Green Thoughts Want to really "think green" -Click here to see the kinds of thoughts we should be having.
What are we supposed to be thinking about?
Consider your mind like U S Customs– each thought must besequestered & reviewed.They must be deemed acceptable to God’s way of thinking before they are allowed to enter our brains and become part of us.
Remember Philippians 4:8 (AMP)
For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome andand excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and gracious, if there is any virtue take account of these things [fix your minds on them].
A breakdown of the meaning of each of those things we are to fix our minds on:
True=Consistent with fact or reality; not false or erroneous. Reverence=honor or respect felt or shown. Honorable= characterized by integrity : guided by a high sense of honor and duty. Seemly=conventionally proper. Just=guidedbytruth,reason,justice,andfairness: doneormadeaccordingtoprinciple;equitable;proper; inkeepingwithtruthorfact;true;correct. Pure= unmixed with any other matter; free from harshness or roughness and being in tune. Lovely=eliciting love by moral or ideal worth. Lovable= having qualities that attract affection. Kind=ofagoodorbenevolentnatureordisposition,asaperson:akindandlovingperson; indulgent,considerate,orhelpful;humane, mild;gentle;clement:kindweather. Winsome=generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence, cheerful, lighthearted. Gracious=marked by kindness and courtesy: graceful:marked by tact and delicacy. Virtue=conformityofone'slifeandconducttomoralandethicalprinciples;uprightness;chastity;virginity:toloseone'svirtue,aparticularmoral excellence. Excellent=possessingoutstandingqualityorsuperiormerit;remarkablygood. Praiseworthy=deserving of praise; commendable.
5. Trespassing thoughts=Jealous, envy, (see judgment, critical)- (beware cause this is where gossip comes from). Mind your own business, Keep your focus off others and on God.
6. Confused thoughts—confusion comes from Satan.
7. Nagging Negative thoughts
Did you know? When you get offended:
The love of God gets dimmer,
because being offended
makes us more miserable
than the other person
Offended, Bitter, Unforgiving Mind-This is a partner to the Me-Me Mind. Dwelling in the offenses that we perceive others have done to us really keeps "us on our minds". Bitterness and un-forgiveness are extremely detrimental to a close walk with God. Unforgiveness relates to God-mindedness on the part of the person who harbors bitterness because in exhibits a mindset that says "your standards for others is higher than God's standards for you" if God can forgive than we can. We are humans and humans make mistakes. Generally speaking, people don't intentionally set out to hurt other people, they are just caught up in their own selfish world and in the process of this they hurt others and specifically you. Truth be told we are all guilty of this. We have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23) thus to hold others up to a higher standard than we hold ourselves or than God holds us is a sin... Forgivness for others by us is not a choice but rather it's mandated by God. This topic is so important an entire page will be dedicated to this subject. Get over offenses, don't let these offensive seeds take root and grow into bitter plants of un-forgiveness.
A Lying Mind- Honesty is always the best policy. Remember that self deception is lying also. But it is much worse than other lies because you are lying to yourself. Find a way to work through the pain of your past instead of re-writing your story be honest with yourself. Ask God to help you identify self-deception in your life and to help you be honest with yourself and others in your life.
Manipulative Mind-This is a mind set that seems to come quite naturally. This is very serious because it manifest itself in several ways (see below).
First of all what is manipulation?
Manipulation is a set of behaviors whose goal is to:
* Get you what you want from others even when the others are not willing initially to give it to you.
* Make it seem to others that they have come up with an idea or offer of help on their own when in reality you have worked on them to promote this idea or need for help for your own benefit.
* Dishonestly get people to do or act in a way which they might not have freely chosen on their own.
* "Con" people to believe what you want them to believe as true.
* Get "your way" in almost every interaction you have with people, places or things.
* Present reality the way you want others to see it rather than the way it "really is."
* Hide behind a "mask" and let people see you in an acceptable way when in reality you are actually feeling or acting in an "unacceptable" way for these people.
* Maintain control and power over others even though they think they have the control and power.
* Make other people feel sorry for you even though it would be better for them to make you accept your personal responsibility for your own actions.
* Get away with not having to do the things necessary to meet your obligations, responsibilities and duties in life.
* Involve everyone in your life's problems so that you do not have to face the problems alone.
* Keep everything the same so that the status quo is not affected or changed.
* Make others feel guilty or responsible for actions or thoughts which are yours alone.
* Get others to feel like they are responsible for your welfare so that you do not have to make a decision or take responsibility for anything that goes wrong in your life.
Below is a test that you can take to find out if you are an manipulative person.
Manipulative Behavior Inventory
Directions: If you currently use any of the following behaviors in your relationships with people in your life, mark "yes."
___ yes ___ no ( 1) Play the victim
___ yes ___ no ( 2) Play the martyr
___ yes ___ no ( 3) Act helpless
___ yes ___ no ( 4) Play stupid
___ yes ___ no ( 5) Act incompetent
___ yes ___ no ( 6) Act angry
___ yes ___ no ( 7) Throw temper tantrums
___ yes ___ no ( 8) Say "anything you want" when you don't mean it
___ yes ___ no ( 9) Act compliant when you don't want to
___ yes ___ no (10) Lie about how you feel
___ yes ___ no (11) Act lost
___ yes ___ no (12) Act suicidal
___ yes ___ no (13) Act hopeless and pathetic
___ yes ___ no (14) Act depressed
___ yes ___ no (15) Act befuddled or confused
___ yes ___ no (16) Tell stories or fabrications
___ yes ___ no (17) Use hyperbole or exaggeration to build up problems
___ yes ___ no (18) Act as a "wedge" between people keeping them divided against one another
___ yes ___ no (19) Act judgmental or shame people
___ yes ___ no (20) Use guilt trips
___ yes ___ no (21) Use ridicule
___ yes ___ no (22) "Cry wolf"
___ yes ___ no (23) "Looking good" for the other
___ yes ___ no (24) People pleasing
___ yes ___ no (25) Passive aggressiveness
___ yes ___ no (26) Act hurt or wounded
___ yes ___ no (27) Act ignored or forgotten
___ yes ___ no (28) Act unloved or uncared for
___ yes ___ no (29) Blame others for your problems
___ yes ___ no (30) Kiss up
___ yes ___ no (31) Act overly solicitous
___ yes ___ no (32) Ingratiate yourself with others
___ yes ___ no (33) Exaggerated sincerity
___ yes ___ no (34) Overly charming
___ yes ___ no (35) Act "out of it"
___ yes ___ no (36) Act "sorry" for your bad behaviors
___ yes ___ no (37) Insincere promising of change or reformation of behaviors
___ yes ___ no (38) Act as if you don't have value or worth
___ yes ___ no (39) Keep everybody upset to keep focus off you
___ yes ___ no (40) Keep people around you in competitive relationships
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:2-6 (NASB)
Its Time to Think about What You are Thinking About! It all starts here. Our thoughts become our words. As you know words have creative power, after all God spoke the world into existence. We are told to keep our hearts pure, the way we do that is by considering our thoughts. Maybe you are like me, I just want to know; what should I be thinking about and what kinds of thoughts should be banished from my brain.
I have identified some thoughts that shouldn't be given a second thought. As well as thoughts we should entertain. Remember our brains have been polluted with un-spiritual, ungodly thinking for years, we can and must reprogram our brains with godly thoughts that are conducive to peaceful living and thus lead to healthy lives. This process requires us to renew our minds with scriptures instead of faulty thinking. For additional understanding of how powerful our thoughts are we recommend that you read "Battlefield of the Mind" by author Joyce Meyer.
Withdrawn, Reality escaping, Denying Mind- This type of mind involves the worse kind of lie, self deception. This is the sure fire way to madness, you can ruin your life and lose your mind by refusing to deal with reality!
When you put your head in the sand and pretend (lie to yourself) that everything is okay, you are setting yourself up for disaster. It is better that you face reality and deal with issues as they occur. By doing this you will avoid the avalanche of troubles that is sure to befall individuals that have a withdrawn, reality escaping and denying mind.
TrespassingMind- Other People's Backyards.
Other people's lives are none of our business by the same token what others think of us is none of our business. We need to remember that people are entitled to their own opinions. We can't control what people think BUT we can control what we think. If we are focused on others we are not remembering our own boundaries (see the Boundaries section for clarity).
Consider the illustration of a neighborhood, each person in our world is a house & yard within that neighborhood. Their lives, personal business and opinions and responsibilities are in their lot lines in this neighborhood. It is difficult to imagine that we would walk into our neighbor's yard and tell them that we didn't care for their choice of patio furniture or how how much or little time they were spending with their family. Our opinions about the lives of others is not something we need to express unless we are solicited to do so. Peoples lives are not our concern when it comes to their personal business or individual responsibilities. By the same token neither should we presume that peoples opinions of us is a matter that we have the power to control.
A sure way to loose your peace is by allowing yourself to have a trespassing mind. If every time you go in your neighbor's back yard you find that your thoughts become aggravated and frustrated, thus causing you to lose your peace then you need to get a clue, and stay out of your neighbor's yard. We need to mind our own business. It is helpful to study boundaries (see the link below or go to the Boundaries page).
Being jealous or envious of somebody else or their possessions means you are trespassing. When you become focused on another person's life, you lose focus for your life. Therefore, you can't get anywhere when you are jealous or when you envy the lives and possessions of others. We are instructed to focus on our own business. Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!" (John 21:18-22)
Being judgmental and critical is also trespassing- not only trespassing against the person whom you are judging but also trespassing against God. (see judgment, critical)-
Frustrated thoughts- are also trespassing thoughts. The next time you are frustrated ask yourself; if you're frustrated because you are trying to do something that is out of your control? Is the situation you are facing your problem or does it belong to another person? If it is out of your control then you are trespassing in God's backyard because it is a problem that only He can handle. If you are frustrated because you are trying to make something happen in the life of another person then you need to understand that IT is God that must work this out according to His will. In this case you need to release your frustration and let go and let God. It's a freeing process and certain to aid to your maintaining peace in your life.
Beware of trespassing thoughts because this is where gossip (very dangerous) comes from. Remember don't use other people as your standard. Jesus is our only standard. Additionally, when you compare yourself to others- it's trespassing.
Be sure to check out the Boundaries Page for additional information to help you determine where your yard ends and your neighbors begins or where you, as a person end and another individual begins. Above all, just say "no" to trespassing thoughts. You have the power to control these thoughts and keep your focus off others and on God.
Consider the illustration of a neighborhood, each person in our world is a house & yard within that neighborhood. Their lives, personal business, opinions and responsibilities are in their lot lines in this neighborhood. It is difficult to imagine that we would walk into our neighbor's yard and tell them that we didn't care for their choice of patio furniture or how how much or little time they were spending with their family. Our opinions about the lives of others is not something we need to express unless we are solicited to do so. Peoples lives are not our concern when it comes to their personal business or individual responsibilities. By the same token neither should we presume that peoples opinions of us is something we can control.
You can't choose the thoughts that come into your mind, but you can choose the ones you allow to stay there.
Expectant Mind -When it comes to the people we encounter each day we should not expect that others should act a certain way, if we do then we have an expectant mind. This is a no-no because, we can't place our expectations on people especially those whom we are not in relationship with (strangers and other people we encounter each day). There is no way the people we meet will and should behave the way we want them to. To expect this is a snare of the devil to prepare you for the next visitor-ANGER.
You can set parameters as guidelines for yourself, but they are YOUR guidelines not another person's.Other people are not your problem you can’t force your expectations on them, only God can. We should be aware that in our close relationships we can and should communicate our feelings and desires to each other. This should be done in the absence of anger.
Angry Mind– WATCH OUT for this one because it has pride written all over it. Unforgiving, bitter, hostility, vengeful.FORGIVE PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY- forgiveness should be a part of your lifestyle—(see love) to avoid the nastiness that comes with unforgiveness (bitterness, hostility, vengeful)
Unforgiveness is pride based cause it says “How dare them do that to me, I will show them".
Anger is very dangerous, becauseyour anger is an open invitation to God to step in at any moment and judge you.All hell breaks loose once I begin to judge another.It means then and there I have lost control and have broken the sixth commandment (Thou shall not kill).
The next time you begin to lose your temper, remember, in that moment you should be saying, "God, I am right now being subject to judgment; come and judge me". (R.T. Kendall, Grace)
BAD TEMPER, impatient, anger– don’t be in bondage listen for the Holy Spirit—when He tells you to “SHUT UP” do it.
MEME Mind– (Pride) Selfish people can never be happy.They are always thinking of the world from their own personal perspective.Remember that even when you dwell on offenses it is selfish.
If someone offends or hurts you let it go.Watch out for how much you are on your mind.
Also, watch out for self pity cause it is perverse it is the inversion of compassion.Avoid it.
Passive Mind-A passive mind doesn't control the thoughts that come into it. This mind is in la-la land. Not caring where, when or how. This mind just goes with the flow. Remember that passive is the opposite of active and that empty space is a place.
Ephesians 4:27 (AMP) 27 Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].
Matthew 12:43-46 (AMP) 43 But when the unclean spirit has gone out of a man, it roams through dry [arid] places in search of rest, but it does not find any. 44 Then it says, I will go back to my house from which I came out. And when it arrives, it finds the place unoccupied, swept, put in order, and decorated. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and make their home there. And the last condition of that man becomes worse than the first. So also shall it be with this wicked generation. 46 Jesus was still speaking to the people when behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to Him.
Forget the Past!
Will you worry and choose death?
Or Cast your cares and choose life?
Critical Mind/ Judgmental Mind-PRIDE Based
Matthew 7:18-20 (AMP) Critical=18 A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. 20 Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.
Jesus taught His disciples not to be judgmental or critical toward the minor faults of others but rather to use the opportunity of noticing sin in the life of another to take a closer look at their own life. If disciples do this, they will find areas of their own life which need to be developed. In this way, the awareness of sin in the life of another leads disciples to love them rather than to criticize them. Hence they will grow spiritually so that they can better minister to their needs (Matt 7:1-5). (Towns, Elmer, A Journey Through the New Testament, pg.82)
Judgmental People are trying to cover their own weaknesses.Judging others before they judge you.If you choose to be judgmental you will find things in people to judge.
Your opinions are useless and hurtful, they hurt you cause you are eating your words (negativity), they hurt the person hearing your words & they hurt the person that they are about, most of all they hurt God.You are judging Him when you judge his servants.
We are all part of one family- God's family.He wants us to love and protect people not judge them.
Don't judge and criticize others when they don't measure up to your standards instead think about how you measure up to Jesus.
If you judge, you are going to be judged. And so, when He says that if you are angry you are subject to judgment, meaning that your anger is an open invitation to God to step in at any moment and judge you. All hell breaks loose once I begin to judge another. It means then and there I have lost control and have broken the sixth commandment (Thou shall not kill). So the next time you begin to lose your temper, remember, in that moment you should be saying, "God, I am right now being subject to judgment; come and judge me". (Grace, RT Kendall pg. 147)
A Tempted Mind- Forget this one, if you have thoughts that are sinful, don't even think about it! Move on to something else, if it means walking away and leaving a situation then go.Remember you can't hide from God He is everywhere (omnipresent) and He see's everything (omniscient).
If your tempting thoughts are about secret things that you have to hide to do, then guess what? They're sinful.When you sneak off to do them, you have a problem causeremember God is watching you.Dismiss tempting thoughts on their onset. Counter them with godly thoughts.
Irresponsible Blame Shifting Mind- Take responsibility for your actions, face up and fix it.Everyone makes mistakes learn from them and move on.Remember - Face up, fix it-shift the blame, remain the same.Your problems will just keep coming back to you.
Anxious Mind/Troubled Mind- Anxious thoughts =worry, fear, doubt,
Troubled thoughts = doubt -guilt, condemnation.Worry = feeling uneasy, troubled,
anxious, distressed & concerned.
It’s torment and it’s negative.
Cast your care -focus on God.
Pray and Praise.
Doubt=Trust God Have faith.
Guilt & Condemnation- forget the past.Confess & repent from your sins receive God's forgiveness, Forget it and move ON.Live in the present. FEAR=Absents of God.
You can’t control others you can only control yourself.Annoying & frustrating people are part of life.It's best not to allow them on your radar screen.
Think about how ridiculous it is for a dog to chase after every annoying squirrel he sees, he spends his time & energy being bothered abouta squirrel he will never eradicate—cause there will always be another one right after it.
It’s pointless, and useless.Learn to ignore annoying people cause you will spend your life frustrated and angry.You can’t control the squirrels that continually come into your yard, but you can learn to ignore them, and pray for them, but best of all you can learn to not allow them on your radar screen.
There is an important element that needs to be considered and that is the fact that many of the people that you may find annoying are the ones that are closest to you. If this is the case then it is best to approach them and lovingly communicate your frustration. Pray to God for His help in making godly changes in your loved ones and to help you develop patience while you wait for Him to do a work in them. Most importantly, remember that you can't change other people.
Suspicious/Paranoid Mind-It is wise to be aware of peoples motives. We must not allow our suspicious nature to negatively affect our feelings about everyone.An overly suspicious nature can poison your mind and affect your ability to love and accept other people.
Being overly suspicious in our thinking leads to a critical mind. Be balanced and when it comes to other people it is best to ask God for His discernment to help guide and influence you.
Fearing Dreadful Mind-Proverbs 15:15 (AMP) 15 All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].
The unexplained feelingthat something gloomy is around you.Or that something dreadful is about to happen.This is not based on true circumstances or a real situation.
Do not expect something bad to happen instead be aggressively expecting something good to happen. Reject and dismiss fear and dreadful thoughts as they will poison your outlook.Don't let your past tragedies allow fear and dread to poison your present .Instead let go of what is past, move on, apply God's Word to your life and circumstances.
Arrogant people want recognition, they want to be first, to be noticed. They are often impatient with other people because they possess thoughts such as; "I am special", " I am great","see me"
These are pride -based thoughts. We are not the one that is responsible for the blessings of our attributes such as; our gifts, talents, attractiveness or abilities.God is the giver, we are only recipients.Arrogant, high-minded people are always on the defensive and don't like to be corrected.Often you will find them to be Pharisee like in that they lecture and preach for hours on end trying to convince others that they are right, everyone needs to change but them.The sad part about individuals that are arrogant and high minded is that they are not happy and since they are not happy the lack the capability and/or desire to make others happy.
Further we need to remember, that if we are good at something it is cause God equipped us with the ability and the gifts to be good at what we do.
Warning: High-Mindedness tends to lead to thoughts that are critical and judgmental.
Wandering and Wondering Mind-Discipline your mind to keep focused on what your priorities are. Take your thoughts captive, think about what your thinking about.
Lack of concentration causes a lack of comprehension.
If you are having a problem with concentration, take a break, leave the distractions.Confront your wandering mind and discipline it to focus on what is important.
Confused, Indecisive Over-Thinking Mind-
Double-mindedness causes inner confusion and frustration. Remember confusion is from the enemy.
James 1:5-6 (AMP) 5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and un-grudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him. 6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who.wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
When you to make a decision seek God's Word and counsel through prayer, let the spirit lead you, follow peace, make a decision and stick with it. When we over think or over reason things we are basically meditating on them.Our minds seem to be prone to do this, this feature makes it easy for us to meditate on what we are supposed to meditate on which is God's Word.The next time you find yourself over-thinking a situation swap it out for Scripture that relates to the situation instead.Over sensitive minds are based in pride cause it's selfish, cause it keeps us focused on our own standpoint. Dr. Cloud's book on Boundaries offers assistance in the decision-making process.
