Has your thinking ever spiraled out of control? Of course it has! You’re human. Who hasn’t had their thoughts get away from them? Most of the time when this happens it isn’t a good thing. I mean, when was the last time your thoughts spiraled with joy? Unfortunately, many of us spend way too much time allowing this to happen just kind of assuming that we have no control over it. We know that we are supposed to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), but come on. Every thought?
In her book, “Getting Out Of Your Head: Stopping the Spiral of Toxic Thought” Jennie Allen helps us do just that. She reminds us of what the Apostle Paul told us thousands of years ago. Check out what he said.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.
One of the most important battles we will ever fight is in our own head. But as seemingly impossible as it seems to win this battle, God has not left us alone. Jennie Allen reminds us that God is with us and the simple fact that we are told to renew our minds (Romans 12:3) means that it is possible to control our thinking. Personally, one of the most helpful reminders that Jennie gives is the simple reality that WE get to decide what we are thinking. When toxic thoughts threaten my mind, the thing I need to remember is “I control what I think.”
The second section of the book is incredibly practical. It outlines seven choices that we can make to take down the enemy of our minds. Choices like being still with God, choosing to live in community and be FULLY known, choosing to delight in God and making the choice to be grateful. (No, that isn’t all seven. This isn’t Sparknotes.) You may be tempted to think these choices are simple and cliche, but the reality is they are foundational to winning the battle of our mind. Jennie reminds us that these are foundational truths for a reason. They are vital. And when we consistently make these decisions, we re-wire, we re-build, we RENEW our minds with the promises of God. Which is a much better way to live.