Bowing my attitude…
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every pretension
that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,
and we take captive every thought
to make it obedient to Christ.
Linda Dillow, in Satisfy My Thirsty Soul, defines ‘attitude’ as “our mental and emotional response to the circumstances of life.” After the birth of our third child, I did not respond well to the changes in our family’s life. . . not that our little boy was by any means a difficult baby. He was a good sleeper, nursed well, etc. However, for me, going from two children to three presented some very difficult challenges. Over a span of several months, I experienced a lot of ‘negative inward chatter’. This led to despair and hopelessness because I listened to my thoughts and did not take them captive. I did not test them against what God’s Word says.
Now, after the birth of our fourth child, I am again facing similar challenges. Ever since I became pregnant with this precious little one, I have been fearing this postpartum time. I have been praying that I would be spiritually stronger and ready to combat the impending negative thoughts and emotions.
I know what I need to do. There is a solution and God just reminded me of it in the book by Dillow that I have been reading. So, as I face this upcomming 3rd postpartum week, I need to…
- draw close to God
- reflect on His attributes
- worship Him with thanksgiving
- cultivate an attitude of gratitude for all things
- test negative thoughts against what God’s Truth is
- continue to pray for strength and peace
So, how is this bowing my attitude? Dillow explains that “The sacrifice comes when I put to death my inclinations, when I kill my urge to” grumble and focus on the negative emotions. “Then, after putting to death my natural tendancy, I must call forth from the deep within me, the buried treasure of praise.” “A thankful spirit is the way out of the pit.”
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy,
think about such things.
Lord Jesus, I pray that you would help me to take every thought captive, to dwell upon your faithfulness, and to be thankful for all things.
Hi Michelle,
I just want to say that I have been totally encouraged and inspired by your posts on this blog. So much of what you write really resonates with me. Thank you for your reminder about dealing with “negative inward chatter”and taking each thought captive. I experienced the similar feelings after adding baby #2 to our family – but am so thankful that God helped me through.
I also wanted to thank you for your Hubbard’s Cupboard site. I’m on week 6 of Bible and Rhyme and my daughter and I are loving it. The curriculum is an answer to prayer for us – we’re praying about whether to homeschool or not in the future and I had no idea where to even start and your site has helped me start the journey. I’m excited to see where God leads us.
Thanks!
Allison