Stinking Thinking
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8
My momma used to tell me, “You need to change your stinking thinking.’” Our thoughts often take on an unhealthy attitude, one that is working against us instead of for us. Examples of stinking thinking are:
All-or-nothing thinking—when a situation falls short of perfect and you see it as a total failure.
Jumping to conclusions—when you interpret things negatively, even though there are no facts to support your conclusion.
Emotional Reasoning—when you assume that your negative emotions reflect the way things really are.
The Bible has something to say about stinking thinking. Romans 12 tells us not to copy the behavior and customs of this world, instead, let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
Instead of all-or-nothing thinking, we need to accept that we are all imperfect and we all make mistakes. Repent if necessary and move forward with God’s forgiveness and blessing. Instead of jumping to conclusions, take time to learn the facts. Pray over things. Be an active listener. Instead of reasoning with your emotions, understand that emotions can be deceptive and change quickly. Never make emotional decisions.
If you don’t know what to think or how to change your stinking thinking, Philippians gives us a great starting place. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Stinking thinking, you don’t stand a chance!