It’s easy to let the circumstances of our lives knock us down. And it’s hard to get back up, especially if you’ve been badly bruised. Don’t stay down too long, but while you are down there, pull yourself back together and GET UP! If you stay down too long, the enemy will enter your thoughts and try to get you to stay down there. Do not let him!! Push those thoughts away and replace them with God’s thoughts.
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. – Philippians 4:8
There is no way to control what thoughts come into our mind. But what we can control is what we do with them. If you let a thought from the enemy take root in your mind, you are giving life to it. And it will slowly take over your life before you even realize it. The enemy gives us thoughts about ourselves – we’re not good enough, we don’t have any friends, everyone else has what we want, etc., etc. This causes us to start shutting out the important people in our lives. It also causes us to miss out on the many blessings God has already given us and wants to give us.
Years ago when my husband and I were trying to start a family, these are some of the thoughts the enemy gave me. And many more. And, unknowingly, I gave life to them. Once I realized what I was doing, it still took a long time to drag myself out of the hole I fell in. The good thing that came out of that is that I learned what to do with those kinds of thoughts the minute they enter my mind. So recently, when I got knocked down, it was a little easier to get up.
It is so important that you do not let a bad thought stay in your mind for even a second. As soon as you think it, say (even out loud), “No! I will not think that way!” or “Get out of my mind! That is not who I am!” And then say, (even out loud), the opposite of that thought or something else positive. If you are having trouble, find someone trustworthy you can share with, who will help you push those thoughts away.
In the comments, share a time when you got knocked down and how you were able to get back up again.