I think that...

I've always had this thought that pops into my head from time to time, screaming, "You will never amount to anything." It is so loud. A lot of times, it is louder than whatever reality I will be facing. I could be graduating, and the thought will just be like, "Nah, the economy is bad, you can't get a job." I could be having the best day of my life, and suddenly, in my head, "Do you realise that you're unemployed? Why are you so happy?" I could be enjoying time with family, and all of a sudden, " You're that one person in your family who won't make it." 

I know it sounds bad. That's because it's bad. Such negativity. You know how we introverts love to stay in our heads? Imagine spending time in a head that has such thoughts. Holding your breath every time you're happy because obviously it can't last coz you're not that person who has good things happen to them. Having your happy bubble burst all the time because that thought has perfect timing. It's not rosy in this land. And I know I'm not the only one, hence the penning (typing) of this post. Let's try to get to the bottom of this, shall we? We shall!

The thing with most of our thoughts is that they usually have some sort of origin. Mine have come from years of conversing with fellow human beings, which I guess is where we get a lot of these weird thought patterns that get stuck in our heads. Sometimes it's current affairs (stay away from the news... jk). Sometimes it's other people's lived experiences. Sometimes it's what we read, what we watch, etc., etc. The list really does go on and on, but a lot of the thoughts we choose to dwell on seldom (meaning rarely - I just really wanted to use the word seldom in a sentence, and this is my blog) come from the word of God.

We know the Bible, make no mistake about that. We recite it. We preach it in church. But when it comes to our thoughts?? We just go with whatever when Philippians 4:8 very clearly says,  "Finally, brothers and sisters, 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." Let's do a quick exercise right now.... I want you to think back on all the thoughts you have had since you got out of bed. Do they fit the criteria of what the Word of God says we should think about? Other versions even say "meditate on these things." That thought that is rent-free in your mind?? Yes, that one! Does it fit the criteria? If your thoughts make the cut, my dear reader, I am coming to you for notes because you know your Bible and you are living it, which we all ought to do. If not... well, you and I are in the same boat.

The Bible in 2 Corinthians 10:5 also instructs us as follows: "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." Dear reader, we have a responsibility. We gotta bring all those negative, wrong thoughts into captivity; they won't bring themselves. You gotta let those thoughts know whose the boss coz they are not the boss of you, and they will never be. They boss you around because YOU are not bringing them into captivity. DO YOUR PART.

In closing, I will reference Mark 5:36, where Jesus says, "Do not be afraid, just believe." This was in the wake of the ruler of the synagogue's daughter's death. "Do not be afraid, just believe." Guess what?? The daughter rose from the dead. A situation that was so final in the eyes of man to Jesus was just a nap. "Do not be afraid, just believe." Those thoughts be louder than everything, and they make all the situations seem final with no workaround. They be so loud you can't hear anything else, not reason, not truth. It's just those loud, screaming thoughts. The next time the thoughts are screaming in your head, just echo Jesus' words to bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ, "Do not be afraid, just believe.... Do not be afraid, just believe.... Do not be afraid, just believe.... Do not be afraid, just believe.