How to Take Control of Your Thought Life

Last week, we talked about confronting our self-preserving penchant to hurry by learning how to take on Jesus’ direction and Jesus’ pace. Regarding hurry, I wrote, “Many of us refuse to slow down our inner and outer pace long enough to confront mindsets and behaviors that are insidiously strangling our future and at their core are antithetical to the lifestyle of the Kingdom.”

But there’s another incredible benefit to be had when we slow down: we’re able to take control of our thought life.

1. Learn

Allow me to first paint with a broad stroke in order to capture the inherent strength of our thoughts. Quoting my friend and mentor, Dr. Caroline Leaf, she said, “Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking.” I’ll suss this out a bit. Our emotions affect our thoughts, and our thoughts, our emotions. Over time, thoughts compounded become beliefs. Thereafter, beliefs become behaviors. And behaviors eventually become our character. Drilling down on the subject, in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, the apostle Paul wrote a brilliant manifesto on neuroplasticity and the need to regularly audit our thought life:

“For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).”

Did you catch that? He said, “Inasmuch we refute all arguments, theories, and reasonings…” Understand that there are so many times we have reason to think and believe something, but it may not be true. However, the believed lie will become “true” for us by not renewing our mind by the truth of God’s Word and the aid of the Holy Spirit. I think this is exactly why anxious, foreboding thoughts of dread are often irrational, unexplainable, but so visceral. This is precisely why every thought must be submitted to and reflected against the truth. Pulling back the curtain even further, fueling our toxic thinking is a root of fear; most often, the fear of losing control. Fear, you see, creates “lofty things.” And if we don’t manage our internal world, it’ll eventually manage us and undermine our potential in life.

You’re probably thinking Great, Chris, but where do I begin? Well, for starters, you have to learn how to question the “reality” that exists in the space between your ears on a regular basis. What I mean by that is if you live in a world where you’re dominated and controlled by toxic, hopeless, destructive thinking, you’ll become imprisoned inside that destructive pattern. And it is for that reason I want to teach you my proprietary four-step method for auditing your thought life. It’s called S.E.E.D.

2. Apply

S.E.E.D. is a tool I developed a couple of years ago and has been invaluable for my own growth and the growth of clients and friends. Psychologists would categorize this exercise under an activity called metacognition, which, according to Nancy Chick of Vanderbilt University “…is, put simply, thinking about one’s thinking. More precisely, it refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance.” Each and every time you’re on the edge of entertaining an anxious thought, Friend, pause and employ the following exercise.

1. SECURE your fearful, anxious thought so it can’t run wild in your mind. Bring it to the forefront of your thinking. Become consciously aware of the accusatory statements in as much detail as possible. Often, a negative emotion will accompany the thought and will manifest as a physical sensation in your body. Don’t be intimidated. Press through. You must go to the source of that negative emotion in order to find freedom through the truth.
2. EXAMINE your fearful, anxious thought in order to discover and diagnose the root of any believed lies that are keeping the fear alive. Ask, “What’s the source of this thought?” and “When is the first time I felt this way?” The mind will only act on things it has already seen. Maybe a situation, interaction, or conversation jumpstarted the fear.
3. EXPOSE your fears to truth, more specifically the Truth of the Word of God. There’s no sense in denying what you’re thinking or feeling. Instead, even if there is factual evidence to support your fear, truth is always greater than fact. With the aid of the Holy Spirit, ask yourself, “What’s true about my purpose?” “What’s true about the circumstance?” And ask the Holy Spirit, “Lord, Who do You want to be for me right now in this experience?” Very importantly, when you find yourself stuck in a difficult spot in life, remember the faithfulness of the Lord in your past. Remember specific testimonies of His work in your life. Recall past victories. Write them down. See them. Speak them out loud. And then remind yourself of His promises to you.
4. DECIDE how you will respond and then act. Information without application won’t yield transformation. You can gather information and revelation about the roots of your anxious thoughts all day long, but until you act upon that newly found information, new neural pathways and subsequent new behaviors will not be created. And know this, transformation doesn’t occur in a day; it occurs daily.

Pro-tip: don’t do the four steps inside your mind. Monitor your thought life and your growth by writing down your experiences and findings. As my friend Ally Fallon says, there is power in writing things down.

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