I’ve heard it said you get to choose what is in your head. In other words, you alone have the power to choose which thoughts to think.
No one can make you think what they want you to think. Oh, they can try to influence you; but in the end you have the superpower of choosing your thoughts.
Don’t give unwanted thoughts valuable real estate
My hubby’s Grandma Effie used to say, *“Thoughts are like birds. They can fly at your head; but you don’t have to let them build a nest in your hair.”
So true!
Replace bad with good
When bad thoughts come, why not replace them with good things?
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.
Philippians 4:8 New Living Translation
Fix your thoughts on what is true,
and honorable, and right,
and pure, and lovely, and admirable.
Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
You are what you think
If you keep thinking about all the ways you have messed up, all your inadequacies, the many times you didn’t do your best, then more of the same is on the way.
If you are a child of God, keep telling your self you are of a chosen generation with a Father who guides you and that goodness and mercy are pursuing you. (See 1 Peter 2:9 and Psalm 23).
It’s not a magical formula, but it is much more motivating and energizing to think that way. Scripture tells us we are what we think.
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
Proverbs 23:7a NASB 1995
*I have since learned Grandma’s saying was very similar to this quote from Martin Luther: “Temptations, of course, cannot be avoided, but because we cannot prevent the birds from flying over our heads, there is no need that we should let them nest in our hair.” [Quotefancy]
This post was written in response to the prompt “choose” chosen by the Five Minute Friday community. You can read other great responses here. (In the interest of full disclosure, I did write my post in 5 minutes, but adding headings, scriptures and graphics took longer.)
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