“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Prov 27:17)

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about 2 Corinthians 10:5 and how to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We have an average of thirty-five to forty-eight thoughts per minute – up to as many as 70,000 thoughts per day. How can I possibly control that many thoughts on my own? When left unchecked, my thoughts tend toward the negative. I worry and use negative self-talk until it’s a spiral that I can’t recover from on my own.

After I started prayerfully asking God to show me practical, tangible ways to take hold of these thoughts, I began to receive answers from a variety of sources. A friend recommended a book, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow, that she was reading with her small group. The book’s central premise is finding ways to control our anxiety by taking practical steps based on Biblical principles to control our thoughts. My pastor began preaching a series around controlling negative thinking, and a preacher I listen to by way of podcast began a series on the same topic at the same time.

As if all of this weren’t enough, I received an email from a newsletter mailing list for which I’d signed up months ago. My inbox fills up with this type of email, and I often end up deleting the emails without reading them because I just don’t have time to read all of them. However, the subject line of this email caught my attention, so I opened it and read it. In it, the writer discusses ways to overcome negative thinking for authors and entrepreneurs. His advice, while not based on Scripture, followed the same lines as the messages I’d just heard from the pastors and read in Linda Dillow’s book.

You may believe in coincidence, but I don’t. To me, God was clearly speaking and providing guidance through a variety of sources in my life.

One of the most practical and important things I can do to stay positive and capture those negative thoughts before they take root is to surround myself with a community of like-minded people. This advice comes from 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’” Think of the top three people you spend time with. You are a combination of these people. Whether you notice it or not, you begin to take on the traits and habits of those around you. I’ve noticed that when I spend a lot of time with someone, I begin to repeat certain phrases or inflections that they use or mannerisms that they have. I don’t consciously decide to imitate them. It’s just something that happens.

This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t associate with people who are different from us. But it does mean that we should be careful about whom we let into our inner circle. Even Jesus did this. Of his twelve disciples, he had three who were closer than the rest (Mk 14:33) and one who was closest of all (Jn 20:2).

It’s important to surround yourself with positive people: people who encourage you and lift you up; people who give sound advice; and people you can trust. Invest in those around you and develop a community. When you focus on creating a positive environment, you’ll discover that it’s much easier to recognize negative thoughts when they begin to attack. Once you recognize those thoughts, with the Lord’s help, you can defeat them.

Dear Jesus, thank you for surrounding me with a community of friends and family who encourage me every step of the way. Help me to encourage others in the same way. Amen.