t love me
- I have little faith
- A Christian shouldn’t have these thoughts
Survival strategy says negative thoughts cause us to look for what is wrong, so we can protect ourselves from danger.
Who or what is more dangerous than myself when I am thinking negatively? When I constantly look for what is wrong, I put my relationship with God in jeopardy.
Have you ever been around a pessimistic person?
Do you ever find yourself getting stuck on the pessimism channel? If our mind is constantly stuck on the bad and the wrong, our bodies are going to feel this way also.
Pessimism parks our view on the impossible.
Many times, I think I’m the only one who deals with negative thoughts. Am I?
I was surprised when I did some research about negative thoughts. Eighty percent of everyone’s thoughts contain some sort of negative content. The problem is when we believe the content of our thoughts to be true.
We can believe the worse, or we can plant our faith in the truth of God.
Job, from the Bible, comes to the forefront of the Bible as someone who experienced a heap of problems. He lost his possessions, family, and health.
What did Job park his thoughts on?
- Trust God at all times. It’s easy to trust when life is good, but our faith grows when we trust in the hard of life.
- God wants us to bear our soul, and tell Him how we are feeling. He will help us see the eternal focus, and give us the wisdom how to proceed with the problem.
- God is the only security we can find on Earth. He is the Rock. The Cornerstone.
- Instead of asking “why me,” we should be asking “show me”. How will this make me better and then wait patiently in expectation for His aid?
- We have nothing to fear when we are holding Jesus’ hand. Can I get an Amen?
The story of Job ends with blessing. Job received more “stuff” in the second half of his life than in the beginning of his life.
We might not receive material blessings but instead, we receive an unbreakable, deep-rooted faith in these seasons of trouble. Our complete restoration from every problem will happen when we are in Heaven with our Savior.
When those negative thoughts come, let it spur us on, grit our teeth and dig a little deeper into our relationship with God. Water the soil, and flex those faith roots into the ground.
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28, NLT).
This line right here: “Instead of asking “why me,” we should be asking “show me”. How will this make me better and then wait patiently in expectation for His aid.” is profound. There is always some situation or circumstance that I’m walking through. I don’t generally lean to the “why me”, but I have arrived at the “show me”. I will intentionally start asking that question. Thanks for the probing me toward positive responses.
Calvonia- I’ve done a lot of the “why me” the last few years. It doesn’t help the situation, or move me to hope. It keeps me stuck. When I think of it in light of the eternal, I can know without a doubt this will be used too. The molding is happening!
Have a good rest of the week!
Julie
Hi Julie, I’m visiting you from Holley’s place today. Yes, I know what you mean about “stuff” always happening when your husband’s gone! And thanks for your perspective on choosing positive thoughts over negative ones. Flex our faith.
Betsy- thanks for stopping! It’s refreshing to hear that others experience trouble when the hubby is gone:) I know for me, God is making me solely dependent on Him. It’s easy to depend on my husband for problems when He’s around. God wants my total dependence on Him.
Julie
Yes indeed, I think all that you listed happened here just in the past week. Chicken pox, the dog, even the garage thing right before we moved. I am chuckling now though! I too, did the negative channel thing, almost right away anytime something went down. God answered my prayers for help with that, though I know I will never be perfect. He is so good and I love this post today. I want to set my mind on what is lovely, pure, noble…etc and that doesn’t leave room for the worst case scenario. Blessings!
Meg- God wants our sole attention, or should I say “soul” attention. Problems send us into His arms, don’t they? Working out those faith muscles is hard.
Julie
I’ve kept a gratitude journal for a long time now and I love how it helps me to stop and focus on the many blessings and lovely things and details of life.
There will always be bad and hurt and pain, but that was never God’s first design or His plan at all.
Have a happy week! 🙂
Deborah- yes, finding the blessings is always a mood changer. There are always blessings!
You also have a great week!
Julie
Thank you Julie for some wise words! I love the part instead of why me, show me. If I could do that more often-amazing things will happen! Blessings sista!
Kelsey- In those moments of tough, I want to say “why me” over and over, but it doesn’t get me anywhere. The “show me” opens my heart to believe God is changing and teaching me.
Thank you!
Julie
I can so relate to this Julie! I probably could have won the Negativity Award a few years ago. It’s funny how everyone around me noticed it, but I never did. One day my brave husband addressed it with me. As soon as he mentioned it, it’s almost like a lightbulb went off and I began to recognize it. I love how you address Job’s thoughts, because that’s really where my problem was- in my thoughts. Great post on how negativity impacts us and how we have the power to change our thinking!
Alisa- thank you for the kind words! Doesn’t the Bible have so many nuggets in it? When we search and look at it from a new angle, there’s always wisdom and guidance!
Have a great rest of the week!
Julie
“Why me?” to “show me”…what an important, radical, obedient change of mindset. That’s the one thing I’ll walk away with from your blog today! Great job Julie:)
Meg- thank you for the kind words! It’s a choice, we can wallow in the trouble surrounding us or we can warrior through and ask God to show us the best tactics and lessons.
Have a great rest of the week!
Julie
Thank you for the reminder to grit our teeth and dig deeper into God’s Word. As we fill our mind with His Word, it overtakes and replaces the negative thoughts which try to wiggle their way in. Glad we were neighbors today at Grace Moments.
Joanne- God’s Word is the key, isn’t it?
Thanks for stopping!
Julie
Couldn’t we blame hormones? 😉 j/k I’ve been in the negativity slump before, and my husband said I had a tendency to heap things on. I would respond, well, it’s all true, right?? But then God helped me realize that I had to choose joy. Choose to focus on His Word above what was wrong. I try not to blame my hormones now. 🙂 Great post, friend!
Kelly- I could blame my hormones, but I think for me it’s more my mindset. We have to choose for sure, even if we don’t “feel” like it!
Have a good weekend!
Julie
Hi Julie!
You’re not the only one! I think you had a great point that we use negative thoughts as a way to try and figure out what could go wrong in order to feel a sense of control. I’ve realized my negative thoughts are also complaining thoughts. I told myself I’d think of 5 things I could thank God for everytime a negative thought or complaint came out of my mouth.
Valerie- that’s a great idea. My problem is in the moment I don’t remember useful things:( I’m going to try your suggestion!
Thanks for stopping!
Julie
I am a negative thinker as well, or as I prefer to think of it, a pessimist in progress. I hadn’t thought about the influence of my faith on my view of the world, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Hailey- so glad you visited!
Thank you for sharing, Hailey!
My thoughts can go super negative. I have a tendency to have really bad dreams about awful things happening to my family and then I can get stuck there and dwell on the dreams all day. I can allow the thoughts (not ever real events) cloud my thoughts and emotions. It is something I have to continually pray over.
Melissa- Yes, these thoughts can cloud our thoughts and emotions!
Oh, girl…this is so relatable on so many levels. I often think to myself “why?’ Why do my thoughts tend to go so far south and try to ruin my whole day? The enemy knows that by planting negative thoughts in my mind that I will slowly ponder on them…then slowly creep into depression mode. So, We all just have to tell the devil to get out of our minds! He has no authority over us!
Keisha- yes, the devil likes these negative thoughts because many times they get us stuck!
“Faith gets fractured when negativity becomes the front seat.” yes! Our words are so powerful. The words we think are sometimes the thoughts we think. Great reminder to not be anxious.
Taylor- yes, we need to watch what we’re thinking about!
So good! I love, “what is more dangerous than when we fix our thoughts on the negative”? And instead of asking why me, show me – getting God’s perspective can change everything. Just this morning I heard someone say, the worst may happen but God is in it with you. Just like the example of Job that you shared!
Katie- I love that thought about the worst happening, but God is with the entire time. That is so comforting!
We really have to take our thoughts captive! Sometimes we have to teach our minds to be optimistic!
Alice- I agree! Be optimistic!
I am definitely inclined to be a Negative Nancy. I haven’t really questioned my worth in God’s eyes, but I have thought “Christians shouldn’t think like this”. It’s so important to be in control of our hearts and minds. Satan uses these to whisper loads of lies and insecurities. Being aware of the assignment Satan has against us, can help negate these negative thoughts. Prayer, reading the Word, worship in all we do allows God to dwell in our midst. <3
Katie- Your comment is full of wisdom! Thank you for sharing it!
AMEN! This line right here: We might not receive material blessings but instead, we receive an unbreakable, deep-rooted faith in these seasons of trouble. Our complete restoration from every problem will happen when we are in Heaven with our Savior.
The unbreakable, deep-rooted faith in those seasons of trouble is way more valuable than any material item.
Heather- yes, faith growth happens in the hard times!
“We have nothing to fear when we are holding Jesus’ hand”
Amen! Thanks for the message x
Mary- thank you for stopping!
Sometimes negative thoughts creep in and I have to be vigilant not to let them spiral out of control
Kristi- me too! It takes intention!
“Instead of asking “why me,” we should be asking “show me”. How will this make me better and then wait patiently in expectation for His aid?” I’m a negative thinker and that’s just what I needed to read today. It’s not that I ask why me, but I have been beating myself up with all the ways I mess up. But you are spot on, I shouldn’t be looking at me at all. I need to be asking God to show me His plan and His will.
Thanks for this, Julie.
Heather- I’m so glad it was an encouragement to you! Prayers for you and what you’re going through!