Negative Thoughts
How can we learn to control our thoughts, especially our negative ones?
2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV
5 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
We all have negative thoughts…
But THOUGHTS do not become REAL until we speak it. (2x’s)
ONCE we speak it - it becomes a part of our identity.
Words are POWERFUL!
When God spoke the World into existence - He used Words.
Do you ever stop to think about the Words that you are saying and where did that word come from first?
It was a thought FIRST!
Matthew 4:1 - 11
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not [a]tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”
10 Then Jesus said to him, [b]“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
Satan was planting questions about Jesus’ identity.
- “If you are the son of God” He was planting the negative ideas
- you are not good enough
- are you sure you are a son of God?
- you are not strong enough
- you are not spiritual enough
“You are a FAILURE” - The enemy will whisper these negative thoughts and words into our ears.
- You are not good enough to preach this message - Failure
- Does God really love you, look at how much your family struggles - Failure
- You are not strong or smart enough to homeschool your kids - Failure
- You do not know that many scriptures to help and encourage those women in your church - Failure
Jesus did not use a mirror, He had something better than a mirror!
To win you HAVE to play off of the enemy’s words…
When the enemy does tell me I am a FAILURE,
The Word of God says I have a PURPOSE.
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
The Word of God says I am LOVED.
1 John 4:10
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son
The Word of God says I am a VICTOR in Christ.
1 John 5:4
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—[a]our faith
The enemy twists the truth to make you believe him and NOT God.
The enemy’s truth always agrees with your emotions or your flesh.
He was telling Jesus to jump down to prove to other people that he was the son of God.
He was trying to get Jesus to act in Pride!
The enemy was trying to tell Jesus the “Best way to start your ministry is what I say,”
Jump off of this building and everyone will know you are the son of God. This prayer and fasting thing you are doing is just DUMB.
DUMB
- You think you are smart enough to Homeschool your kids - you are not smart enough to do that - that is DUMB
- WHAT give your money to God, you need to hold on to it so you can save up to buy that car or house. - that is DUMB
- SERVE at the church what a waste of time, you are way to busy with work, homework, school, family, life - that is DUMB
- Get up and go to church every week, you know how important sleep is too your body and mentally you are not with it if you miss out on sleep. - that is DUMB
How does Jesus respond?
Matthew 4:7
7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
When the devil tries to get me to believe I am DUMB,
MY RESPONSE IS:
I HAVE the MIND of CHRIST -
1 Corinthians 2:16
16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
I am DISCERNING -
Philippians 1:9
9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment,
God gives us understanding to see what is truth and what is a lie; what is real and what is false; what come from heaven and what comes from hell.
DISAPPOINTMENT
When the devil puts that thought in your mind that you are a DISAPPOINTMENT,
YOU say, “AWAY with you Satan!”
Instead of saying out loud that I am DISAPPOINTMENT, play off of that WORD!
FULFILLED -
John 17:13
13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
His Joy is what fulfills us, not being perfect or doing everything right, HIS JOY fulfills us.
SATISFY -
Psalms 107:9
9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.
The things of this world are not going to satisfy me, only God can satisfy me.
APPRECIATE -
1 Timothy 4:4 NLT
4 Since everything God created is good, we should not reject any of it but receive it with thanks.
Everything God created is GOOD and I am something He Created; I am a good thing.
Jesus did not fight or argue with Satan
- He did not stumble over his words.
- He did not let his emotions control His thoughts.
HE SPOKE THE WORD OF GOD!
How do we keep these negative thoughts out of our minds when they are 80% of what we think about each day?
1.
Have scripture so apart of you that when the enemy attacks, all that come out is the Word of God, (you do not have to feel it to say it).
Jesus made it a point to get the Word of God, by being at church.
He also taught the word of God, which means he was studying it (you cannot go into a battle without weapons).
Jesus was ready with his weapon - THE WORD - because he already had it downloaded in his Spirit.
2.
RECOGNIZE THE LIE… REALIZE that thought!
1. DO NOT SPEAK it out loud.
2. REALIZE it was not meant to hurt you.
3. BLOCKED it and do not keep letting that thought linger in your mind.
3.
EVERYTIME THAT THE DEVIL ATTACKED WITH A WORD OF NEGATIVITY and DOUBT… JESUS RESPONDED BY SPEAKING THE WORD!
When we feel like a FAILURE and THOUGHTS come in saying that we are a FAILURE….
SAY!
• I have a PURPOSE!
• I am LOVED!
• I have the VICTORY!
When we feel like we are DUMB and THOUGHTS come in saying “I am DUMB….”
SAY!
• I have the MIND of CHRIST!
• I am DISCERNING and KNOW that truth!
When we feel like “I am a DISAPPOINTMENT” and THOUGHTS come in saying “I am a DISAPPOINTMENT….”
SAY!
• I am fulfilled - I am fulfilled with the JOY of the Lord!
• I am satisfied - because MY GOD satisfies me!
• I am appreciated - everything GOD created IS good!
Matthew 4:11
11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.
“EVEN JESUS NEEDED TO BE MINISTERED TO!”
He was ministered to by angels… but we also are called to minister to each other.
IF JESUS NEEDED IT, YOU AND I NEED IT!
- We need church!
- We need a church family!
- We need each other!
At church and with our church family we remind each other to:
- DOWNLOAD IT!
- REALIZE IT and BLOCK IT!
- SPEAK IT!