“The Power of Positive Thinking”
Breaking Free from Negative Thoughts
Brian A. Moon
Do you ever find yourself in this situation? You are watching TV or thumbing through a magazine or even just walking around at the mall and all of a sudden this rock hard guy comes on the scene or some girl that has obviously had some “body enhancements” done comes struttin’ by and you are first of all like…
What a dork or what a witch. And then you stop and look in the mirror or some reflective glass somewhere and you suck in your stomach and stick out your chest and then the thought comes… Wow, I don’t look anything like that! I am so fat and ugly!
Does that ever happen to you all? Be honest now, even us guys are threatened by some of the pumped up, well groomed, super slick guys on the movies or TV. And I know you girls are threatened by other women who are “flauntin’ what their momma gave ‘em” We all struggle with negative thinking about ourselves! And that is what we are going to be talking about tonight is how to “Break Free” from these negative kinds of thoughts. Last week we opened up this brand new series with a look at How to Break Free from Sexual Pressure and we found out a lot about just what God intended sex to be. We said that it is an amazing gift from God and just like if I gave you a new Ferrari as a gift you would be wise with that gift. And then finally we must set up some fences or some boundaries to break free from that pressure. It has been very cool to hear what some you have had to say about last week and I want to promise you this week is no different. God has some amazing truths in the Bible about how we view and think about ourselves so let’s get into it! The first thing we have to look at is some of the lies that we are fed and believe on a constant basis. You know what I mean lies like if I look a certain way, and dress with this showing, and if I can buy this kind of name brand clothes and work out really hard to get this shape to my body or have some surgery to my body to get there, and if I can just have this certain look then I will feel good about myself. You know if I look like the guys and girls on ABC’s “Are You Hot” show then I will think about myself more positively. You have to realize that all that is a lie! You can be the most perfect person on the outside, a perfect 10, and still have some very negative thoughts about yourself. God made us as more than just “eye candy” we are more than just physical creatures that is why being perfect on the outside does not mean you feel perfect on the inside. Other lies we buy into about our self worth are that if we can be successful and rich and famous then we will have ultimate self worth and think nothing but positive thoughts about ourselves. So what happens when you lose your money, or you lose your fame? What happens then, does your self worth depend on your net-worth? Our concept of who we are and what we think of ourselves cannot depend on circumstances, possessions, or people because all of these are uncertain and impossible to control. If you base how you think about yourself on the things of this world then you are going to be a roller coaster of a person. One minute you will be the cockiest person around and then the next you will be attempting suicide! Just look at all the junk that goes on in Hollywood. A lot of that is because they base the way they think about themselves on the world around them. It just does not work. It will leave you depressed and desperate, and you will turn to things that are very harmful to try to fix that illusive goal. Some turn to starving themselves to stay thin, some turn to drugs and alcohol to ease the pain, some turn to plastic surgery, and others turn to worse things like suicide. All because they thought I do not measure up to this ideal I have in my head. All because of negative thinking!
The Bible says, “You must not live like the people who do not believe in God. They do not think clearly.” Ephesians 4:17 WE
So what is the answer how do we “Break Free” from the lies and free from the negative thoughts? You must realize this simply truth you were:
Made in God’s image
That’s right you were made in the image of God.
The Bible says, “So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 AMP
The God that made all we see on this earth and all the things we see in the deepest corners of space decided that when he made you, he would make you in his very image. No other creature was made this way. We are the only ones that God decided to make in his own image. That makes you valuable. That makes you special. When God thinks that you were worth it to make you in his image, to give you his characteristics and likeness, then we know we are valuable to him. We know that we are the most special thing in all creation and that he thinks highly of us. That is the key to “Breaking Free” from negative thoughts about yourself. The way you view yourself is not based on the ever changing pop culture scene it is based on God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Can you feel and see the cloud of negativity lifting? Think about it! We can think positively about ourselves because God has made us valuable and special. Your value is not based on anyone or anything else, your value is based on God’s decision to make you like him.
An American tourist in Paris, who purchased an inexpensive amber necklace in a trinket shop, was shocked when he had to pay quite a high duty on it to clear customs in New York. This aroused his curiosity, so he had it appraised. After looking at the object under a magnifying glass, the jeweler said, "I’ll give you $25,000 for it." Greatly surprised, the man decided to have another expert examine it. When he did, he was offered $10,000 more. "What do you see that’s so valuable about this old necklace?" asked the astonished man. "Look through this glass," replied the jeweler. There before his eyes was an inscription: "From Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine." The value of the necklace came from its identification with a famous person.
Your value is based on your identification to God!
When you take hold of that truth and fully embrace it you can wear any kind of clothes, look any way you want and even have a body that looks more like a John Deere than Britney Spears and you can think positively about yourself because your value comes from God!!!
The Bible also says this, “What’s the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail--even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.” Luke 12:6 – 7 MSG
The next time that you are tempted to think negatively about yourself remember that verse!
God must think your pretty special if he knows the number of hairs on your head!!! Remember this key to “Breaking Free” because if you don’t get this down then the rest of tonight doesn’t amount to much.
The next thing you must realize is to always:
Look at the positive
Catch this, if God thinks your valuable and he went to all the trouble of making you valuable by making you in his image then is it wrong to think negatively about yourself? Yes! When we bash ourselves in our heads with negative thoughts we are telling God that I don’t like the way you made me. Your saying, “Hey God what were you thinking when you gave me this butt or this nose???” You’re saying that God messed up!!!
The Bible says, “Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you.” Acts 8:22 CEV
So how do we get rid of these thoughts? Well you can begin by not comparing yourself to others! I am the worst at this and that is why I am so passionate about thinking positively.
Sometimes I will sit around and look at other ministries that maybe are bigger or have this or have that and I get mad and think I am a loser and that I am stupid and unfit to be a pastor.
What a slap in God’s face… I am telling him that I am ungrateful for the gifts and abilities that he has given me and I wish he had made me different. What are some of the things you compare yourself with others on??? Don’t look at how you don’t measure up look positively at your strengths! Look at how wonderfully made you are by God.
King David in Psalm 139 said, “I praise you because you made me in an amazing and wonderful way. What you have done is wonderful. I know this very well.” Psalm 139:14 NCV
Beyond not comparing yourself to others you can also get rid of a lot of negative thinking about yourself if you will get rid of the “ideal person” in your head. You know that perfect person that we think of when we think of who we want to be. Now hear me on this! We all should have an ideal in our head of becoming like the perfect person, that is we should strive to become more like Jesus Christ, But for most of us that is not the “ideal person” we have in our head. We have the popular, pretty, petite, phony persona that is pumped into your head by the media.
So stop putting that phony bologna garbage in your head and put away the 17 magazines put away the glamour, and the Cosmo. Guys put away the GQ and the Maxim and the FHM’s and let God’s Word, the Bible be what you base your self-esteem and self-worth on!!!
The Bible says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 NIV
Remember God is the one who says your valuable, not the popular media! They say you’re valuable only if you buy our clothes and magazines!!! Don’t buy into the lie!!! Ok the final thing that we are going to look at to “Break Free” from the negative thoughts is to:
Surround yourself with positivity
I love it when I get to make up a word… positivity the sum of all things positive. Anyway here is what I mean by this: The Bible says,
“Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
Surrounding yourself with positive people, people who there words, and actions build you up is a must to “Break Free” from negative thinking. You know there are some people out there who their entire mission in life is to rip and tear others to shreds.
It is kind of like Pac-Man you know, they are the ghost that are chasing your every move and just waiting to drop a negative bomb on you. As I am saying this you are already thinking of people like this, people who are just so stinking negative that it brings you down. God says don’t let that happen, keep your distance because no matter how strong you think you are they will trip you up! We have to make sure that we limit our exposure to these people.
On the other hand make sure you are surrounded by a group of people that build you up and encourage you!
One of the best places to do this, and this is why we are so big on small groups, is because that is your positive break in your week, that is the time that you get your weekly fix of positivity… God has given you a group like CrossEyed also to help meet this goal. When you come in here on a Sunday Night you are in a safe place where you can laugh, hurt, heal, and just be yourself. That is what it is all about leaning on each other for that encouragement and positivity! When people sense that about this place they will knock down the doors because we all are hungry for positive thoughts about ourselves. So make sure you are surrounded by people who are positive and who build you up instead of tearing you down. In closing I want to share with you the greatest reason why you can “Break Free” from negative thinking and that is because of Jesus. Just imagine Jesus loved you enough to die for you! You see we had a problem and that was we all have messed up in this game of life which separates us from God. But Jesus loved you enough to come and give his perfect life for our not so perfect life.
The Bible says, “Though you once were far from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13 NLT
Jesus died so that we might live free in God’s family. That makes us very, very, very valuable!
And tonight Jesus is reaching out to each of us saying I died so that you can be free from the negative thoughts, free from the junk in the world, free to have relationship with me.
Prayer Time -----------
God we thank you that you sent Jesus to come and give us the power to break free from things like sexual pressure and negative thoughts.
If you are here tonight and you have seen the light so to speak you get it now you know what you have been missing and you realize that you need a relationship with God through Jesus. If you feel something inside of you that is empty and longing for satisfaction then tonight just between you and God cry this prayer out to him as best you how in your heart.
God I need you. I need you to come and save me and give me a new life with a hope and a purpose. Thank you for sending Jesus to come and make this possible. I give the controls of my life over to you.
If that was you then I encourage you to check the box on your response card that says I accepted Christ.
Right now there is a party going on in heaven because you are now one of God’s children!
If you are a Christ-Follower, you are a Christian and you have been struggling with negative thoughts about yourself then right now pray this prayer in your heart.
God I know I was made in your image and I thank you for making me valuable. Forgive me though for having negative thoughts about the way you made me. Help me to look at the positive and to base my self-worth on what you say about me not the media.
God what an awesome thing to be one of your children and to be able to break free. Amen.
