The Negative Thoughts
I was having a not-so-good day and my mind was in its usual modus operandi (“MO”). In my MO, I tend to dwell on all the bad things that are happening to me at the present moment. My focus is on what I do not like about the current situation. The frustration mounts as my mind overflows with negative chatter.
This particular day was different, though. The MO started up but was shut down in a matter of minutes. I did not even get the chance to wallow in self-pity. Instead, I focused on four words: captive, obedient, think and thankful or C.O.T.T.
C.O.T.T.
Captive – I took my thoughts captive as we are instructed in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to do. I needed to arrest the poisonous babble before it took control of my day and ruined it.
Obedient – After the thoughts were taken captive, I gave them over to Christ and made them obedient to Him. There were no longer thoughts running amuck in my head, Jesus now had control over them.
Think – Next, I changed my thinking. We are encouraged in Philippians 4 to think on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Is making my mind a hot bed for negative thoughts true, admirable or praiseworthy? No! Thinking about joyful things is the way to go.
Thankful – Lastly, I offered a prayer of thanksgiving for the blessings in my life. In 1 Corinthians 5:18, Paul directs us to give thanks in all circumstances. This is what I would consider the icing on the cake. Having an attitude of gratitude about the blessings in my life changes my frame of mind which changes my attitude. I no longer focus on me. The situation around me disappears and I focus on God.
C.O.T.T. in Action
On this particular day, I realized I was having these negative thoughts. I brought them to a stop and made them obedient to Jesus. Then I began thinking about my husband and how I am thankful for the way he makes me laugh when I am sad. He is my best friend and my rock. I thought about our two dogs and how they like to snuggle with me on the couch when I do my quiet time in the morning. I am very thankful for their companionship and affection. My thoughts drifted to one of my oldest and dearest friends. We can spend hours at Starbucks talking about life and our dreams. I am so grateful for someone with whom I can talk about almost anything. I reflected on some new friends that I have met recently and how accepted I feel in their presence.
Each pleasant thought melted away the anger, the frustration and the bitterness that had begun to chip away at my day. It is amazing how something as simple as C.O.T.T. had changed the outcome of my day. I have been using this strategy more and more lately as a way to have a more positive outlook on life. It seems to be working. I do not spend time focusing on the negative aspects of my day. Instead, I am more inclined to dwell on what matters the most.
Your Turn
The next time you are tempted to get in a tailspin about your bad day, first take your thoughts captive and make them obedient to Jesus. Next, think about righteous and excellent things that make you thankful. I am sure your scowl will change to a smile. Mine did!