Distorted Thinking - Speak the Truth

That I know of,  about 10 people have joined the 14 Day Challenge to Improving Thoughts. That in itself is a boost to my commitment to the challenge. Thanks for joining the journey with me. I hope that each person will let God be the one to help you decide just how far to take this exercise. I am going to be really strict with myself as I am convicted that God is wanting to purify my heart and mind and words and I am convicted on certain thought patterns that often find their way into words. For another person, the parameters of the challenge may look slightly different for their struggle is not mine, mine is not theirs. Once we did this challenge with our whole family and we had to make it absolutely clear that no one could monitor the progress of another. The smallest member of the family at the time, was feeling like everybody was ganging up on her!!

Taking note of everything that comes out of my mouth is an interesting exercise, because I am finding out that I say things offhandedly without much concern for what they really mean. Distorted thinking is more common than we realize.

Yesterday's funny incident highlights the truth of that. The girls were planning their music selection for Abundant Life and Brianna was pleading to be excused so that she could study after sundown. Steve offered to sing while the girls played their instruments. I don't know how serious he was, as he rarely sings in front of people, but they went back and forth on what they were going to do for quite awhile. Meanwhile, they are making supper. Steve, who is not often in the kitchen, either, was helping. He was blending something and it came exploding out the top because he turned it up too high, too fast making a bit of mess. His reaction?

"I can't cook! I shouldn't be in the kitchen, and I don't think I can do special music either!"

The explosion of laughter as everyone, including Steve, recognized the distorted thinking in that statement was greater than the explosion of the food from the blender!

There are categories of distorted thinking.

If you read the story of Esau in Genesis, as suggested by the book The*Lost*Art*of*Thinking,  you can quickly recognize the guy indulged in distorted thinking. In his hunger he was overcome with a bout of all-or-nothing thinking and in his mind it was "lentils or death". What good is a birth-right to a dead man?  Actually, he wasn't dying or he wouldn't have been able to walk to Jacob's cooking pot hanging over the fire. Death by starvation is a long process, so his thinking wasn't truth.

Perfectionists are often all-or-nothing thinkers. They won't do something unless they can do it PERFECT! They often can't be happy unless everything they do is an ultimate success, but life is full of trial and error, mistakes and missteps to finding the way to success and these people can't deal with what they view as failure, so they won't attempt what they can't be 100% sure will succeed the first time. They say, If I can't do it perfectly, then I can't do it at all.

It is suggested in the book to write on a 3X5 card a list of ALL-OR-Nothing words you frequently find yourself saying. Always, Never, Awful, Terrible, Totally, Everything, etc... Then keep track of how often you say these words for a few days. Watch yourself for things you may say that are NOT really true such as;

"That ALWAYS happens to me!"
"I NEVER get to go."
"EVERYTHING is going wrong."
"This is a TERRIBLE day!"


Learn to speak the truth even to yourself. Be reminded of Philippians 4:8 Whatsoever is true and honest.... think on these things.

Psalm 51:6

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: 

and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Fungus we found near a forest trail.