Step 1 Changing Negative Thoughts Into Positive

Welcome to today’s episode! Have you ever found yourself waiting for a miracle to change your life, hoping for a sudden shift in your circumstances or a breakthrough in your struggles? Miracles are incredible—they can heal wounds, shift situations, and even provide us with glimpses of divine intervention. But as powerful as these moments can be, true and lasting transformation doesn’t start with what happens on the outside. It begins from within.

In this episode, we’ll explore how real, lasting change comes when we align our hearts and minds with a higher purpose—rooted in the truth of God’s Word. It’s not just about waiting for external miracles, but about allowing God's Word to transform the way we think, feel, and act. By meditating on Scripture, we can cultivate a positive mindset, turning away from negativity and embracing a mindset of faith, hope, and gratitude.

So, if you’re ready to dive into how God’s Word can lead to a transformation in your thoughts and your life, stay tuned. Let’s unlock the power of positive thinking, rooted in faith, and discover how true transformation begins from within.

Scripture: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:58

Ladies, your natural instinct is to worry. You worry about your children, your health, your relationship, and everything else under the sun. It's a classic case of worry Wart syndrome if you tend to worry needlessly you not alone. Welcome to the She Strives with Faith Podcast with Bethea Jackson. Bethea is a two time divorcee, single mother and war veteran who suffered from anxiety, but learned to let go and let God Bethea will share, captivating and down to earth conversations on how to strive by faith. Here's your host, Bethea Jackson.

Speaker 2: 1:57

Hello, beautiful. Ladies, welcome back to the She Strives with Faith podcast. I'm your host, lady b Celeste. So if you have not listened to this podcast before, welcome, welcome, welcome. I am so glad that you decided to choose this podcast to listen to. Now, today I have a topic which I feel is going to be very helpful, very beneficial. I try to always choose topics that I feel will help you ladies in your journey, no matter where you're at, what you're going through, what you're doing. I like to be able to offer something that is gonna be helpful and not anything that's going to be too heavy or anything that would trigger a reaction, like a negative reaction or a negative memory. So I always try to be very, very conscious of that. Now, at the end of the day, at the end of the day, you can choose not to listen to this podcast, but I hope that that will never ever be your choice because I love having you guys listen. I love the fact that you're downloading the episodes and that you can kind of go back and listen to the old episodes that I have done. And then finally, before I get into the topic for today, I want you guys to know that Buzz Sprout is always, always doing something amazing to improve , um, different features for the podcaster. So there is a feature when you go into listen to my episode, there is a feature where you can actually reach out to me. You can send me an , I guess, a message to let me know what you thought about the episode . If there's a topic that you would like me to talk about, to chat about, to give my opinion on, to do some research on, give you different strategies and tips, please, please message me. I would love to hear from you guys for real. I really would. 'cause I wanna make sure that the content that I'm providing for you is something that you can really, really benefit from. I don't wanna put out any type of, I don't wanna put out trash. Okay? I don't wanna do that. So that being said, I wanna go ahead and get into today's episode. We're going to be talking about seven ways that you can train your brain to think positive thoughts. Okay? Listen, I woke up this morning, I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling and just started thinking, okay, I thought to myself, life is good. My kids are doing well. My mom is okay. It felt so good to soak in that gratitude, but then like clockwork, those negative thoughts try to sneak in and I had to shut 'em down fast. I literally had to start praying. And I know that y'all have been there too, 'cause we all have those moments. Nothing unusual about it, right? But how do you train your mind not to slip back into that negative stinking thinking? So here's the deal. Over the next seven days, I'm going to share seven steps that have helped me to tackle those negative thoughts and start activating more positive ones. I'm going to break down each one, one by one each day so you will have time to process each step and to learn how not to let negativity take control . Yep . So every day for the next week, you'll get a little pep talk on keeping negativity out so you can make room for more peace and positivity. 'cause that's what God wants for us, right? Ain't nobody got time for negative thought. They don't serve any good purpose. We don't have time to be a negative Nancy. And nobody that I know of likes a person who is a negative Nancy. Okay ? So what we're going to do is we're going to work on retraining our minds together. It it's not just about me, it's about you too. So we're gonna do this together because I'm working on keeping my mind positive and keeping out those negative thoughts that like to invade. I'm working on me as well. So this is just as much for me as it is for you. So step number one, stop waiting for an outside miracle to change your mind. Hmm . Yeah. Miracles are incredible, aren't they? And yes, we all need them, but real transformation comes from within baby, especially when it's rooted in God's word. You know, it's so easy to think I'll feel better when my circumstances change. But girlfriend, the truth is, most changes start with us shifting our own mindset. You ever notice how when our mind is filled with chaos, it feels like blessings are blocked? It is tough to see miracles when our mind is cluttered with negativity. Now I'm getting ready to go into scripture, y'all, I'm getting ready to take you to the Bible. Romans chapter 12, verse two says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. But girlfriend, that renewal won't happen if we keep using excuses such as my mind is negative because my life is hard. What if it's actually the other way around? Hmm . Don't let your mind be a sidewalk for the enemy to trample on. Jesus talks about this in Matthew chapter 13, verse four, where he says, some seeds fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. We don't want the word to be snatched away because our mind isn't ready to receive it . Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you hear me think about it? Israel saw miracle after miracle, but most still doubt it . The Pharisee watched Jesus do wonders, even raised the dead, yet remained unconvinced. Miracles alone don't change minds unless we're willing to let God's work do its work within us. So ladies, today, let's commit to letting God's word be our standard and not rely on circumstances to bring peace to our hearts. Yes, miracles can boost our faith, but it's humility and openness to God's word that truly transforms us. If we stop blaming circumstances and start working with God to renew our minds, that's when the real changes begin . That's when we start to see a difference in our circumstances. Positive thinking, renews our hope, renews our joy. What good does it do us if we're constantly thinking about the what ifs or we're fast forwarding to the future and imagining all sorts of bad things happening? You know, I used to do that with my kids. As my children got older and they began to have their own independence, I became a serious worry wart. For real, for real. My concern for my kids' safety was driving me crazy. I wanted to track everywhere they went. I wanted every detail, where are you gonna be? Whose house is it? Give me their phone number. I want their mama's phone number, their daddy's phone number. If they got a sister, give me that phone number too. <laugh>. So I was just crazy, okay? Absolutely crazy, just anxious about my children. And I imagine all sorts of things happening to them. And here's the deal. All the things that I imagine in my mind that was not positive, by the way, never happened, never happened. And so I spent all that energy worrying about something, first of all, that I could not change. And secondly, I never gave it to God and said, God, I put my children in your hands. I know that you have them. I know that you're going to protect them. And you know what? Lemme be honest, because there were some days, many, many days where I prayed to God, ask God to protect my children. Ask God to watch over my children, to keep them safe, and bring them home before their curfew. Ask God to protect them while they were driving on the road as new drivers. And then you know what I would do? I would snatch it back from God. I would take it back and I would start worrying. So I wanna encourage you , I that God's word says, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. And what that means is that you have got to get into the word of God and believe what his word says. That may mean that you might have to write some things down, post it on your mirror, in your bedroom, or in your bathroom where you can see it every day to decree and declare the goodness of God so that you can cancel and pull down every negative thought that presents itself. Because one thing I know about the enemy is that when you start thinking negative and you start to allow negativity to come out of your mouth, the enemy will agree with you because he wants you in a state of depression and anxiety and worrying all the time. But there is a scripture that says that we're not supposed to worry because today, pardon me, tomorrow has enough worries of its own. Why worry about tomorrow when you haven't even gotten through today? Tomorrow's got enough worries of its own . Live in the moment. Live today. Do what you can today because we all know right, that tomorrow is not promised . And if we wake up tomorrow, it's a , it's the beginning of a new day and we're grateful that God decided to open our eyes this morning. And the way I see it, if I woke up this morning, that means that there is more work for me to do, that God has something for me to accomplish. So let's stop with the negative thoughts. Let's have a clear understanding that waiting for an outside miracle is not going to help us at all. We need to stop waiting for an outside miracle and work on our mindset , get our mind in alignment with God's holy word. And I too am learning how to do this. So we are learning together, girl, we are learning together. So before I wrap it up, I wanna take a moment for anyone listening who feels a tug on their heart to step into a fresh start with God. Maybe you've been wrestling with negative thoughts or feeling weighed down by life's struggles. The truth is real transformation begins with a relationship with Jesus. And he's ready to meet you right where you are. If you've never invited him into your life, or if you feel distant and want to reconnect, this is your moment. Jesus promises us forgiveness, peace, and a new life when we turn to Him. So if you're ready, join me in this prayer of salvation, repeat after me. Lord Jesus, I come to you just as I am. I recognize that I need you in my life. I believe that you died on the cross for my sins and rose again to give new life. Today. I ask you to forgive me, cleanse me, and make me whole. I invite you to come into my heart, be my Lord and Savior, and guide me every day. Help me to walk in your peace, live with a renewed mind, and find my strength in you. Thank you Jesus, for saving me and loving me unconditionally. Amen. Well, ladies, God bless you. Thank you for listening. And listen, don't forget to share this podcast with one of your sister friends who might need to hear this message. Okay, well, I love you with the love of Jesus and have a wonderful day. Okay? And tomorrow I will bring step number two. In the meantime, keep striving with faith. Chat with you later. Bye for now.

Speaker 1: 17:50

Thank you for listening to the She Strives with Faith Podcast. To hear more about how you can tap into the power of striving with faith, join her next week. If you found value in the episode, give her a rating or tell a friend about the show. Follow Bethea on Facebook and Instagram for a more personal chat. Until next time, strive to keep faith alive.