When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. – John 16:13

Do you ever feel like your mind has a “mind of its own”? I can be moving through my day without a care in the world, when all of a sudden, one thought triggers another and another and before I know it, I’m lost in worry or wrecked with an anxious heart.

Every day thousands of thoughts scroll through our minds. Some are beneficial because they raise our mood, strengthen our faith, or give us courage to do the next right thing God has called us to do. But our minds can also be filled with negative thinking that steals our confidence, lies about our identity, and cheats us out of the courage we need to take the next step of faith.

So how do we control the thousands of thoughts competing for our attention? How can we have more positive, uplifting thoughts and fewer negative, toxic ones?

Try these three things:

#1. Think about what you’re thinking about. The Bible calls this “taking our thoughts captive” (2 Corinthians 10:15). Take a moment to survey the most prevalent thought patterns running through your mind today or this past week.

#2. Compare your thoughts to God’s truths. Ask yourself if your thoughts align with what God would say about you? God promises that His Spirit will always guide you into His truth (John 16:13).

#3. Practice building up your positive thoughts - the TRUTHS, and tearing down the lies – the TRASH. Satan is called the “father of lies” (John 8:44). He will always try to fill your mind with toxic thoughts that kill, steal, or destroy your faith (John 10:10).

TRUTH VS. TRASH

Let’s practice together! I’ll give you an example of a thought that could easily pop into your mind, then you decide if it aligns with God’s truths about you. If it does, consider it a treasure and simply say “Thank you, God!” If the statement is a lie, you can say or shout “SHUT UP SATAN!”

A) Take a deep breath, I’m walking with you. You are not alone.

B) Remember the last time you totally dropped the ball. You’ll mess up this time too.

C) You can keep that little habit of yours hidden. No one will ever find out.

D) Beloved, the wisest thing to do is to forgive.

E) Your life is a complete mess. You’ll never change.

F) Don’t worry about your debt. You’re stressed, so shop until you drop.

Wasn’t that fun telling Satan to “shut up”? I hope you did just that after – B, C, E & F. Satan’s voice is condemning, critical, oppressing, and filled with defeating phrases such as “you’ll always” or “you’ll never change.” God’s voice is just the opposite. He will lovingly encourage you to change and mature to become more like Jesus.

As we move from Spring into Summer, I will be giving you each week an opportunity to be a part of what we’re calling a 3 O’Clock Circle. It’s super simple. You ask one or more people to join you in doing three things.

#1. Read The 3 O’Clock Wake Up Call blog each week.

#2. Set a time to talk about it.

#3. Answer the 3 questions we provide for you.

Some people are meeting in coffee shops or at the pool, others are talking on the phone or walking and talking along a trail. It’s totally up to you. If you’d like to start a 3 O’Clock Circle, please email me at laura@3oclockwakeup.com and I’ll send you some encouraging tips. Here’s this week’s circle!

3 O’Clock Circle - Two or more together sharing real life and relevant faith.

1. Read the blog and take the TRUTH VS. TRASH Challenge together.

2. What is one toxic thought that repeats in your mind too often?

3. What positive thoughts or “God thoughts” could replace your toxic thoughts every time they pop up?

Practice together, encourage one another, and have fun!

Thank you for being a part of The 3 O’Clock Wake Up Movement

Everyone – Every Nation – Every Day Thanking God at 3:00p.m

#3oclockchallenges #gratitude #grace #peace #hope #encouragement #truth #trust