How can I stop having negative thoughts?

How can I overcome negative thinking? We're going to answer that question. You can also discover more on GotQuestions .org.

Chronic negative thinking, depression, anxiety, and similar disorders are on the rise all over the world.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 40 million adults in the

U .S. are affected, which is nearly 20 % of the population. Of that number, many are professing

Christians. Fear seems to be a root cause of many of these problems. It's no wonder people are fearful in a world where it appears nothing is reliable.

It can be quite disturbing for a person to realize almost everything in this life is ultimately out of his control.

From the weather to his bank account balance, all the things people rely on for their security will sooner or later fail them.

But the Christian who confesses the sovereignty of an almighty God, who works all things for his good, has the antidote to negative thinking.

When a Christian's thinking is primarily negative, anxious, or doubtful, it's a sign of a serious lack of faith.

The author of Hebrews states, Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Jesus, when boating with his disciples during a terrible storm, asked them,

You of little faith, why are you so afraid? Those who struggle with negative thinking should do the same thing they would do with any other sin, confess it, and make every effort to change the behavior.

Prayer is a key part of overcoming negativity. Jesus taught that prayer should include praise to the

Father and a focus on his holiness. As we pray with thanksgiving, we focus on the blessings we have received and leave no room for negative thoughts.

Daily Bible reading, particularly studies that focus on the promises of God, are of great help in overcoming negative thinking.

It's helpful to remember that no matter how dismal the present circumstances, Christians have been promised

God's love and victory in Christ. The scriptures are bursting with admonitions from God to his people to overcome fear and doubt.

Over 350 commands to fear not. As a matter of fact, the one verbal encouragement

Jesus gives more than any other is a call to fearless living. The struggle against negative thinking is a battle for the mind.

In Philippians 4 .8, the Apostle Paul implicitly teaches that we can control what we think about.

When a negative thought comes, the thinker who has the mind of Christ has the ability to push it out of the mind and replace it with godly thoughts.

This takes practice, but with persistence, it gets easier. In our spiritual warfare, we've been given the helmet of salvation, spiritual armor for the mind.

As long as Christians live in a fearful, stressful world, negative thoughts will come.

We have the option of either stamping out those thoughts or nurturing them. The good news is, negative thoughts can be replaced with positive ones, and the more that godly substitution takes place, the more peace and joy we can experience.

That answers the question, how can I overcome negative thinking? On our website, GotQuestions .org,

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