Internal dialogue?

What's your "internal dialogue" like? Are your silent thoughts positive or negative? A little of both? Do you carry guilt for things that are out of your control to begin with? 
Lemme ask this: Do you block bad thoughts by praying right away? 
Do you think badly about yourself? Our thoughts seem to have a lot of power over how we feel and how we go through our day. So when we think negative thoughts about ourselves or carry guilt for things we can't change, it can affect our self esteem, confidence and even our social lives.
How is your thought life? Are you able to steer away from negative thoughts about yourself? What does the Bible say about our "thought lives"?

I definitely struggle with negative inner thoughts.  I always have.  Growing up poor and overweight brought a lot of negative words and deeds from others as I was picked on a lot.  After a while, you can only hear things so many times before you start to believe them.  It effects me quite a bit.

There are also things I have done in my past that I am not proud of.  Some of that guilt still hangs in my mind.

I try to renew my mind as that is one thing the scripture says.  We are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  We often teach in the church that we change the heart and the mind will follow, but the Bible seems to teach that changing the mind first causes the heart to follow.  Also, the word tells us to take every though captive to the obedience of Christ.  I haven't mastered this, and could definitely use any prayers anyone would like to give on my behalf.

Taking thoughts into captivity is hard to start but gets easier as you go.  When I realize my thoughts are in the wrong spot I say, "No."  I'll pray.  I'll ask myself why I'm dwelling on it.  As it goes, I've been able to head things off sooner than before.  By no means have I "arrived" but it's getting better in that head of mine.

You aren't alone, Jim.

I have both negative and positive thoughts.  But probably more negative thoughts as it seems I've been a negative person for at least the last 20 years.  I've always been a "glass half-full" kind of guy.  Expect the worst and you won't be disappointed. So I certainly need to wrangle a bunch of my thoughts as well.

It's good to talk and share about things like this, cuz sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy and have such trouble taking thoughts captive. I hear very negative things said in my head, terrible accusatory things and lots of guilt. But I've also been diagnosed as an obsessive, which is why I get something in my mind and cannot for the life of me get it out of my head. It's scary in my head sometimes   

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

It's good to talk and share about things like this, cuz sometimes I feel like I'm going crazy and have such trouble taking thoughts captive. I hear very negative things said in my head, terrible accusatory things and lots of guilt. But I've also been diagnosed as an obsessive, which is why I get something in my mind and cannot for the life of me get it out of my head. It's scary in my head sometimes   

When it comes to obsessive thought, we are polar opposites.  Oh, I may think about stuff a long time if it really bothers me.  I just can't hold a train of thought for a long time.  If not for the medicine I take, my mind would run around like a couple of yard dogs.  I get angry at myself when ai don't remember little things I should, but it is so hard to focus on what is going on around me.  I get overstimulated easily and have gotten to be a big homebody because being with other people wears me out.  Then, I feel crazy because I get lonely and I am the one that shut everyone else out.

Life is hard for everyone.

Quote :

If not for the medicine I take, my mind would run around like a couple of yard dogs.

I'm really hoping the newest RX he put me on will help. It's cool to hear that your medicine helps you

I am in the same boat as many as y'all. (Yes, I am an adopted Ozarker.) I have struggled all 54 of my years on planet earth with negative thoughts, impure ones, and other battle-scarring sins. Until 2014. Then the blessed Holy Spirit brought me to a crucial point where I made peace with my past and with my family. God abundantly began to heal me (see Psalm 51, et. al.,). Through the aid of a counselor, much therapy, and life-saving medication, I have embarked on a path of truest healing and daily deliverance. Because of other bodily chemical imbalances, I receive a monthly injection that also aids in physical and mental betterment. While the Lord may choose to heal us with a wave of His holy hand, I have discovered that more often than not, He uses flesh-and-blood persons to assist us. To Him be all glory, Thanksgiving, honor and praise!

God bless you all in your struggles. Please remember that He longs to hold us in His arms if we will desire His closeness, even through our pain and suffering. (It's so hard to write this without crying...and that's okay. ) I love you all so very much. This thread is both a form of holding church and worship. God bless and keep you all!

My thoughts are usually random. Normally I just "wonder". Sometimes it's almost as if I am a kid. Then if something has me stressed I think about whatever has me stressed. In those moments I find prayer difficult as those thoughts occupy my mind. So I just say "God you know what I need, help me". Sometimes it's the best I can do in a prayer. 

But I never think bad thoughts about myself. Mainly I wonder.... What music will I play on the way home? Do I want music or a MASH podcast today? I wonder what's for dinner? Did everyone have a good day at home? Did my older daughter have a good day at school and work? What will I watch on tv tonight?

See.... A day in the life of Mike. Pretty basic. In my mind I'm a 15 year old but I don't think about pretty females at my age anymore like I did when I was 15 

I plan to answer this in greater detail later, but this Far Side piece seemed fitting here.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f31/18/27/57/26/1f0f6a10.jpg

I struggle to with inner negativie thoughts.
I often think what I do is not good.
Special in the last months they negative things come back.

I ask God to take away the inner negative thoughts.
Sometimes they go awat.

At one day I was reading this"

Trust me by handing over the strings. Give them to me. Let go and know I'm God
Psalm 46:11 Be still, and know that I am God.

That's what I did that day. Giveing God all the strings in my life.

When I see new strings, I give them to God.

MikeInFla wrote:

In my mind I'm a 15 year old but I don't think about pretty females at my age anymore like I did when I was 15 

I haven't gotten over that yet, but do hold the thoughts in check much better.

BearDad wrote:

I plan to answer this in greater detail later, but this Far Side piece seemed fitting here.

https://i.servimg.com/u/f31/18/27/57/26/1f0f6a10.jpg

THAT made my day !!! LOL ! Thanks for sharing that

Mike, I think it's fantastic that you don't have negative thoughts that haunt you at times. 

While I don't subscribe to the old "Faith healer" idea of our "thoughts creating reality", there IS a strong connection to my negative thoughts and my anxiety levels, which manifest physically and can devastate me (to the worse case scenario) with panic attacks. So I really have to keep my internal dialogue in check and prevent any one thought from being obsessed over and ultimately causing physical illness due to a mental thought.  I often feel "fragile" with my tendency towards obsessive thoughts, and I hate that about my mind. I've considered therapy, but it would have to be with a psych Dr who is a Christian

We need to renew our minds.  The Lord is not going to do it for us.  For Him to do so would be abuse as it He'd be forcing His will upon us.  We have to change the way we think.  Granted, as believers, being washed and born again, our perspective changes and changing the way we think becomes a bit easier.

It's still hard as the "old man" is draggin' the lake for our past.

Xid wrote:

We need to renew our minds.  The Lord is not going to do it for us.  For Him to do so would be abuse as it He'd be forcing His will upon us.  We have to change the way we think.  Granted, as believers, being washed and born again, our perspective changes and changing the way we think becomes a bit easier.

It's still hard as the "old man" is draggin' the lake for our past.

Nice Guardian reference in that!

I thought it would be quite fitting.

It's good to hear that I'm not the only crazy, miserable sinner here.  Sometimes I certainly can't control those bad thoughts.

No I think you're the only "miserable" sinner, the rest of us are "rotten" sinners

Jim,

Saw the latest video. I predict you'll be back at some point! Always look forward to seeing your newest additions to the record collection.

MikeInFla wrote:

Jim,

Saw the latest video. I predict you'll be back at some point! Always look forward to seeing your newest additions to the record collection.

I'd love things to be like they were, seems everything has changed and isn't getting better. But I hope you're right, we'll see