~~Watch the Video~~
- Introduction
- Traits of Wholeness
- What Are Intrusive Thoughts / Ruminations?
- Where Do Our Thoughts Come From?
- Causes of Our Thoughts
- Strategies to Conquer Intrusive Thoughts
- Seek Towards the Kingdom Instead of the World
- Seek the Truth
- Get Into Nature
- Listen to a Sermon
- Prayer
- Quiet Time
- Make Time to Ponder
- Write Your Thoughts Down
- Don’t Focus on the Negative Thoughts
- Distract Yourself
- Change Your Thoughts
- Try to See Their Side of the Story
- Remember Who God Is
Scriptures:
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
- Matthew 6:22-23
- James 1:13-15
- 2 Corinthians 9:7-8
- Matthew 6:24-27
- Philippians 4:8
- Job 12:7-10
- Philippians 4:6-7
- James 4:8
- Philippians 4:8
- James 4:7
- Matthew 7:12
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.
Notice that it says to take our thoughts captive
Why doesn’t God command us to stop thinking bad thoughts?
Thoughts Against the Knowledge of God
Spiritual warfare in the mind
We shouldn’t entertain thoughts about ourselves that
- God doesn’t think about us
- Are contrary to our purpose
- Set us up for failure
You are not Your Thoughts
Have you ever thought about doing something that you would never actually do?
Can you have a thought that doesn’t reflect who you are?
Example: hitting a bicyclist
You don’t necessarily have control over your thoughts
You don’t need to judge them
You are only responsible for his actions
You are not your thoughts
Overthinking
Sometimes we can’t stop thinking about something
- Traumatic incident
- Relationship
- Work situation
- Political situation
- Traffic jam
- Family members conspiring against us
It can cause us to:
- Be anxious and distressed
- Overreact
- yesterday‘s issues look bigger
- tomorrow’s issues look more important
- Undervaluing the significance of what is happening today and how we can change things
“I’m not sure where the thought comes from… But I know where it takes me”
it took me to a place in my life that I was deep in depression
Paul said “rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice“.
“Well you can say it as much as you want Paul… But I’m feeling sad right now”
–Steve Furtick
Sometimes we can’t control our thoughts
Sometimes we can’t control our feelings
Today we will talk about how to take these thoughts captive
Agenda
Today we’ll look at
- Where these thoughts come from
- What causes them
- What to do about it
Traits of Wholeness
Disclaimer
Neither myself nor any of the participants are licensed clinical professionals. These are opinions that we believe to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and/or personal life experience and are not medical advice.
We are in our series called Seeking Wholeness
How can we be _______ healthy
- spiritually
- emotionally
- mentally
Dealing with life’s current stresses and also being healed from experiences/wounds of the past
We’re not just supposed to have eternal life
- We’re supposed to have: joy, peace, patience, and self control here on earth
Learning not just what The Word instructs us to do, but learning how to implement it in our lives
Traits of Wholeness
- Authenticity
- Honesty
- Kindness
- Not seeking external approval / validation
- Living by values and principles
- Setting Boundaries
- Taking ownership of your responsibilities
- Living with purpose and passion
- Optimism
- Confidence
- Healthy relationships with others
- Not losing control of your emotions
- Free from addictions
- Addressing Conflict with truth and love
- Vulnerability
- Not critical or Judgemental
- Not jealous
- Genuinely applaud the success of others
- Forgive those who have wronged you in the past
- Know that you’re worthy of receiving love
- Not afraid to fail
- Able to manage irrational fear, worry, and anxiety
- Selfless encounters with others
- Not manipulating others trying to control their actions/reactions
- You care about how others feel - empathy
- Patient
- Don’t give into peer/social pressure
- Can communicate directly
- Don’t take responsibility for other people's emotions
- Take responsibility for your own emotions
- Slow to anger
- Ability to maturely express your wants, needs and desires
- Being led by the Spirit
Just being aware of your issues without having a plan to manage them, can lead to greater anxiety
We don’t just want awareness,
- We want to be empowered to deal with and overcome the problems.
Having a sense of control gives you hope.
We need to become aware and empowered to manage that which we have become aware of.
What Are Intrusive Thoughts?
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts that can pop into our heads without warning, at any time. They're often repetitive – with the same kind of thought cropping up again and again – and they can be disturbing or even distressing.
They have
- no purpose
- no basis in reality
and are perceived as unacceptable
Rumination
Ruminations are thoughts/problems/issues that get stuck in our head. The thoughts are typically perceived as “unacceptable“.
The process of continuously thinking about the same thoughts, which tend to be sad or dark, is called rumination.
Example: Postpartum rumination
Not Pondering
Some people like to ponder.
- Coping mechanism
they are able to turn it off
We are concerned with when your thoughts are:
- uncontrollable
- persistent
- negative
rumination is most common just before bed and when you awaken - especially in the middle of the night. It can also appear when you have “downtime“.
Positive or Negative Causes
both positive and negative affects;
- most problematic ruminations were negative in valance
Some people have negative ruminations in response to positive emotional states
- When things are going well, they start waiting for the other shoe to drop
Reasons
common reasons for rumination include:
- belief that you’ll gain insight into your life or a problem
- having a history of emotional or physical trauma
- facing ongoing stressors that can’t be controlled
- possessing certain personality characteristics,
- Perfectionism
- Neuroticism
- Excessive focus on one’s relationships with others.
—American Psychological Association
Where Do Our Thoughts Come From?
We need to judge our thoughts
Where do our thoughts come from?
Thoughts can “come from”
- Satan
- Ourselves
- Flesh
- Brain
- Heart
- God
Example: Jesus told Peter
- Flesh and blood did not reveal this
- Get behind me Satan
We’ll examine how to tell where the thought came from.
Satan
Satan can influence our thoughts by things outside of us
Satan uses outside influences to trigger the thought in you.
Example: Satan tempted Jesus
- Bread - Limitations of His flesh
- Mammon - give Him wealth and power
- Pride - prove you are who you say you are
A thought that was influenced by Satan will appeal to your flesh
Matthew 6:22-23
22 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then, if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23 “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. So if the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
Satan appeals to the desire that is within you
- Sex
- Finances
- Food
Coming into Agreement With the Thought
The lie becomes powerful when we come into agreement with it
What makes a lie powerful is… Our “yes “
Our vote to believe the lie is what makes the lie powerful
Yourself
Sinful Desires / Your Flesh
James 1:13-15
13 No one is to say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.
The sinful thoughts came from within you
Good Desires
2 Corinthians 9:7-8
7 Each one must do just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace overflow to you, so that, always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
E.g. marriage
God
A thought of conviction was from God
Not guilt or shame
conviction that leads to repentance
Also
- Biblical Revelation
- Prophecies that come to pass
- Thoughts exalting Christ (John 6:44)
Causes of Intrusive Thoughts / Ruminations
Problem Solving
Your brain is trying to find solutions to a problem
- World events/politics/cultural
- Philosophical issues
- Changing a person
How can I change this person‘s mind?
Disagreements
Trying to Control the Uncontrollable
Inner Critic
Inner critic
dwelling on our past
- Mistakes
- Flaws
- weaknesses
trying to protect us or unhelpful cognitive styles.
Inner Narcissist/Judge
dwelling on others
- Mistakes
- Flaws
- Weaknesses
- to feel in control or powerful
- Thinking about how somebody did you wrong
- Thinking about how you are better than someone or they are worse than you
Feeling Unsafe
Adult in the present or the future
OCD
People may feel unsafe about an upcoming event
- A trip somewhere
- Giving a speech
- Driving in a big city
Trauma Triggers
A sight, smell sound makes you feel unsafe
- “ I feel unsafe therefore something bad must be getting ready to happen“
Physical Need / Craving
People who are malnourished
Eating disorders
Sleep
Craving - dependent on something to alleviate feelings of Distress
- Addiction
- Person
Unfiled Information
This information doesn’t fit into your brains categories/schema
Stoplight Example
What are the different states a stoplight can be in?
- stoplight flashing
Accommodate:
change the schema to fit the memory
- Stoplights have more than 3 states
Assimilate
Change the memory to fit the schema
- Light was broken
- Mis-remembered
Understand information based on current knowledge
Example: unreturned text
- Has Sally changed?
- I was wrong about Sally
- Sally is trustworthy except when … (accommodate)
- Go get new information - talk to Sally (accommodate)
- Sally dropped her phone in the toilet
Anxiety
Whatever you have anxiety about will be the theme of your intrusive thoughts.
You get anxious when you want something really badly
We often compulsively think about the things we fear the most, and often our greatest fears are attached to our greatest desires.
If you have idolized something… You may have intrusive thoughts about not getting it
- Marriage
- Sex
Sex
If you have idolize sexual pleasure… You may have unwanted sexual thoughts when you are talking to an attractive person
If you have idolize sexual purity… You may have intrusive thoughts about being cheated on …because that’s your worst fear…
If you think sex is the unforgivable sin… you will think about all kinds of sexual things out of fear that you will cut yourself off from God
Solution
put God above everything else
Strategies to Conquer Intrusive Thoughts
How to manage intrusive thoughts
Seek Towards the Kingdom Instead of the World
Matthew 6:24-27
24“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth [mammon].
25“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they? 27And which of you by worrying can add a single day to his life’s span?
Jesus’s promise of not worrying only applies if you chose God over wealth/mammon
- If your life goals are focused on God
If you have worldly goals you will be stressed and anxious
Orient your life around Kingdom goals
How many of the things that you ruminate about are related to God’s Kingdom?
How many of your life goals are related to the Kingdom?
Define your life priorities
What has God called you to do?
What people, places and experiences are important to you?
Ask yourself… Is this worth my energy?
What do you need to be happy?
- That person’s opinion
- A certain lifestyle
- Good grades
- A certain position
Are you worrying about things that aren’t important to God?
Seek the Truth
Philippians 4:8
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Not feelings or assumptions
Are you ruminating over truth or speculation?
Am I using cognitive distortions
- Mind reading
- Come up with 3 alternatives
- Personalization
- I must mean I’m stupid
- It’s because I’m black
- Magnification
- You blow something out of proportion
- Look at the facts
- How much will this matter tomorrow, in a week, and six months
- Catastrophizing
- Expecting the worst possible outcome
Solutions
- Look for three alternate explanations of why something might be happening
- Address them with love for clarification
Maybe they were having a bad day or were in pain
Get Into Nature
Job 12:7-10
7“But just ask the animals, and have them teach you;
And the birds of the sky, and have them tell you.
8“Or speak to the earth, and have it teach you;
And have the fish of the sea tell you.
9“Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
10In whose hand is the life of every living thing,
And the breath of all mankind?
Stanford Study
90 min walk in nature vs urban
Reduced neural activity in brain area linked to
- mental illness
- depression
Participants who went on a 90-min walk through a natural environment reported lower levels of rumination and showed reduced neural activity in an area of the brain linked to risk for mental illness compared with those who walked through an urban environment.
Urbanization has many benefits, but it also is associated with increased levels of mental illness, including depression. It has been suggested that decreased nature experience may help to explain the link between urbanization and mental illness. This suggestion is supported by a growing body of correlational and experimental evidence, which raises a further question: what mechanism(s) link decreased nature experience to the development of mental illness? One such mechanism might be the impact of nature exposure on rumination, a maladaptive pattern of self-referential thought that is associated with heightened risk for depression and other mental illnesses. We show in healthy participants that a brief nature experience, a 90-min walk in a natural setting, decreases both self-reported rumination and neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex (sgPFC), whereas a 90-min walk in an urban setting has no such effects on self-reported rumination or neural activity.
Example: me in pandemic
Listen to a Sermon
Steven Furtick
https://www.instagram.com/p/CgdAVOOv1oR/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Prayer
Philippians 4:6-7
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Take it to God in prayer
Prayer Heals Your Brain
Pray about it - Furtick
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CfXRM2BuzWo/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Quiet Time
James 4:8
8Come close to God and He will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Spend Time with God for depression - Daniel Song
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdExkupL/?k=1
Make Time to Ponder
- In your Quiet Time
If you can’t stop worrying, set a specific time to think about things
- Set a specific time to worry
Write Your Thoughts Down
Example: I keep a notebook in front of me while I work
Your brain recognizes that he doesn’t have to devote is current thinking processing towards the issue
Change Your Thoughts
Change Your Self Talk - TikTok doctor
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRR4u5p4/?k=1
Think of Something Else - rabbi
https://youtube.com/shorts/-RSdWiVZlSY?feature=share
Remember Who God Is
The enemy causes you to focus on the wrong world
Instead of focusing on the Kingdom of God
We pursue the Kingdom of the world
He wants you to focus on
- Fear
- Status
- Likes and followers
- Financial issues
- The person who disrespected us
- Our careers
- The latest news
- The next health threat
- The next bubble
- The next hot crypto currency
- The latest church scandal
- The housewives of Bethlehem
He wants to keep your focus in this world
He wants to keep your priorities here on earth
Peter was walking on water …it was a miracle
…he was walking on water
…while he had his eyes on Jesus
But as soon as he focused on the wind
… he started to sink
As soon as he gave the storm his attention
… the miraculous stopped
He forgot that Jesus was there
He forgot he was a fisherman…
He forgot…he could swim
Peter could swim
The enemy wants us so focused on the wind and the storm that we forget who we are
So focused on the problems of this world that we lose our focus on Jesus
We forget what He got us through in the past
We forget where He brought us from
We forget … that we learned how to swim
…you can swim
…you can swim
Remember who you are
All things are possible to those who believe
Keep your eyes on Jesus
Remember who God is
Instructor: Michael Leadon
References
15 Tips to Stop Ruminating and Get out of Your Head
Doc Snipes
The war in your head
Bill Johnson teacher
Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation
Gregory N. Bratman, J. Paul Hamilton, Kevin S. Hahn, Gretchen C. Daily, James J. Gross
How I got rid of Obsessive anxious thinking and painful Rumination
Bignoknow Noah Thomas
The struggle switch by Dr. Russ Harris
People in pain network
When your thoughts attack
Steven Furtick
God will help you stop intrusive, unwanted sexual thoughts if you
Apply gods word.com
Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess
Caroline Leaf
How to know if a thought was from God, yourself, or Satan (Parts 1,2,3)
applygodsword.com
How to Stop Ruminating: 10 Tips to Stop Repetitive Thoughts (healthline.com)
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