Joyce Meyer - How To Stop Negative Thoughts
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Ginger Stache: We'll hi, friends! Come on, in here! Perfect timing because this is Joyce Meyer's Talk It Out podcast, where Joyce teaches the Word of God in her wonderful, practical, no-nonsense way. And my lovely friends and I, oh, that was such a flourish.
Erin Cluley: Thank you.
Ginger Stache: We talk about the real stuff of living it, and we don't hold anything back. I'm Ginger Stache with Erin Cluley, and Jai, three friends, who are all in very different stages of life, but we understand the value of having fabulous, honest, loving women around you. And when we need a little extra help, we talk to ms. Joyce and she is on the spot, anytime we need her. Because sometimes, you just have to talk about life with your girlfriends. So, come on in here, consider yourself one of us, and let's Talk It Out together.
Erin Cluley: Come on in, let's do it.
Jai Williams: "Come on in", do you realize we always, whenever she does like, the intro like, we look at each other and we kinda smile.
Erin Cluley: Yeah.
Jai Williams: It's like a thing.
Erin Cluley: It's our moment.
Jai Williams: We kinda like, flirt with each other a little bit. We always look at each other, we do this...
Erin Cluley: Sometimes, I wink.
Jai Williams: I don't know if she's spazzing or what.
Erin Cluley: I don't wink at you though, I don't wanna mess you up.
Jai Williams: I think that's the biggest thing. We try not to look at,
Ginger Stache: It doesn't, so, yeah.
Jai Williams: "It never messes me up".
Ginger Stache: It's not that I never mess up, it's that I mess myself up... More than external things. But, you know, that's what we're talkin' about today.
Erin Cluley: It's really a good thing.
Ginger Stache: We're talking about our thoughts today and how our mind can do crazy things to us.
Erin Cluley: So crazy. So, true.
Ginger Stache: It's so true, isn't it? If there's anything, that trips us up the most, it is the way we think about things. So, we're talking about what Joyce has been teaching us all, for a long, long time, "Battlefield of the Mind," is her number one seller, and of course, it's because it's directly what God's word is saying about replacing those crazy thoughts with the Word of God. And I think there's a lot of how-to questions. So, it's a lot of fun stuff to talk about. It's a good concept: "How do I make it work"? I think there's a lot of, like, "If I think this, I should do this, instead," things that I think will be fun for us to talk about. Keep it really practical for all of us. Because when you talk about your feelings, it's,really comes from your thoughts, right? A lot of at times, we think, "Well this is, this is how I feel," which is real and valid, but we can see God do something in that by changing the way we're thinking about it.
Jai Williams: Yeah, everything starts up here.
Ginger Stache: It does.
Jai Williams: Everything. Like, you don't even know that you're feeling anything until you think about that you're feeling something. So, it all,like, when you think about that very fact that everything starts up here.
Erin Cluley: Everything.
Jai Williams: Everything, that's why,i mean, it makes sense that, that's one of the things that really catapulted, you know, like, the Joyce Meyer Ministry, the books. Like, the thing that has helped me so much is even the "Battlefield of the Mind Bible" that is like, because it's like, the way that Joyce even breaks down almost every scripture and ties it into how we think. And how we can think, for the rest of the day, after we read that, it's just, it's helped me so, so much. So, it's such a powerful topic, because everything starts up here.
Erin Cluley: I grew up with the "Battlefield of the Mind," being just like, a big,it was a big part of my parents' life. My dad, especially, he just, that changed his life. So, I grew up hearing about it. And so, I just thought, "Oh, that's, that really cool book with that chess piece on the cover of it". And so, not till a couple years ago, did it click. And so, you know, when Joyce says,
Ginger Stache: Now, wait a minute. You worked here for a long time, still a couple years ago.
Erin Cluley: I was actually, really hoping you, maybe, you didn't notice that, that's what I said. I was gonna talk really fast so we could go over that "A couple of years ago".
Ginger Stache: You just made the connection, "Wait a minute. She's the one that wrote the chess piece book".
Jai Williams: Who knew?
Erin Cluley: No, no. I knew when I started working here, she wrote it. I didn't fully understand the, like what that meant. And so, it was a couple years ago that, the phrase that Joyce says, "Think about, what you're thinking about," like, I've heard her say that for a long time, but it clicked. And I remember thinking, "Oh my gosh, I can think about what I'm thinking about". And it was like, mindblower.
Jai Williams: Yeah, it's one of those things that it's just like, "Oh, wait, I can think about what I'm thinking about".
Ginger Stache: Yeah and change it.
Jai Williams: And actually change it, yeah.
Erin Cluley: And then, it does. It affects, I mean, you can do that for every single part of your life. Like, I can think about what I'm thinking about with my relationships: as a parent, as an employee, as a, like everything, yeah.
Ginger Stache: I don't know if there's anything that changes the outward things that you're dealing with more than changing the way you think about them. The situation may be the same, but if I start to change the way I'm thinking about it, then it does seem like it physically changes. And sometimes, it does 'cuz God works that way, because it's his word. And I think that's really important. We're not just talking about happy thoughts. We're not just talking about being positive. Although, those are great things. But when you add the Word of God into this, it has a level that's just like a rocket going off. It just changes so much.
Erin Cluley: Yeah.
Jai Williams: It totally changes the way you perceive it. Because there's a lot of things in our lives that, of course, we have no control over it. There's certain things,
Ginger Stache: Too many.
Erin Cluley: That would be all of it.
Jai Williams: And that's the thing that I've found myself thinking about a lot is like, "Oh, I wish I had control over it," or I try to control the situation versus thinking about the fact that I'm thinking about that saying, "Hey, I can't control it, I need to give it to the Lord," and I can change the way I look at it and I can just change the, like, by using the word and using the authority that he's given me, to actually, control, and think on the things that I'm supposed to think on, it really can even just change your whole mood and your whole outlook on that specific like, situation.
Ginger Stache: Yeah, absolutely. So, let's jump right in and start by Joyce telling us how all of this begins, what "Battlefield of the Mind" means and how we can change the way we think.
Joyce Meyer: Probably our mind gives us more trouble than anything. You know why that is? Because the mind is the battleground that Satan comes and attacks us on. Thus, the book that I wrote, "The Battlefield of the Mind". If you can win the battle in your mind, then you can win the battle for life. Where the mind goes the man follows. So, an obedient mind will lead to an obedient life. A disobedient mind will lead to a disobedient life. So, if you made a decision last night or at any time in your life, "I want to not just be a Christian, I want to be an obedient Christian. I want to be a child of God who wants to do what's right and does what's right and glorifies God. I don't want to be mediocre and compromising and just see what all I can get by with and hope I can still sneak in the back door of heaven. I want to love God with my whole heart and do it right". And, I'm sure that most of you have made that decision. But, a lot of times people make that decision but it never happens for them because although, they made a good decision and they have a good desire, they never change their mind. They still think junk. They have stinkin' thinkin' and anytime we have stinkin' thinkin' we're gonna have a stinkin' life, so... Amen. Is that right? So, the devil constantly attacks our thoughts and, but believe it or not, in the beginning, if you first start trying to cooperate with the Spirit of God to think right things you are gonna feel like you're in a battle from daylight till dark. And, you just get so tired of fighting the enemy all day, you don't hardly know what to do. But, I can tell you, if you stand your ground, it gets better, and better, and better, and better, and better. And, you know, although, my mind still gets attacked, there's always things that the enemy's suggesting to my mind, but after all these years now in practice, I mean, I recognize them really quickly and it's not that difficult at all to just say, "Nope, I'm not going there. I've been there, I've done that, I know what it produces, and I'm not gonna think like that".
Ginger Stache: So, we're learning that it's a decision, what we think is a decision. And I think a lot of us have the opinion that thoughts just kind of fall into our head, and we have to go with it. And what Joyce is saying, and most importantly, what God's word is saying is that, that's not really how it has to work.
Jai Williams: Yeah, yeah. I love,
Ginger Stache: What are,
Jai Williams: Go ahead, I'm sorry.
Ginger Stache: No, I was just gonna say what are sometimes that you guys have had stinkin' thinkin'? But before you answer that, tell me what you were going to say.
Erin Cluley: She's gonna ask you deep, personal questions about your life, now.
Jai Williams: Okay, no, I just wanted to point out something that Joyce said in that clip about like, it's a decision to cooperate with the Spirit of God. Man, like, that to me, that was so powerful. Like, I can make a choice to either stay in my little pit of despair and, you know, spiraling thoughts, or I can say, "You know what? I'm going," 'cuz the Spirit of God, of course, is not going to, he doesn't want us to go down that path, go down that trail. And just realizing that it's two paths we can choose. We can either choose to not cooperate with the Spirit of God, or cooperate. I just,i loved how she said that.
Ginger Stache: I think that's great. It's really important.
Jai Williams: Now to the deep personal questions, go ahead.
Ginger Stache: Stinkin' thinkin'...
Jai Williams: Ew, so deep, let's go.
Ginger Stache: Stinkin' thinkin'.
Erin Cluley: I think it's,i was thinking about this, and there are two places in my home, where I do this the most, and I realized it recently. In the shower, like, I will spiral. I get a lot of really creative ideas in the shower also, but like,
Ginger Stache: I do too.
Erin Cluley: Right?
Ginger Stache: But you think like, even what you're saying about your mind's spiraling, it's because there's no interruptions, right? It's so quiet.
Erin Cluley: Yes, it's something, I don't,there's something about that moment. And so often, I wish I've had like, something to write stuff down on.
Ginger Stache: I've wanted to invent this for the longest time.
Erin Cluley: You should!
Ginger Stache: Yeah, some sort of shower writer for those brilliant ideas.
Erin Cluley: So, sometimes, I'll purposely pick a topic I know I need to spend some time thinking about and take it with me in there, and so I can come out with some ideas. That's really helpful sometimes. But also, like, if I'm in a negative headspace or if I'm feeling anxious, then when I'm in there, it's like, it just pours.
Ginger Stache: I'm sorry, that made me laugh, 'cuz she's in the shower and it just pours.
Erin Cluley: Maybe that's why it's so much more intense. Yeah, it's interesting. But I'll go in thinking about whatever specific thing is on my mind, and before I know it, by the time I get to the end of the shower, it's,I'm like way over here on the path down this negative thought trail, when I just started with this one concern.
Ginger Stache: So, what do you do about that, when that happens?
Erin Cluley: It's,well, this book has been so helpful because I realized I could stop that track. So, when I realize, like, eventually, I'll catch myself like, "Whoa, how did we get here"? And sometimes, I'll even say, "Stop," and just sort of take a breath. 'Cuz I need the physical act of stopping my thoughts.
Ginger Stache: That's a great suggestion.
Erin Cluley: It is. It's really helpful, it's practical, and you sound silly, but you're so in your head anyway, it really doesn't matter.
Ginger Stache: It's better than thinking the way you're thinking.
Erin Cluley: Than where I got to. But stopping in its track and then I just need to refocus on something else. So, I'll just pick a different topic to think about. But there, and the kitchen sink, is my other go-to of thinking.
Ginger Stache: It's water.
Erin Cluley: It's water.
Jai Williams: Do you have these thoughts at the pool?
Erin Cluley: No, or the beach, I'm a super great there. There's no thoughts at all that happen there. Oh, but one thing I wanted to share out of this book that I underlined, because when i, when I realized this, that I would do this in those spots, it's because I was worrying. And so, I would take my worries, and because nothing else is happening there, I would just go. And so, I read this in the book, it's on page 116, I'm not sure which after this is. But it's talking about a verse in 1 Peter, 5:6-7 and it says, "Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, that in due time, he may exalt you, casting the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on him, for he cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully". So then Joyce says, "This passage lets us know that to humble ourselves is not to worry. A person who worries still thinks that in some way, he can solve his own problem. Worry is the mind racing around trying to find a solution to its situation". Yes, it is. "A proud man is full of truth,"
Ginger Stache: That's so hard.
Erin Cluley: It's so hard. "But the humble man is full of God. The proud man worries. The humble man waits".
Ginger Stache: Wow.
Erin Cluley: I don't want to wait. I would like to spend the five or ten minutes, in the shower, with the problem and coming out with the solution. But that's me figuring it out. That's me racing. It's not God. Humbling before him.
Ginger Stache: You know, while Erin's talking about that book, just to let you all know, of course, Joyce's book is fabulous. You should get it. We also, have a free study that you can get that will help you a lot, that has a lot of this content. So, it's available at joycemeyer.Org/talkitout, and you can find it, it's called, "Battlefield of the Mind online study". So, we just want you to know while we're talking about this. That's there for you if you need it. It's so good.
Jai Williams: Yeah, well, I guess,that's amazing. Like, the difference between acknowledging humility versus pride.
Erin Cluley: It's all wrapped up in pride.
Ginger Stache: That's an ouchie way to go about it, but it's so true.
Jai Williams: Yeah, and me worrying is me thinking I can do something about it.
Erin Cluley: Which is so funny. Like, when you step back and say that like, "Do I think that I'm actually, gonna be able to figure this out". No, no. I can barely figure out what we're going to have for dinner tonight. I'm not going to solve this problem in five minutes, in the shower.
Jai Williams: Yeah, and so, I guess with mine, my time when I have the worst, that I've found myself having the worst thinking, especially, in this season, you know, of walking through what I've walked through, and divorce, and all that stuff, has been in the morning. Right in the bed, right when I wake up.
Ginger Stache: Right when you open your eyes.
Jai Williams: Right when I open my eyes because it's the acknowledgement that things have truly changed in my life from, like, I don't wake up next to someone. I don't have my daughter at the house all the time. Like, it's just that, "Whoa, I'm alone," you know? Where partially, I'm like, "Yes," and then other parts, it's like, "Whoa, I'm alone". And so, a lot of times I've noticed that I kind of can sometimes carry over what I was thinking about the other day, in the morning. I don't necessarily dream a lot. Like, my dreams are definitely, if it's God wants to talk to me or tell me something. But for the most part, I sleep soundly. Then I wake up and it's like I'll have like... A palpitating heart. And I realized I'm thinking about, "Okay, this is what happened, this is what did... This is... This is this... This is this". Huh, I figured this out. That I like, that I tend to think about is, "I wonder what today's gonna be. Is it going to be better than yesterday or worse than yesterday"?
Erin Cluley: Like dreading it before it even started.
Jai Williams: Dreading it. And like, already thinking about conversations or emails that I might get, and "How will I respond, how will I react"? Worrying about what could potentially come, and,
Ginger Stache: Dread is so big for us. It's such a thing for all of us.
Jai Williams: Yeah, yeah, it's,it can be daunting.
Ginger Stache: Yeah.
Jai Williams: And it's one of those things where it's like, I really don't, I can't control,i literally, cannot control what happens that day. Now, sometimes though, Holy Spirit does give me like, wisdom,discernment of like, "Okay, guard your heart in these areas". I can't take that little tip from the Holy Spirit to then start dreading over it. I have to take it and be like, "Okay, something might come today that might try to throw me off, but God's got me". You know, and so, I can find myself spiraling down those thoughts or saying, "Okay, God, thank you for the heads-up. Thank you for the warning," that,you know, so I can just be prepared for whatever comes. You know, and so, I'm learning to do that. So, that's one of the ways that I do it. I acknowledge, "Okay, is this from God or the devil"? Number one: acknowledgement like, "Is this thought from God or the devil"? And once I acknowledge that then if it's from the Lord, "Thank you, Holy Spirit". Gratitude, "Thank you, Holy Spirit for whatever is to come". 'Cuz it happened recently. Or if it's from Satan, I literally, quote one of my favorite scriptures in Philippians, I think it's 4:8: like, "Whatever things are beautiful, lovely and of good report. Think on these things". I'm like, "Is this beautiful"? "No, it's ugly," you know? "Is it of a good report"? "No, that's a bad report". Like, then I probably shouldn't be thinking about it. And so, quoting that over me. And then, really just pivoting my thoughts, like using that control, that authority that we have to say, like, "You know what? I don't have to think about this now". I'll put it all, and some things, I might write down to say, "Okay, we'll let that handle itself," but that's a little note, but I don't have to dread it.
Ginger Stache: Yeah, that's such great advice. I think that's really going to help a lot of people who are listening right now.
Erin Cluley: I did that recently too. Like, I was having some not great thoughts, and I learned this in counseling. But the counselor said, "Just write them down and put them away". And the act of getting those thoughts out, and then walking away from them made a huge difference, because I was able to, I wrote them down and then I gave them to God. And so, as an act of me saying, "I can't control these things. I've written down what is concerning me. Now, take it. It's yours". And I cannot even explain like, the freedom I felt after doing that.
Jai Williams: Journaling is powerful. And sometimes, like even, through my healing with my ex even, like, I mean, and I don't suggest this to everyone but sometimes, I would just send him, sometimes I'll send him a text saying, "Hey, I'm still hurt by this," like, and sometimes, I will just journal it. You know, if I felt like my text was erratic, like crazy, "I probably need to journal this and not text him".
Jai Williams: But you know, sometimes those thoughts are things that we shouldn't suppress and just stuff it. It's like,you brought up counseling and talking to someone, getting good friends around you, talking to a pastor, finding a,you know, a counselor, a therapist to get, like, no one's saying to suppress your thoughts, and just pray, like, I'm a big like advocate for not spiritually bypassing, like, don't over-spiritualize things and not take care of yourself. If you need to talk to someone, talk to someone. But don't let that be your first resort, where whenever you feel something, that you wanna go run and talk to somebody. That's when you know that, that's out of order. The priority is talk to God first, you know, talk to the Holy Spirit first, and then use wisdom and talk to the people that you need. So, counseling is good, and journaling is beautiful.
Ginger Stache: We're not saying because you're a Christian, you shouldn't have bad thoughts. We're not saying that. We're all human, we are going to have all sorts of thoughts that can take us to terrible places. We're saying that God can help us change the direction of those thoughts. So, I'll share my ugly thoughts too, in just a minute. I don't want you to think I'm getting off the hook.
Erin Cluley: Oh, we're not.
Jai Williams: We're not gonna let you.
Ginger Stache: I've got so many. Right now, we're gonna see how Joyce learned to control those day-to-day thoughts that she was dealing with and then we'll come back to talk about it.
Joyce Meyer: How many of you believe that,there is an enemy, that you have an enemy that whispers things to your mind and to your soul that are lies from the pit of hell? They are not the truth, and if you believe them, you will be destroyed? I don't know about you, but I am so glad that I found this out, because he had control of my mind for way too long. I was a born-again Christian, but nobody ever told me what I'm talking about here tonight. So I was born again, but my mind was full of junk all the time, and so therefore, I was mad all the time. I was upset all the time. I was jealous of people. I was greedy. I was selfish and self-centered, but I was saved. I would have gone to heaven. I believe that, because I really trusted Christ for my salvation. But nobody ever told me that my mind made one bit of difference to the outcome in my life. And I'm asking you tonight to take an inventory of your thoughts. What's been on your mind lately? If you're depressed, what have you been thinking about? If you're angry, what have you been thinking about? If you're bitter, what have you been thinking about? We can have our mind renewed according to the Word of God. Let's take just a second and look at Romans chapter 12, verse 2. "Do not be conformed to this world [fashioned after and adapted to its external customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind," amen. So how are we changed? First, our mind has to change, and then our life changes. We don't think the way that we used to think, but we begin to actually believe this book and think like God thinks. My goodness, do you know how many problems people have because of the junky thoughts they think about themselves? I tell you what. You're looking at a woman. I would be petrified anymore to think bad, junky thoughts about myself, because I know it so displeases and so dishonors God. He sent his only son to die for you. He loved you enough to pay an awful price for you, and who do you think you are to have bad, terrible, junky thoughts about yourself? If God loves you, then you can love you. Amen? I said if God loves you, then you can love you. You don't think,you don't need to think, "I'm stupid". You think, "I have the mind of Christ". You don't need to think, "I can't do anything". You look at Romans 12, and you say, "I'm gifted and talented. There's something that I can do and it's important to the people in the body of Christ that I fulfill my part". Quit letting the devil drag you down through wrong thoughts that don't agree with the Word of God. "I have the mind of Christ. I'm gifted. I'm talented. I'm anointed". Learn how to talk like God talks. Learn how to see yourself the way he sees you, and your life will change radically.
Ginger Stache: Ew, that's good stuff. It is. It's so good. If God loves you, then you can love you. I mean, there are so many people, right now, whose minds are being blown by this whole process that, "If I can believe God's word for someone else, I can believe it for me, too".
Ladies: Yeah.
Ginger Stache: I mean, those things are big.
Erin Cluley: It's true. And how many of our days, and our thoughts during the day is spent on, "If only, I could do this like my friend here, or if only I looked like this then I could have this, or all of that". And yeah, we can still go to heaven. But man, are we missing out on all the things God has for us because we're too busy worrying about other people.
Jai Williams: Worrying about other people, comparing ourselves to other people, worrying about if we're good enough, worrying about if we're loveable, if we're this, if we're that. And honestly, like Joyce said, it's an insult, you know, to God and to the price that the Jesus paid on the cross to, you know, really like, doubt she'd be petrified to even think negative thoughts about herself. Man, I mean, and I have to war with that. And me and my daughter talk about it all the time. And it's like, we cannot allow ourselves to think negatively about ourselves. No matter what phase were in, no matter if you have a huge zit on your forehead, or on your nose, no matter if you ate a lot, you know, over the summer or during quarantine, and you gained some weight, or whether you look your best, either way, it can't be based off of situations. It has to just be based on the fact that "God loves me, so I need to love myself".
Ginger Stache: There's always something wrong with every one of us.
Jai Williams: We can always find something.
Ginger Stache: Exactly, it's not like it's hard to find a reason for anyone to think poorly about themselves. But when you look at it that way, that we're God's chosen creation. So, we're not just talking about ourselves in a negative way, we're talking badly about who God made us to be.
Jai Williams: His masterpiece.
Ginger Stache: Yeah. And he doesn't want that for us, and we shouldn't want that for him. So, there's so much in all of this. I've had a really hard week. Like, I've just, I don't know why things happen the way they do sometimes. But it's just been a really difficult week. And I think probably part of it is getting ready to talk about this, you know? Not that God does that to us, but that Satan will throw things in our path. And instead of going a negative way, you know, I've had to think about this a lot. And to say, "Okay, what am I going to do instead of dwelling on these hard things that are happening right now"? So, real practical, like you said, Erin, to say, "Stop," and do something different. One of the things, for some of the things that I've been dealing with this week is, I am not gonna go to Google and look up a lot of stuff. You know what I mean? Because that can take you down a really dark path, really quickly. So, make some good, practical decisions to what you let into your mind. That makes a big difference. "What are we dwelling on? Am I looking up everything that could possibly go wrong? Or am I reading God's word and trusting what he says. That he's there, that he will never leave me, he will never forsake me, even when I don't see an outcome. Even when I'm fearful, that it's not him, that puts fear in me," you know, combating all of that. So, you know, one of the things for me is Psalm 139, it's so beautiful. I love it so much, and it's, when I start to have those thoughts, one of the first things I'll say is, "God search me, you know me, check my anxious thoughts and lead me, you know, help me to think the right way". And that always helps me a lot, because I know it's not even just, I have to change my thoughts. If I ask God to help me, he will help walk me through it. So, that's one of the ones that's really been helping me. And just through some of these hard things that are happening, you know, outside of myself. There are always hard things that are happening inside of yourself at the same time. So, you can have those thoughts, like, you know, rather than, "I'm rejected," right? We all have those thoughts, like, you ever feel like you're just not loved well enough? Or you know, you just feel on the outside of whatever? To go back to, "God, you think of me so many times, every day, that it out numbers, the grains and the number of stars in the sky". And then, when I have those things that, I'm not thinking well, then I go back and I remember that, "God has put the Fruit of the Spirit in me," love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, but I don't feel like I have any of those things. I can start, instead of thinking about, "Oh, obviously, I have no self-control because I just did this". I can begin confessing, "God promises, because his spirit lives in me, that I have these things," and, "God, help me to walk in them". So, it's so practical. I mean, there are so many things that you can write down. This is not an ethereal kinda thing. This is daily, hitting the road and doing it kind of stuff.
Erin Cluley: I didn't realize that until a couple years ago when I start dealing with anxiety. Which I've shared before, I've never dealt with. And so, that's what drew me to reading "Battlefield of the Mind," again. Because I needed something, and I needed some direction. Like, I knew the Word of God would be my source but I just, it was too much. So, I needed some like, specific direction of "Here's how to do this". And so, reading that book with those practical steps, a couple times, I've had like, panic attacks and it's usually during the night. I was with Ginger, one time, we were traveling on a trip and I text her the next morning, and said, "I'm gonna be late because I just had a panic attack last night. I just need a minute". And it's like, our friends are gonna understand this, if you had it, like, a shaking, I couldn't,my mind was racing, my heart was racing. And so, all I could do was quote scripture. I remember,and I called, I went to the bathroom, it was in the middle of the night, 'cuz I had a roommate. So, I huddled up in the bathroom, and I was sobbing, and I said, "Mike, I can't, I can't stop shaking. I can't stop. Like, what's happening"? And so, he prayed for me. And then, I turned on worship music in my headphones, and I just, like, took deep breaths, and I just had to keep thinking the thoughts of God. I had to keep remembering that I have the mind of Christ and that this will pass. But, you know, the verse in Psalms, it's, "You give me," or, "I will lay down," I can't. I'm telling you all these things and I can't remember the verses. Psalm 4:8, "In peace I will lay down to sleep for you, oh, Lord, keep me safe". And so, I should be able to remember that, I've said it so many times. But just over and over again, to replace that negative thought that's coming in. That's me saying, "No, this is the thought I'm going to think on". So...
Ginger Stache: You know what I love about what you're sharing? You're doing it right now, and you did it then. That morning, you called me, and you let me know, and you told me, and I could pray about it, I could understand a little bit, you know? When you keep something secret, when you hide it, then it gives it so much more power. And Erin took the power away from it by saying, "There's nothing, there's no shame in this. This is what I dealing with. I just want you to know. Will you pray for me"? And by telling everyone else that there's no shame in anything that they're dealing with. And I just think that's beautiful that you did that.
Erin Cluley: I appreciate you saying that because on the flip side, I thought, "I do not want to tell my boss that I'm gonna be late to this meeting because I can't get my act together". And I thought, "No, this is where I am in this moment. Ginger knows me. She knows I'm going to do my best, but I need to be honest, and I need to let my friend in". And it made a huge difference. Even calling Mike at two in the morning. I thought, "I don't want to bother him. He's got the kids. I don't want to wake him up". But in that moment, I needed to tell somebody else, "I'm not okay. And I need you to help me through this". Just like you were saying, you need to be able to talk to somebody, 'cuz like, it did, it took the power away. It's so amazing when you say stuff out loud that, that power of what's racing in here, diminishes.
Ginger Stache: It changes your thoughts.
Jai Williams: It's so crazy, how Christians, a lot of Christians tend to feel like that's a bad thing. You know, to knowledge that you have a moment of weakness. I wanted to share something else with you guys. This past Easter was big for me. And not because of any amazing production, or any magical, or you know, Holy Spirit-filled worship session. It was because after Good Friday, and I've shared a lot about, you know, what's going on in my personal life as it pertains to infidelity and divorce, getting, you know, getting served papers. And now, being, you know, figuring out life by myself.
Ginger Stache: Lots of hard stuff.
Jai Williams: It's a lot of hard stuff through a pandemic, as well. And so, anyways, I'm saying that because, this past, I was thinking, right, the day before, Good Friday, it was just a hard, hard day for me. I was just thinking about a whole bunch of stuff, got several emails, more things about the situation came out. Like, it's unfortunate when just layers and layers of things that come out. And finally, I just really started reading about the cross and Jesus, you know, dying on the cross. And then, I read the part in the scripture where it was talking about how they, like, the people were casting lots for Jesus' clothes, like, you know, and then Jesus says, "Forgive them for they know, not what they do". And I'm like, "Hold up. They did know what they were doing. They were literally casting lots. Like, while you were dying".
Ginger Stache: They should have known better.
Jai Williams: "They gave you vinegar when you needed water". Like, they knew. And he's like, "Yeah, they knew, but they didn't know that they were part of the big plan". So, I immediately, then was like, "Man, well, thank you," to those people. And so, what that did was help me, and hopefully, this helps you. Even with the way that you think about a horrible situation, I begin to thank my ex. I called him by his name. "Thank you". And I begin to, thank the mistress. I said her name out loud, like, I begin to thank them, and I felt a release. I'm like, I don't have to find out any more stuff. I don't have to know anything else. But thank you, because they're part of a big plan that I have never even seen before. I haven't even seen it. But what they've done, what I thought was detriment, what I thought was detriment, is actually catapulting me to whatever's coming next. So "Thank you".
Erin Cluley: Jai that is big.
Ginger Stache: That is huge.
Erin Cluley: I think when you start recognizing the fact that you can think about what you're thinking about, it's harder in the beginning to learn to change the way you think. So, like you said, Ginger, the circumstance is still the same, but I can think about it differently. It's hard in the beginning, but once you practice, and once you begin to see God working, and you see this, whatever that was, you see God take that story for, and turn it into something amazing, then it makes the process even easier.
Ginger Stache: What we're talking about works. And so, that changes things, and slowly it becomes second nature, instead of, you know,in the beginning, it's like, "Oh, wait a minute, I need to do this," and that's good. That's a great place to start. But there will come a time where it's second nature that, "This is what I need to think instead of what I'm thinking". It's almost always the opposite, right? There's a scripture in the Bible that is the opposite of what you're thinking. If you're thinking you're worthless, God tells you, you are valuable. If you are afraid, God tells you, he is there with you. You don't have to be afraid. Just about everything that we're dealing with, God has an answer for. So, we're gonna go right back to Joyce, one more time, because you've taken this inventory in your life now, that she was talking about. And she's going to give you some more really great practical ideas.
Joyce Meyer: You can do your own thinking, and so can I. You can think your own thoughts. You don't have to think anything that falls in your head, you can throw some out and choose some better ones. You can do your own thinking, you can do your own thinking, you can do your own thinking, you can do your own thinking. If you have to, you write down 20 things that you wanna think that you believe will improve your life. Make it all something that comes from the Word of God. And you get up in the morning, and you say, "God lives in me. I have his wisdom. I am forgiven. Made right with God through the blood of Christ. I have worth and value. God loves me unconditionally". And then, when you start feeling junky at nine o'clock, you get your list back out. When you start feeling bad at eleven o'clock, you get your list back out. When you make a little mistake and you lose your temper and yell at your kids, and the devil says, "See, you ain't even saved". You get your list back out. Are you there? Fight the good fight of faith and the next day, it'll be easier. And the next day, it'll be easier. And a month from now, it'll be a lot easier. And a year from now, you won't even be having that battle with those thoughts, you may have a battle with some new thoughts, but you learn how to win the battle by fighting with the Word of God. Amen? Don't overload your mind. God created us to handle life, one day at a time. So, don't be worrying about tomorrow and don't be worrying about yesterday. Don't look to the right or the left. Don't look behind you. Don't look in front of you. Live today because God has given you the grace that you need to have a great day, today, if you'll focus on this day. Come on, give God a praise.
Ginger Stache: This is the best stuff. I'm telling you: this is so practical. God's word always is, but sometimes, we read it and we kinda brush over it and we don't know what to do with it. This is what God wants us to do with his word. He wants us to live in peace, and joy, and security, no matter what's going on around us. Because the world is not secure, there's a lot of stuff happening, but this changes it. This changes everything.
Erin Cluley: I love that, she said too, like, if it at eleven o'clock, you need to pull that list out again, and then at three o'clock you need to pull that list out. You just have to keep doing it because sometimes it doesn't feel like it's working. And sometimes, it feels like I've got my list and my scriptures and it's not changing anything, but we have to just keep going back to it. 'Cuz his word is faithful. God is faithful in the things that he promises us. And the devil wants us to give up and say "Eh, it didn't work that time, so, I'm just going to do it on my own and let my mind race". But he's faithful to what he's promised us.
Jai Williams: Yeah, I love how she says just get through today.
Erin Cluley: Yeah.
Ginger Stache: One day at a time.
Jai Williams: Get through now.
Ginger Stache: That's what got to me. That's why I'm like, it's so good. I mean, that's what I needed. I'm gonna give you this, and this is what we're going to say at the end of the show, and it's all yours.
Jai Williams: This part, right here?
Ginger Stache: Yeah, the blue things at the bottom there.
Jai Williams: Okay. So, the resource offer, "Battlefield of the Mind," comes from Joyce's top-selling book, "Battlefield of the Mind". Make sure you guys get that. It's a free Bible study, you're gonna love it, you're gonna enjoy it. Go to joycemeyer.Org/talkitout for the resource. Get caught up on all of our previous episodes, and sign up to be one of our friends. Because clearly, we're great friends, because she just passed me this. And I just took it because I see that she needed it. And so, we love you.
Erin Cluley: You did great!
Ginger Stache: Thank you for being there for me, friend.
Jai Williams: I can read. I didn't do it as good as Ginger, 'cuz Ginger usually has it down here and she does like this. But I didn't want to over think it, get it?
Erin Cluley: Nice! I see what you did there. That was nice.
Jai Williams: But yeah, thank you guys so much for joining us. Thank you, Ginger. Thank you, Erin. Thank you, all of our friends. See you next time on Talk It Out.
Ginger Stache: Bye, you guys.
Erin Cluley: Bye friends.