My dad used to live in Hawaii in a high rise apartment. I think he used to live on the 10th floor or something. When I was a kid, we used to go there and visit in the summer. One of things I remember is that even on the 10th floor of an apartment building, that if you left the smallest amount of food out, it would be infested with ants.
Pretty disgusting to wake up in the morning to a swarm of ants on the counter. As a precaution, we used to bag up all the food, and make sure to clean up really good after every meal. It really kept the ants down. The tiniest precaution, of paying attention to what we did kept the insects from taking over the place.
There is a different type of Ants I'd like to help you control today. They are called Automatic Negative Thoughts. Those are the biggest ANTs in the world, and one that we all must get rid of. If not, they will consume you and your mind.
I'm sure you have an ANT infestation at some point or another. I'm not sure what triggers those thoughts, they just seem to come out of nowhere. When we least expect it. These are the thoughts that tell us that we are dumb, worthless, failures, and the like. The thoughts that plague and destroy the essence of who we are.
To be able to live, we must destroy them and not allow them to take root in our minds. But how do we do that?
A scripture verse that I've shared before that is so powerful is Romans 12:2 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
What does that mean? Two things for me- number one, that my mind can be transformed, and number two, that my mind can be renewed. Apparently there is a way to have my mind changed. To get those ANTs out of my head.
So what to do? Attack the ANTs- when those thoughts come in, tell them they are not true, and quote scripture back at them- such as
Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you
Romans 8:38-39 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord
God has not created you to torture you all day long with negative thoughts. Negative thoughts are a tool of the Devil to keep you from living in victory. Don't allow him to do it. Beat that dude up with scripture and show him who is boss.
Be blessed, and kill the ANTs
matt
Great Blog Pastor Matt,I'm suprised no one gave feedback . I'll try to find the right words for what my heart wants to share please understand I'm not being negative here but we have to have just a little bit of negativity that God can show himself strong like in our automobiles if we disconect the battery cable from the negative side guess what, we will not get very far. I feel alot of negative thoughts come with unforgiveness whether it is some one we need to forgive or ourselves if we don'nt take care of the hurt and allow the Lord to take it from us and recieve his grace it only leads to a more negative attitude in our selves and toward others and keeps the love of God that was given to us to flow freely and to share with others as he intended it to be Luv ya Brother Mark
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