Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things” Research have shown what we think about does impact our lives, no wonder the word of God encourages us to think about things which are true, noble, pure, lovely, good report etc basically good and positive thoughts.
Newsweek.com stated there is a research that shows human being have more than 6000 thoughts a day. This is incredible, that over 6000 thoughts flow through our minds each day, confirming Proverbs 23:7 that states as a man thinketh in his heart so is he. You are basically an embodiment of your thoughts. Oxford dictionary describe ‘thought’ as an idea or opinion produced by thinking and ‘thinking’ as the process of considering or reasoning about something. https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/ states “Negative attitudes and feelings of helplessness and hopelessness can create chronic stress, which upsets the body’s hormone balance, depletes the brain chemicals required for happiness, and damages the immune system. Chronic stress can actually decrease our lifespan. (Science has now identified that stress shortens our telomeres, the “end caps” of our DNA strands, which causes us to age more quickly.)”
If we think negatively, we become negative and act accordingly. Moses sent out twelve spies to Canaan the promised land as instructed by God in Numbers 13. Ten spies came back with a negative report, that the land devour its inhabitants, there were giants in the land and comparing themselves to the size of the giants they were like grasshoppers. Their negative thoughts and feelings were also injected to others concluding the mission was impossible. God was not happy with them with the consequence of them dying in the wilderness without entering the promise land, though this was a physical death, negative thoughts release bad toxins that also affect health leading to sicknesses and eventually death as stated above.
However, if we think positively, being joyful, we promote health and wellbeing. Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones. Nehemiah 8:10 “……The Joy of the Lord is our strength. Mayoclinic.com shared some benefits of positive thinking like: Increased life span, Lower rates of depression, Lower levels of distress and pain Greater resistance to illnesses, Better psychological and physical well-being, Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease and stroke Reduced risk of death from cancer, Reduced risk of death from respiratory conditions Reduced risk of death from infections, Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress
We can filter out the negative thoughts using Philippians 4:8, checking if the thought flowing through our mind is pure, good, wholesome etc. I am currently working on this health goal by writing down 20 things to thank God for each week. Writing down things to be grateful for helps one to look forward to the next day / week / month positively, this promotes health and wellbeing, instead of being worried or anxious, one is at peace knowing God is in control and all things will work together for good to them that Love the Lord and are called according to His purpose. I pray the Lord will help us to take captive all the negative thoughts and reflect more on good and uplifting thoughts in Jesus’s name.