September 12, 2022
Positive Thinking-Get your week started off right!
What are some bible verses for positive thinking?
The Bible is jam packed with verses that will help you completely change your entire thought process. You will go from thinking negatively about everything to seeing the brighter side of all things. It really begins with the renewal of your mind, but you have to be consistent and intentional about the time that you are spending in the Lord’s Word.
Some Bible verses that will help you alter your way of thinking are:
- Romans 8:28-“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
- Philippians 4:6-“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
- Philippians 4:13-“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
- Deuteronomy 31:6-“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
- John 14:27-“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:3-5-“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.”
- Isaiah 43:2-“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
Take the time out every day this week to meditate on one of these scriptures. Proclaim them over your life, memorize them, and study them. That way when negative thoughts try to creep into your mind, the Lord will bring these scriptures to your remembrance!
This Week’s positive message: Leave the past in the past!
In order to move forward in life, you cannot sit and linger on the past. What that does is: prevents you from healing, prevents you from having healthy relationships, and it causes unnecessary drama in your life. The enemy loves to take your vulnerable emotions and apply pressure to them! So he will plant thoughts in your mind that will make you reflect on those traumatic moments making it difficult for you to get past them.
If you are not aware of the enemy’s devices and how he operates you will allow those thoughts to take root and become strongholds. As Christians we are given every tool that we need to fight against our adversary and one of those Tools is the Word of God. The Lord tells us in 2 Corinthians 10:5 that we are to cast down every single thought, argument, and anything else that is contrary to the Scriptures and bring them into captivity or custody to the obedience of Christ. What that means is that we are to extinguish the darts that the devil is throwing in our direction by the authority that Jesus Christ has given us.
This will prevent us from dwelling on harmful situations that have happened in our past that are hindering us from moving forward. The last thing that you want to do is go into a new season of your life lugging around dead weight! You deserve to have healthy relationships with a rejuvenated mind-set and no unnecessary barriers in the way!
What does the bible say about forgetting the past and moving forward?
There are many references in the Bible that explain how the Lord feels about you dwelling in the past. One of the main reasons that God does not encourage us to look in our rear view mirror is because it hinders the Purpose that He has in store for our lives.
Imagine that you are trying to catch a flight at the airport and you’re running late, but you have so much luggage that you’re carrying with you that it’s hard to move at a rapid pace. If all you had was exactly what you needed for your journey then it would make things so much easier for you to get to your destination!
That is exactly how your spirit feels when it is trying to hold on to past trauma, past toxic relationships, and even prior offenses. It will weigh you down spiritually. The Lord needs you focused, ready, and in a good head space so that you can do what He has called you to do efficiently. Remember, He didn’t just save you for you; there are people attached to your salvation that need you to help save them!
Here are some verses of scripture that will give you more of an insight about the Lord’s view on living in the past:
Philippians 3:13-14-“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The Apostle Paul is explaining how important it is not to look behind you but to remain facing forward on the task ahead of you. In order to stay laser focused on the award (or prize) that the Lord has in store for you, you cannot have any distractions. Paul understood the significance of keeping his mind clear and concentrated. He couldn’t afford to glance back and neither can you!
Isaiah 43:18-19-“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”
Here the prophet Isaiah is explaining to us that we do not want to dwell on former things. Why? The reason that the Lord does not want any one of us to remain stuck in previous circumstances is because He wants to do something new in our lives continuously. We are not to stay stagnant; He wants us growing faith to faith and glory to glory, 2 Corinthians 3:18. That is how we evolve as Christians ready for the new things that the Lord has planned for our lives.
2 Corinthians 5:17-“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
When you become a born again Christian, everything that was done before the moment that you accepted Jesus Christ into your heart is now in the past. You are no longer the same. In this verse we can see that the Lord is pretty clear that “all” things become brand new and you are now a new creation living your life for the Lord Jesus Christ. That means that you don’t have to allow your past to create barriers for your present or your future!
How do I move forward from the past?
One of the main ways that you can move forward from your past is if you begin to consume the Word of God. Never understate the power of the Holy Scriptures! Hebrews 4:12 is crystal clear when it states, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The Bible has the ability to change the way that you think about yourself and your circumstances.
The main thing that you want to keep in mind is in order for that to work you have to remain consistent. I can’t express that enough! When I was going through one of the most difficult times in my life the enemy kept trying to convince me that reading the Lord’s Word was not going to help me. It was one of his devices that he was using to try to trick me to keep me bound. The more I began to consume the Bible, the more spiritual strength I started to develop. You have to keep pressing in to God and His Word and I guarantee you that you will begin to see your mind-set entirely change.
Romans 12:2 states, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” How does one go about transforming his or her mind? You have to get into His Word! When the devil tries to remind you of your past trauma, your painful relationship, or that one offense that you just can’t let go of; you remind him of God’s Word. That is and will always be your double-edged Sword, Hebrews 4:12.
Don’t revisit closed chapters
When you are attempting to leave the past in the past it is crucial that you close previous chapters and keep them closed! There is no way that you can move forward when you keep trying to rehash periods in your life that the Lord shut for a reason. He knows what’s best for you. So, if He is removing someone from your life or convicting you for holding unforgiveness, it is for a reason. He wants to see us living our lives abundantly, John 10:10. If your current circumstance is preventing that from happening, He will try to take you out of that situation. There are several examples of closed chapters that do not need to be reopened.
For instance:
When you make it a point to keep in contact with your exes, it is naturally going to cause you to reflect on harmful memories. How are you going to get over him or her if you are ready to drop everything for them the moment they send you a text or dial your number? You need to delete every form of contact that you had with them in such a way that you wouldn’t be able to get a hold of them if you wanted to.
The enemy knows how to use the people around you to keep you distracted from moving forward with Purpose. He’ll plant thoughts in your head that will keep you fixated on that one person that you just can’t get over. Before you know it, you’ll be right back in the same toxic relationship that the Lord delivered you from only to pick up where you left off. Your end result is more hurt and more pain when that could have been easily prevented had you left the past in the past!
Another example of how you can open closed chapters is by dwelling on old offenses. You are still harboring animosity for your family member, a friend, your spouse, or even your children over something that happened so long ago that you can’t even remember the details of the incident. All you know is they did you wrong, they need to pay, and you are not going to let it go.
The thing that you fail to realize is that you are harming yourself more than anyone else. Holding on to unforgiveness is one of the main open doorways that the enemy uses to come into your life and wreak havoc. Matthew 6:15 says, “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Basically the Lord is warning us that if we fail to forgive those that have done us wrong; He will not forgive us for the wrong that we’ve committed. That is not a place that you want to be in, trust and believe!
Use this week to reflect on anything in your past that you are still holding onto that is preventing you from progressing in life. Often times, there are things hidden that we don’t even realize until we take a moment to stop and think. Ask the Lord to bring anything to light that needs to be put in the past so that it can stay there. You deserve healthy relationships and a positive mindset so that you can move forward with Purpose!
If you missed the previous Positive Messages, no worries I am linking them below:
Positive Thinking: Get Your Week Started Right! September 6, 2022
Positive Thinking: Get Your Week Started Right! August 28, 2022
Positive Thinking: Get Your Week Started Right! August 22, 2022
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