Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
If you want to go on a journey. If you're skeptical,
don't worry. Now here to preach. Want to keep it
clean and talk to me and recall where faith needs,
files of nature and get in touch with your creator
with a baking love and jew She even speaks Hebrew.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
What's that, Gonzat?
Speaker 1 (00:31):
What's that? Well sabosation? You should talking transformation? What's that Gonzato? Hey?
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Hey, and welcome back to what's God got to do
with it? And we are diving deep into the questions
that matter most to you, our listeners, as you walk
with God. And so today we're tackling a topic that
hits home for so many of us, and it's how
do I break free from toxic thoughts? And we all
know those thoughts, the ones that creep in uninvited, and
they're whispering lies about who we are, and then they
(01:07):
sow seeds of doubt and fear and negativity, and they
can feel overwhelming and even paralyzing. And the scariest part
about them is they feel true. Right. But here's the
good news. We don't have to be held captive by them.
In fact, Scripture gives us powerful tools to combat and
overcome these toxic thought patterns, and so get comfy, and
(01:27):
let's dive into this journey of renewing our minds, as
the Bible says, and aligning our thoughts with God's truth.
And so first it's really important to understand the battle
for our minds. And so let's acknowledge something crucial. The
mind is a battlefield, and our thoughts have immense power,
and they shape our perceptions and influence our decisions and
(01:50):
ultimately guide our lives. And it's no wonder that the
enemy targets our minds and aims to fill them with
lies and distortions. Paul actually speaks directly to this in
Second Corinthians ten to five, where he says, we demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the
knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
(02:13):
make it obedient to Christ. To me, that's like a
call to action, like taking captive every thought. And so
this verse isn't just poetic language. Again, it's a call
to action, and it tells us that we have the
authority and I believe, responsibility to capture every thought and
align it with the truth of Christ. And so how
do we do that. Well, let's break that down. So
(02:35):
the first step is just to recognize the toxic thoughts.
And I know that doesn't sound sexy and like, oh
my gosh, there's a my to do list item. It's
an awareness, but this is where it all begins, because
we can't take authority over something that we're not even
aware of. And the truth is, toxic thoughts can be sneaky,
and sometimes they sound logical and sound true, and sometimes
(02:57):
they masquerade as you know, self protection or just being realistic.
But if you peel back the layers, they are rooted
in fear and shame or insecurity, and they do not
align with how God sees you. And so maybe it's
the voice that says you're too much right or you'll
never get it right, or maybe it's you know, no
(03:18):
one actually cares about you, or for me, it was
like you are alone in this world, or you know,
why even bother trying, you're just gonna mess it up. Right,
Like those thoughts they feel real because they are so familiar.
They've been repeated, sometimes for years, sometimes forever, and so
they start to feel like truth. But recognition is the
(03:39):
first step to break through. It's got to start with awareness,
and so I invite you to get honest and just
start noticing the patterns. Journal them if you need to.
And when you catch that inner narrative spiraling, pause and
just ask like, is this how God would speak to me?
And if the answer is no, then it is a
thought worth questioning. Okay. The second thing is to challenge
(04:02):
those thoughts and replace it with God's truth. And so
once you recognize the lies, it's time to replace them.
And so this is where scripture becomes your sword. Okay.
Ephesian six talks about the armor of God and the
word is referred to as the sword of the spirit.
And so you don't just defend yourself from lies, you
go on offense with truth, okay. And so think of
(04:24):
it this way. If you've been believing one story for
so long, it's time to write a new one. But
and you can, like, you have the ability to write
a new story, but not just any story, God's version
of your story. It's like a co creation with God.
And so I again, this is beyond the scope of
this of just this episode. This is a process I
take my clients through wherever they are in their spiritual journey.
(04:46):
But this means about getting intentional and when a lie
shows up, knowing how to call it out and knowing
how to replace it with truth in a way that
you actually believe and it's not causing more doubt. And
so if the thought is like I'm always going to struggle,
you can replace it with something like I can do
all things through Christ, who strengthens me Philippians four thirteen.
And this is where I want to also acknowledge, like
(05:08):
if something creates a disconnect and if you're like, well, actually,
I don't know, I don't know if I believe that,
then there's some deeper, subconscious stuff that needs to be addressed, right,
Because it's like the scripture is your sword, but if
you don't feel worthy or able to use the sword,
there's something else that needs to happen. Right, But again
that's beyond the scope of this episode, but just wanted
to mention that. And so another example is like if
(05:30):
the thought is I'm not lovable, or for me it
was like I'm not you know know, who's gonna want
to marry me, who's going to want to be with me?
All the things, replace it with nothing can separate me
from the love of God, which is from Romans, right,
and so these are just examples. And this isn't just
about repeating mantras to hype yourself up. It's about renewing
your mind and conditioning your mind with the truth of
(05:51):
how God sees you. That is the difference. Okay, the
next thing is I hate to make it sound like
you have to go on the offense or the defense.
I mean, but you've got to guard your mind. And
so imagine your mind is like a garden. And if
you're not planting seeds intentionally and pulling out weeds regularly,
guess what takes over, right, it's the weeds. And so
(06:12):
Proverbs for twenty three says, above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it. And so your
heart in this context is your inner life. It's your
inner environment and your mind, your emotions, your soul, your spirit.
And that's why it's so important to be mindful of
what you're allowing into your thought life, like you've got
(06:35):
to tend your garden. And so this includes things like
what are you watching and who are you listening to
and what kind of content fills your scroll time, And
so we can't flood our minds with negativity or comparison
or toxic media or fear based messaging, and then wonder
why we feel anxious or inadequate. Right, And so guarding
(06:55):
your mind doesn't mean living in a bubble, but it
does mean that you live on purpose and you're selective
about what you consume, and you protect your peace like
it's sacred because it is. The next step is to
just engage in regular mind renewal, renewing of the mind.
So Romans twelfth's two says, be transformed by the renewing
of your mind. And this is not just a poetic statement,
(07:19):
it's a roadmap for real change. And renewal is daily,
it's ongoing. It's choice that we make again and again.
And so how do you renew your mind? Well, you
do that with God's word, but also with intention. And
that means carving out time each day, even if it's
just five minutes to sit with truth, and it might
look like starting your morning with a devotional or journaling
(07:41):
about what God is teaching you or what he sees
in you, or why you can be proud of yourself
or what you're grateful for, or listening to a warship
song that reminds you of who you are, and so
don't underestimate the power of small, consistent shifts. I it's
not these big, grandiose things that make the difference. It's
small consistent shifts. And you don't need to be perfect,
(08:02):
You just need to be present. And when you make
space for God, I promise you he will meet you there.
And the next step is to seek community and accountability,
because you weren't meant to fight your battles alone and
the enemy knows that, and so he tries to isolate you.
Ecclesiastes four nine reminds us that when one person falls,
(08:23):
the other can help them up, and that is the
power of community. And so whether it's a friend or
a mentor, or a small group or a therapist, invite
someone into your journey, because when you're stuck in your thoughts,
sometimes the most powerful thing is just hearing someone else
say I've been there too, or just I'm here to
walk through it with you. And here's the thing. Vulnerability
(08:46):
doesn't make you weak, it makes you real, it makes
it's a powerhouse. In my opinion, it's a strength and
it's a superpower. And realness is where healing begins. And
so if you're struggling with your thought life, don't hide it,
share it with somebody safe and let them speak truth
over you when you forget how to speak it over yourself. Okay.
(09:07):
And of course we've got to talk about practicing gratitude.
And I know this one seems simple and everyone's talking
about gratitude, this, gratitude that, but don't underestimate it, like,
gratitude literally rewires your brain. Okay. Neuroscience tells us that
when we focus on what's good, not only does our
brain release that dopamine and serotonin and all the feel
good chemicals that boost our mood and shift our perspective,
(09:30):
but because of the law of reciprocal inhibition, when you're
focusing on gratitude, fear and anxiety and dread has to
shut down. It has to turn off. And so if
your mind is spiraling with negativity or stress or fear,
try gratitude like not as a way to ignore your pain,
but just as a way to shift your focus and
kind of hijack your brain back. Okay, and start small.
(09:54):
Three things every day is enough, Like write them down,
say them out loud, celebrate the tiny winds. And again
you ask God to show you, like God, when I
don't feel grateful, show me what I can be grateful for.
Show me what you're proud of me about. Right, And
gratitude doesn't mean that your life is perfect. It just
means that you're choosing to still see what's good and
that changes everything. And then, of course remember the power
(10:16):
of the Holy Spirit. That's the secret sauce right here, right,
You don't have to do this alone, and you are
definitely not supposed to. And so God gave us his
spirit to help us and strengthen us and guide us. Okay.
Galatians five twenty two tells us the fruit of the
spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
(10:38):
and self control. And doesn't that sound like the antidote
to toxic thinking? Right? I feel like it does. And
so when you feel overwhelmed by your thoughts, pause and
pray and say, Holy Spirit, help me, like, show me
what's true, replace the lies with your peace. Sometimes I'm like,
I am desperate, Please meet me here, right, And that's
where I just want to invite you into like you
(10:59):
are not powerless in this battle. The same spirit that
raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, and you
have access to power and peace and perspective like no other.
So lean into it, okay, And I want to share
something personal. You know, there was a season in my
life when toxic thoughts consume me and I was living
on an unworthiness blanket and I felt unloved and hopeless
(11:22):
and it was a dark place and I didn't know
how to escape. But through God's grace, I began to
immerse myself in His word. And this is before I
even knew. It's funny because I had people speaking scripture
into me, bringing me to life, and I didn't even
realized that it was from the Bible. Right, So I'm
talking like way back and then obviously within the context
of my faith journey. But then, of course, as I
started getting into my faith journey, I started surrounding myself
(11:44):
with a community of believers who spoke truth into my life.
And again I was doing that unknowingly before I even
found Jesus. But that's a whole nother story in itself.
But I started to challenge those negative thoughts and replace
them with God's promises. And it's not an overnight transformation.
It is a journey, and it's a daily decision to
choose truth over lies. And I still have my moments
(12:07):
of struggle. Trust me, I'm still walk in the walk right,
and I stumble and hit roadbumps, and sometimes I'm like God,
what's going on? I feel powerless? But now I just
have the tools to combat those thoughts so that they
don't take me down rabbit holes that last days and weeks. Right,
I can handle in the moments. I can be emotionally
available to myself in those moments and ask God to
step in right. And that's what allows me to walk
(12:30):
in the freedom that God desires for me. Doesn't mean
I don't stumble and fall, but I have the tools
to bring me back okay. And so breaking free from
toxic thoughts it's a journey, and it's a continuous process
of aligning our minds with God's truth. And it's about
being intentional and vigilant and relying on the Holy Spirit.
And you're not alone in this battle. God is with
(12:51):
you and he's equipping you with everything that you need
to overcome. But it's about leaning into Him and immersing
yourself in His word and surrounding yourself with the community
that uplifts and supports you. And when those toxic thoughts
try to creep back in, you get to stand firm
in the truth of who you are as a beloved
child of God, fearfully and wonderfully made with a purpose
(13:14):
and a future filled with hope. Right, So don't forget
that walk in that truth and that will continue to
set you free. So, if you enjoyed today's episode of
Ask the God Pod, I'm so glad that you're here
and that you got whatever you need. Feel free to
share it with somebody else who needs to hear this
as well, And if you have any questions of your own,
feel free to send them on in over What's God
(13:37):
Got to Do with It? Dot com? So I will
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God Got to Do with It? But in the meantime,
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what questions you have, like where do you feel you
(13:57):
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(14:38):
God Got to Do With It is an iHeartRadio podcast
on the Amy Brown Podcast Network. It's written and hosted
by me Leanne Ellington, executive produced by Elizabeth Fozzio, post
production and editing by Houston Tilley, and original music written
by Cheryl Stark and produced by Adam Stark