Happy Friday!

What a week of study this has been! If you are behind, no worries! Stopping the spiral of toxic thoughts takes some time to process. You are right where you need to be.

This week, we tore down the toxic spirals of fear, cynicism and anger. We replaced them with choices that reflect on the greatness of God. Those are:

• I choose to surrender my fears to God.
• I choose to delight in God.
• I choose to serve God and others.

Let’s chat about each choice and how we can see God’s work through us.

The first choice this week was choosing to surrender our fears to the Lord. In Get Out of Your Head, author Jennie Allen goes into detail on how our fears can create not only emotional turmoil but physical turmoil as well.

How do you physically feel when fear takes over? For me, it’s a heaviness on my shoulders, lack of sleep (anyone else wide awake at 3 a.m.?), and tears — lots of tears! While the enemy wants us to live deeply in our fears and not trust God, the truth is that God is in control of every minute of our lives. Choosing to surrender our fears to God means that we trust God, and we submit to His authority. So whatever fear you are facing, hand it over to God today.

The second choice was choosing to delight in God. Did you discover this week that you may be cynical? Don’t worry; I did, too! On page 131, Jennie says that “cynicism erodes our ability to see God rightly.” The danger in cynicism is that we don’t see a need to be helped. We all need help, though. By setting aside our critical thoughts and choosing to delight in God, we can see the best in ourselves and others.

Our last choice for the week is choosing to serve God and others. The world tries to convince us the more self-esteem we have, the better life will be. We now know that’s a lie. Humility postures our hearts and minds towards God. It also helps us see others as God sees them and treat people as Jesus would.

Toxic thoughts and cynicism have controlled me for years. I thought it was just a way of life, and I couldn’t change my thought patterns. But God doesn’t want you or me to live like this. Instead, He wants us to tear down the walls we’ve built around our hearts and let His love flow in. Praise the Lord for His grace and love because, with His help, “changing our minds is possible” (as Jennie says on page 118).

Will it be an overnight change? No.
Will it be difficult? Yes.
But we can do it because the Lord gives us a powerful weapon — His Word.

See you on Monday,

Missy

Let’s Chat!

How has your thought life changed since the study started? What tips do you have for those still struggling with toxic thoughts?

Next Steps:

• Read Chapter 12 of Get Out of Your Head.
• Watch the Session 4 teaching video with Jennie Allen and journal your thoughts.
• Reflect on the past week and get ready for Week 5.

Last night on our P31 OBS Facebook page, we had Bible Study LIVE at the Table! We watched this video (above) together and then had a discussion around some of the questions found in the study guide. No Facebook? No problem! You can access this video here, even if you don't have an account!

Giveaway!
Comment on today’s blog to be entered to win a copy of the Get Out of Your Head Study Guide by Jennie Allen. Nine winners will be randomly selected and notified via reply to their comments within three days.