Whatcha Thinking?
- Noah Olson
- May 17
- 3 min read
The average human thinks about 6,000 thoughts every day. These thoughts include happy ones, sad ones, constructive ones, humorous ones, odd ones, and deep ones. Thoughts are what makes man, man. Marcus Aruelius said, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make him.” William James said, “Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will create the fact.” Solomon said, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).
Thoughts are the bridge between brain and behavior. God is assuredly concerned about our behavior, but the concern is not mutually exclusive from how we use our thoughts. They are wells through which life’s issues spring (Proverbs 4:23). Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis were two influential pioneers of the Cognitive Behavioral Theory movement in the 20th century. They originated two important theories that revolved around a man’s thoughts. They taught that true psychological health is founded in the willingness to control our thinking. Many of life’s problems would simply fade away if we recognized, controlled, and managed our thinking.
Because humans are the only beings (besides God) with metacognition,[1] it is possible to think about how to think. Let’s think about three helpful tips on how to think better.
Get IN Your Head.
Sometimes we don’t act right because we are not thinking. We choose emotion over reason and impulse over thought. Some individuals find it easier to obey the body, but God created us to listen to our minds first. If we struggle with rash action or quick emotional outbursts perhaps its time we begin to get inside our heads. When Paul wrote to the Philippians about anxiety, he urged them to correct such with constructive thinking (Philippians 4:6-8). Those who do not control their thinking are defenseless (Proverbs 25:28). A doctor saw a patient for a bad illness. The patient was anxious, shaking, and pacing. “So what the cure doc” said the patient. The doctor responded “a healthy dose of good thinking. Your thoughts are going to kill you faster than your disease!
Replacing thoughts is a good practice. If we are self-conscious, tell yourself how good you are. If you are worried, think about God’s goodness. If you ponder the negative, add in a positive. Leroy Brownlow said “Negative thinking is self-destructive. Positive thinking is self-creative.” He also said that “if you are dissatisfied with the little world your thoughts have created and pulled in around you, then change your thinking and a new one will open up.”
Get OUT of Your Head.
While some people rarely use their heads, some are in their head too much. They overthink, overgeneralize, and overread everything. Their thoughts create false realities, and these individuals often believe them. They are anxiety driven and depressed. Sometimes they fill themselves with what psychologists would call “Cognitive Distortions.” Here are a few:
Overgeneralization. This distortion generalizes specific single instances.[2] One might say “I sinned today…I am always such a bad sinner.”
Dichotomous thinking. This is also known as black and white thinking. There is no grey area allowed. One might say “I must either be perfect or I am a total failure.” There is no room for grace.
Magnification. This distortion attempts to create mountains out of molehills. One might perceive a minor event as the end of the world.
For some, these thoughts take too much control of their lives and leave them hopeless and helpless.
We must recognize that while thoughts come from our brain, this does not mean they are intended to stay. We cannot stop a bird from flying over our head, but we can stop them from making a nest in our hair. We need to differentiate thoughts from intentions as God does (Hebrews 4:12). What always passes through our brains does not always indicate a desire or plan. Remember, the heart is deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9) and its biggest target is YOU. Sometimes, it is ok to just let thoughts come and go. The Serentiy Prayer reads: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”
Get ABOVE Your Head.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy is a useful tool to combat anxiety driven thoughts. A specific modality of this therapy suggests having a different relationship with your thoughts. It asks the client to transcend their thought and treat them as what they are: THOUGHTS! This is a Biblical practice. Transferring thoughts to Christ is wise (2 Corinthians 10:4). When distracting thoughts cause disarray, the comforts of God should come and stand in its place (Psalm 94:19). Rising above your thoughts gives you power over them instead of the other way around.
Thoughts come and thoughts go, but do not let your control of them wane. God meant for you to lead your thoughts. So, what have you been thinking?
Endnotes
[1]Metacognition is the fact that humans can think about their thinking
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