22Mar
“The average person experiences 60,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day, according to the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging at the University of Southern California…a large percentage of those thoughts are about what can go wrong, what will go wrong, what we’ve done wrong, and what others are doing wrong.” (The Epoch Times, March 12-18, 2020). Is that consciousness of negative thoughts wrong or harmful? Let’s take a very brief look to consider if negative thoughts are destructive and where we can find help.
First, what about such thoughts as “what can and might go wrong?” The Bible gives much praise and the title of prudent to those who are conscious of what might go wrong and then, based on their considerations of potential problems, avoid damage.
Next, what about the thoughts harbored about “what we and others have done wrong?” Are those thoughts harmful? Once again, the Scriptures clearly warn those who do not acknowledge and repent of the things we have done wrong are subject to harm. In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul recognizes and affirms a self-awareness of sin as necessary to avoid additional damage from what we have done wrong.
Also, in Romans 7, Paul assumes what we might call the duality of our minds. He discusses thoughts we think about our thoughts. These considerations come from a perspective independent of the ideas we are evaluating. Now, think of that! We think about our thoughts, which do not represent what we want to think. We do both at once. That is a complicated analysis about which the Apostle just assumes we are all aware. And we are. We all have those internal dialogues. Sometimes they are very brief, and sometimes they are quite extended and even disrupting.
The Times quotes psychotherapist Dr. Nancy Colier on negative thoughts, “Repetitive negative thoughts are part of the human journey; we cannot stop them. We can, however, stop trying to change the unchangeable.” The Apostle Paul acknowledged the genuine battle with ever-present negative thoughts, “So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me…but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am?” Romans 7:21-24 NIV)
Over or under focus on negative thoughts can be paralyzing or otherwise harmful. Completely ignoring the negative in me and others is both impossible and detrimental. Colier offers, “We generate internal peace when we give up the fight with the inevitable and direct our attention toward new frontiers.” I would offer that it is no easy matter to give up that fight.
If this process is my mind vs. my mind or my thoughts vs. my thoughts, how do I tip the scale toward one side or the other? How do I know if I am choosing the right “side” to tip? Paul offers that an external hand is needed to help us tip toward the positive. Someone outside of our confused mental meanderings is required. Analyzing the internal conflict, Paul pleads, “Who will rescue me?” Then answering his plea for help, “God delivers me through Jesus Christ, our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25 NIV)
The Lord willing, more tomorrow, on gaining a noticeable advantage from the hand of our Savior.
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