“Only 40,000?!?” My daughter exclaimed.
The daughter that is very much like me, scoring high on the ADHD home test (with no official diagnosis).
I was telling her about a section in Created To Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl which talks about how we react and respond as a result of what we’ve been thinking prior to a situation.
I will share Mrs. Pearl’s passage from Chapter 10 here along with her bolded emphasis included:
Reactions are not premeditated actions springing from our best motives, carefully thought out, planned, and weighed. They are emotional responses, breaking loose like wild horses when we feel hurt, cheated, used, or misunderstood. They are often retaliatory, sometimes condemning, confrontational, or adversarial, and eventually vengeful and punishing. Your reactions break loose from your social inhibitions and manifest who you really are inside and what you really believe at your core level. We lose our carefully preserved “front” when we are pressed beyond calculated thinking. Then, who we really are is made manifest.
You can control your future reactions considerably by changing the way you think before you are pressed into a response. The way you think every day determines the way you feel, and it will determine how you react in stressful situations.
Researchers have determined that the average person thinks over 40,000 thoughts each day. The heart is filled with thoughts, and it is out of that reservoir of thoughts that the mouth speaks words of praise or bitterness. When the pressure is on, and the dam of reservation breaks loose, you cannot control what you say, because you will speak from the abundance of your heart – from the 40,000 thoughts you had that day, and all the days before. “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (Luke 6:45). If you, as a wife, are going to change the way you have been speaking, it is not a matter of willpower; it is a matter of thought power. “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…” (Prov. 23.7). You must bring “into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Cor. 10:5). “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…” (Matt. 15:19). As Paul says, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5). You will be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2), not by the strength of your will to hold your tongue.
And so in my daughter’s response she was implying, “You mean we ONLY think 40,000 thoughts a day?!”
I had to laugh.
I remember the moment one morning when I clearly heard the Lord tell me that I needed to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Every thought Lord?
EVERY??
For those of us whose days are filled with the disjointed, random, racing thoughts of ADHD, taking EVERY thought captive is an extremely daunting, overwhelming task!
Here are some of the strategies I’ve learned:
Number 1:
In 2 Corintians 10:5, God tells us that we are to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Overcome feelings of defeat by realizing that if God admonishes us to do something, then by the help of the Holy Spirit we CAN move forward expecting victory, even if it happens in baby steps.
Number 2:
Exchange positive thoughts for negative thoughts. This may take a lot of practice to master depending upon how deeply entrenched negative patterns are for you. You will actually be creating new pathways in your brain as you retrain it. And make sure you celebrate small victories. Even if no one notices the changes but you and Jesus, you’re valuable and you’re growing!
Number 3:
Memorize scripture so you can begin speaking it into and over situations.
Here are some practical examples:
Example 1: Over-generalization.
In my ADHD plus depression and chronic illness research, I learned about faulty thinking, including over-generalization, which I discovered I was very guilty of. “Always”, “everyone”, and “never” were common words in my speech.
I went through a period several years ago where I would correct myself when I was talking, changing “always” to often or sometimes. Changing “everyone” to many. Changing “never” to sometimes or occasionally. Etc.
Now it has become second nature to use the new words.
Example 2: Overcoming negativity toward people.
Psalm 139 (link below) is my favorite passage of the Bible and helps me understand my personal value and the value of everyone around me. Because we are all God’s children, created for a purpose. When I came to the understanding that all men and women were created in the image of God and that there was truly a devil operating in everyone’s lives trying to devour and defeat them, my thinking began to be transformed toward my fellow man and God gave me a new heart, HIS heart for people.
I wrote an article that included a couple of song videos about this very subject on one of my other websites. You’ll find a link for it below under “Articles”.
Example 3: Overcoming Fear
When I’m fearful about or dreading anything, I remind myself of 2 Timothy 1:7 and I say OUT LOUD, “God did not give me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.”
Conclusion:
I assure you I’m still learning.
Remember, at the end of the day, our hearts should be turned toward wanting to please the Lord in all we do. I know the power of overwhelm, but I also know the power of victory. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our helper, WE CAN DO THIS!
Resources:
Bible verses:
2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV ~ Take every thought captive
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV ~ Spirit of fear
Psalm 139 NIV
Articles:
10 Faulty Thinking Patterns at Overcoming-Depression.org
Brandon Heath And Sawyer Brown ~ Article on my other site about disliking people
Book:
Created To Be His Helpmeet by Debi Pearl
