How to Overcome Toxic Thoughts

Are toxic thoughts about yourself holding you back? I have encouragement for you in this post! Keep reading to learn more about my new book on this topic as well.

This morning I did something I hate…running.

I ran today because it’s a need, not a want. My health insurance company recently changed its threshold for a healthy living discount. I qualified for it the past two years, but now I need to lose 20 pounds or keep paying an additional $150 per month. Ouch!

Walking is fine with me. Every morning, I go on a prayer walk with my 6-month-old lab puppy. On most days, I don’t have trouble hitting the 10K step goal on my Fitbit. However, my middle-age body is more resistant to change, and walking alone isn’t cutting it.

I’ve got to raise the intensity of my workouts to burn more calories. Running is the cheapest, easiest way for me to do that. So I’ve resigned myself to this activity I’ve hated for years.

The Toxic Thoughts in My Head

As I jogged down the hill, I asked myself, “Why do I hate running so much?”

Instantly I heard familiar voices in my head:

• The mean boys who taunted me as I jogged in front of their house, circa 1988, screaming and laughing in derision (I won’t tell you what they said)
• The prissy, popular girl in 9th grade P.E. class, who sneered in front of her snickering friends, “Can’t you run any faster?” when I had to lead our class in laps around the gym
• My own super-ego, saying in a condemning voice, “You can’t do this. You’ve never been good at athletics. You’ll eventually give up.”

Then I came back to the current moment. No one saw me on my country road, except my dog, who thinks I’m the best thing ever. But God saw me. I pondered this while I caught my breath at the bottom of the hill.

Was God happy that I still replayed those mental tapes from 1992, 1988 and earlier? Mean voices from others, and even meaner voices from myself? No, not at all!

Overcome Toxic Thoughts

God wants me to replace those ugly, outdated tapes with the life-giving truth of his Word. Scripture reminders of how much he loves me and wants the best for me. As I continued on my walk, and then started running again, I meditated on this Scripture from memory:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Cor. 5:17 NIV

I can reinvent the way I think about myself through the power of God’s Word. He has tossed away the old me, bogged down with harsh words from myself and others. He has a new future prepared for me, as I choose to run every day to get stronger and healthier. I need to focus on the hope and goodness he has prepared for me (the new creation), instead of the old me, because Jesus will help me meet this goal.

It’s not the power of positive thinking that helps us overcome toxic thoughts. It’s the power of God, revealed in his Word. Since Jesus has set us free from death and given us a whole new life, we can experience newness of life in every area of our lives.

For me, that is in my health right now. For you, it may be something different. We can find hope in this meditation verse, because God has prepared a new creation for each of us. He will help us achieve it through his power, strength, and might–not expecting us to do all the work ourselves.

When those mean, nasty tapes play in your head this week, I encourage you to speak 2 Cor. 5:17 out loud. By doing so, you declare to yourself and your enemy Satan that God has the final victory already secured for you!

Prayer for Overcoming Toxic Thoughts

Here’s a prayer to help you overcome toxic thoughts:

Heavenly Father,
I praise you because you make new life possible.
You have set me free from the mean things others spoke about me.
You want me to discard the lies I’ve spoken to myself too.
Your Word tells me that the old is gone, and the new is here.
Thank you for promising to make all things new in my life.
Help me reform my thought life by meditating on your Word.
I am trusting in your power and strength to bring newness of life to my situation.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Transforming Your Thought Life

Interested in learning more about overcoming your toxic thoughts? My upcoming book, Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus, will help you do just that! Check out the book page here.

Watch the book trailer here:

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