Today I am so happy to introduce you to my friend, Annette Reeder. Annette is an author and nutritionist who shares her wisdom of how-to best care for our health (and our souls). Here's Annette:
There is power in what we think… Despite this fact, many people don’t realize they are lazy thinkers. Therefore, they are lazy in their outcomes. All thoughts are powerful. They lead us in one direction or another.
Do we want to add power to negative ones or glorifying ones? I don’t know about you, but I want to cultivate glorifying ones! Thoughts can cause a riot or lead to righteousness. Which one would you rather have? I’ll take righteousness!
When you are able to control your thoughts, you’re able to help yourself be successful in your physical, spiritual, and emotional health.
whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything, worthy of praise – let your mind dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8
Dwell is a continual action. It is not a one and done.
Do your thoughts include these types of things? I am loved. I am worthy. I’m beautiful. I am a perfect weight. I’m happily married. I can do anything through Christ who strengthens me.
When I started this transformational journey, my mind fixated on things like I am ugly. I’m depressed. I am fat. I am unloving. I’m unlovable. I am miserable. I believed they were true. Yet, when I read God’s word, it stated otherwise. Therefore, I avoided reading God’s word. Make sense? Not really. But that was the result of the things I was cultivating in my mind.
Thoughts bring things before our mind and enable us to consider them. These can be images, visions, perception, and imagination.
- Thoughts never stand alone. They orchestrate feelings.
- Feelings never stand alone. They orchestrate beliefs.
- Beliefs never stand alone. They orchestrate actions.
- Actions never stand alone. They orchestrate results.
How do you control your thoughts? Here are 5 steps on how to control your thoughts and succeed each time!
1. Identify Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts right now? Without editing them, write down your thoughts in a journal. Put a star next to what relates most closely to the patterns you want to change. Put a heart next to thoughts that honor God!
2. Question Your Thoughts
These are from a sermon by Charles Swindoll and they fit perfectly.
- Where will these thoughts lead me?
- Will they get me where I want to go?
- Are they scripturally acceptable?
- Will they build me up or tear me down?
- Could I share these thoughts with someone else?
- Where did they originate?
- Do I feel guilty thinking these thoughts?
- Do these thoughts fit me as a follower of Jesus?
3. Capture the Negative Thoughts and Throw Them Away
Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
Satan blinds the unbeliever and attempts to deceive the believer. Every person is engaged in a battle, whether they realize it or not. Satan wants to remind you of all the bad in past experiences. He makes you question yourself and the validity of your success.
Put away the thoughts that don’t fit with God’s plan for you. Understand your relationship with Jesus. We are raised up with Christ Jesus. This mindset controls everything.
Faulty thoughts lead to wrong actions. This is why it’s essential to identify our how we’re thinking, question our thoughts, and throw out the false ones with the trash.
4. Renew Your Thoughts
Set your mind on things above. Colossians 3:2
Whenever you banish a thought, it must be replaced, or it will return. It may try to return anyway, but you will be armed to combat the untrue, damaging thoughts if you have planted true, profitable ones.
- If you thought: “I can’t lose weight,” replace it with: “God has given me a spirit of self-control. I can engage the Holy Spirit to empower me with self-control and lose weight.”
- If you thought: “Food reduces my stress,” replace it with: “God gives me peace beyond understanding. I don’t need food to deal with stress.”
- If you thought: “My health doesn’t matter to my spirituality,” replace it with: “God declared my body is the temple His Spirit resides in. When I take care of my body and am healthier, I’m more equipped to live obediently to Him.”
As you renew your mind, replacing every negative or untrue thing that’s crept into your thinking with God’s Word, your actions and results of your choices will change.
5. Rejoice in the Work God is Doing in You
Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts…And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
Praise God for what He’s doing in the present moment in your heart, mind, and life!
After a week or two, or a month, go back to step one. What are your thoughts now? Write them down. See how much has changed in how you think and reflect on how your transformed thoughts have resulted in transformed actions.
Mastering your thoughts won’t happen overnight. Your thoughts were planted long ago and have taken root over time. It will take time and effort to pluck them out.
Celebrate each successful replacement of a weed thought with a beautiful, aromatic flower thought! Before you know it, you’ll have a lovely garden flourishing in your mind!
Watch Annette's YouTube video where she shares these important 5 steps! Visit Annette's website to download her free e-book 7 Steps to Amazing Biblical Health. This great resource will help you:
- Discover which foods keep you satisfied for longer - and why!
- The secret to end "emotional eating", rather than giving in to fleeting desires.
- Create a personal food plan to improve your health.
- Learn the ultimate benefits of fasting - and how to get started now!
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