Your thought life and ants

Here's what I know:

We are no better or no worse than our thought life.

Proverbs 23:7 tells us, "As a man (or woman) thinks in his heart, so is he."

Thoughts lead to actions and actions lead to habits, both good and bad.

You and I think, literally, thousands of thoughts each day.

Some are positive.

Some are negative.

Most people stop, pause and dwell on negative thoughts (How many times do you catch yourself waking up in the middle of the night thinking positive thoughts?).

Question:  Are you going to dwell and believe the negative thoughts that come - or are you going to dwell and believe the positive ones?

Clinical neuroscientist Daniel G. Amen (I love that name) says, "Don't believe everything you hear -- even in your own mind."

Most of the negative things we "hear" in a given day are never spoken audibly.

They're the things we say to ourselves.

Dr. Amen refers to them as ANTs: Automatic Negative Thoughts.

We all have them: "This won't work. This deadline won't be met. God isn't listening to my prayer. I can't follow this diet. I can't get organized." And on and on and on they go.  They "crawl all over" our minds until it seems like there is nothing we can do to stop them.

Dr. Amen tells us that we need to get in the habit of stomping these ANTs, and replacing them with positive, uplifting thoughts.

It's a difficult habit to develop, but the believer has an advantage.

You've got God on your side.

Jeremiah 29:11 tells us, "You know that he has plans for you, that he as given you a future and a hope."  Romans 8:28 tells us, "That he is causing all things to work together for good."  Philippians 1:6 tells us that we can be confident....that he who began a good work in us will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

This means that you can turn an ANT into an ACT -- an Automatic Christlike Thought.

Instead of telling yourself the worst all day long, remind yourself God is in control, that his arm is not too short to save, and that he will lead you where you need to go.

The result is that this Automatic Christlike Thought really does become an ACT, because, again, what you think ultimately leads to what you do.

That's why Paul said in Romans 12:1, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

New thoughts lead to new actions. New actions lead to transformation.

So spend the day stomping ants and replacing them with acts.