“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope …” Lamentations 3:21 (ESV)

I had survived the worst stomach bug of my life. My weak and dehydrated body eventually recovered, but my thoughts couldn’t seem to do the same. For months, I would imagine getting sick again. Fear and worry had taken up residence in my brain with no plans to leave.

What do we do when negative thoughts threaten to take over?

In his suffering, the writer of Lamentations said, “My soul continually remembers it” (Lamentations 3:20, ESV). Negative thoughts are like a ride at the fair, spinning around and around — except this worry wheel isn’t fun and doesn’t plan to stop.

Then the poet made one small shift in a different direction: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope …” (Lamentations 3:21).

That verse changes everything. It says God doesn’t leave us helpless to spiral in negative thoughts. We can direct our brains to choose a different path. We can “call to mind” hope (Lamentations 3:21) and train our brains toward better thought patterns.

What might this look like for us today? Lamentations says:

• We can recall the “steadfast love of the LORD,” which “never ceases” (Lamentations 3:22, ESV). Worry has no memory of good moments. It skips the times God was faithful to us in the past. So to fight back, we can deliberately recall the goodness of God in our past and proclaim it for our future.
• We can ground ourselves in the present. Our minds get stuck when we dwell on the past or fixate on the future, but God’s mercies are “new every morning” (Lamentations 3:23, ESV). They are for us today. Maybe you can try saying what you're sensing: “I see the trees God made, feel my sweater, hear birds singing …” Maybe when your thoughts begin to spiral, you switch to your alphabetical gratitude list: I’m thankful for apples, blankets, coffee … We can train our brains to come back to today and look for God’s goodness here.
• We can declare our eternal reality: “The LORD is my portion” (Lamentations 3:24, ESV). We always have Jesus, both in this life and eternity. Even if the worst does happen, our future remains secure. Sometimes we have to look that spiraling thought in the eyes and say to it, Jesus is my portion. He was, is and always will be enough for me. And you, worry, have no place here. We can fight fear confidently because in Jesus, heaven is already ours.

It is OK to come before God with our honest thoughts and feelings. He loves us and wants to help us step off the spinning wheel of worry, fear or negative memories. When we do step off that ride, standing on the solid ground of God’s Truth feels oh so good.

God in heaven, how great and kind You are. You know how my thoughts can get stuck in a negative loop, pulling me down. Thank You for providing me with tools to retrain my brain to come back to You. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

OUR FAVORITE THINGS

The cycle is exhausting: seeing glimpses of goodness and trusting that God will come through, only for things not to work out … again! In these raw and painful seasons, most of us don't want to admit to feeling upset, disappointed or angry, especially when it's toward God. That's why we want to invite you to our next study … Can I Be Honest? How To Process and Express Your Emotions in a Biblical Way, A Study of the Book of Lamentations. This study is your permission to feel your feelings while still keeping your eyes on Jesus: the greatest hope we have. Click here to order your copy, and join us on February 26 in the free First 5 mobile app.

ENGAGE

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FOR DEEPER STUDY

2 Corinthians 10:5, “… take every thought captive to obey Christ …” (ESV).

When negative thoughts enter your mind today, what is one thing you can do to redirect your brain back to the Truth of God and His Word? Share with us in the comments!

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