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3 Ways to Deal with Toxic Thoughts

March 11, 2022 By Jennifer H. Yates

11 Mar
3 Ways to Deal with Toxic Thoughts

“I’ll never be good enough.”

“I wonder what they think of me.”

“Nobody understands what I go through.”

“Nothing ever goes right for me.”

I wrote all the above as the introduction to an article called “3 Ways to Deal with Toxic Thoughts” for the Dawn mobile app, created to encourage a mindful faith by starting each day with God. But those are all thoughts I have struggled with at some point in my life.

Did you know that suicide is the second leading cause of death among young adults (activeminds.org)?

Did you know that 39% of college students struggle with mental health issues, most of which go untreated? (activeminds.org)?

Did you know that in the last three years the rate of depression among adults has tripled (www.bu.edu)?

In a society driven by curated social media posts that encourage comparison, materialism, isolation, addiction, and fear, young people are more anxious and depressed than ever.

The good news is the Bible has much to say about our minds and thought life, and that’s why I am encouraged by those ministries that seek to use technology in a healthy way.

The Dawn Mobile App

The Dawn mobile app is a simple way to start each day connecting with God through Scripture, prayer, and devotionals. Created by Angie Gibbons and Paula Cavagnaro in Kailua, Hawaii, the app supports mental wellbeing by encouraging users to make time with God a daily practice so that their minds are renewed by the Word and strengthened in His presence.

Maybe you struggle with toxic thoughts that keep you anxious, confused, or depressed. This article I wrote for their blog shares three tips that have helped me to overcome those thoughts.

You can read it here on their website, then check out the mobile app to keep the encouragement and daily support at your fingertips.

3 Ways to Deal with Toxic Thoughts

And if you know or love someone who struggles with mental health, please share this post with them.

“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.”

Isaiah 26:3, ESV

May that be our testimony as we seek Him first and grow our faith.

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Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: anxiety and depression, Bible study, Christian devotional, devotional, Gather at Dawn, Jennifer H Yates, Jennifer Hayes Yates, mental health, quiet time, religion vs. relationship, renewing my mind, Scripture meditations, seek God first, seeking God, The Dawn mobile app, thought life, worship, young adult mental health

« How to Love People You Don’t Like
3 Ways to Stand Firm in Your Faith »

Hey there, my friend

Hey there, my friend

I want you to know that you don't have to be overwhelmed, confused, or too busy to be fruitful and productive. You can be grounded in the Word and growing in your faith.

Even if you have encountered chaos, hypocrisy, legalism, or suffering. God's Word is the truth we must be grounded in to thrive and bear fruit.

I'm Jen, and I want to encourage you with practical strategies and helpful resources to grow your relationship with Jesus one intentional moment at a time. Even if all you can give right now is 15 minutes, you CAN seek Jesus and grow your faith.

Come hang out with me in my Facebook community, download some free resources, or take the FOCUSED 15 Challenge to get started.

You can get God's Word into your heart so that you can be transformed to live a life that is fruitful for the Kingdom!

Jen

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jenniferhyates

jenniferhyates
I hear from women almost daily who struggle to hav I hear from women almost daily who struggle to have daily time in God's Word.

The biggest challenge is finding the time.
The second is being able to focus.
The third is knowing where to start.

But here's the thing: If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you.

The key to having consistent time in the Word is the desire to be changed by it.

If you KNOW you need God desperately, you will find the time, the focus, and the ability to study the Word. 

It really comes down to priorities.

And if you need a little encouragement and direction to get started, check out my FOCUSED 15 Challenge. #linktree in bio
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#seekingtruth #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #groundedandgrowing #christianblogger #womenintheword #justlikeus #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #focused15challenge #womenoftheworld #intheword #jesusandwomen #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus #linktree
👉 Do you doubt your value and identity as a wom 👉 Do you doubt your value and identity as a woman?

👉 Do you long for clarity about your purpose in life?

👉 Do you wrestle to overcome fear, doubt, and insecurity?

You're not alone. In fact, the need for validation, acceptance, and approval dates all the way back to the Garden. In the Bible, we have examples of women who were just like us, who struggled with these very same issues.

Women such as Sarah, Hannah, Rahab, and the woman at the well also faced questions, doubts, and fears. But their stories teach us God's answers to the questions that nag our hearts and leave us restless.

In her new book, Just Like Us, best-selling author Jennifer Hayes Yates takes us on a guided tour through the pages of Scripture, stopping to visit each of these women and what the Lord longs to teach us through them.

In Just Like Us, you'll encounter our God's surpassing love for us. His Word overflows with the answers our hearts hunger for in this life.
Learn how to find your deepest contentment in God. 

❤️ Understand your eternal value in a temporal world.
❤️ Know your purpose in a world of confusion.
❤️ Deepen your faith in God in a world of doubt.
❤️ Discern His truth in a world of lies.
❤️ Gain courage in a world of fear.
❤️ Embrace hope in a world of despair.

Join this biblical journey and find your place in the kingdom as a beloved woman of God. 

Available now on Amazon for just $2.99.

#seekingtruth #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #groundedandgrowing #christianblogger #womenintheword #justlikeus #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #focused15challenge #womenoftheworld #intheword #jesusandwomen #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus #linktree
Do you consider yourself a student of God’s Word Do you consider yourself a student of God’s Word?

The English word disciple comes from the Greek word mathetes, meaning “disciple, student, follower; a committed learner and follower."

Sometimes we shy away from the word disciple (because it sounds too much like discipline) or the word student (because it sounds too much like school), but our hearts should be drawn to know and understand God’s Word.

“Do good to your servant according to your word, O LORD. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands" (Psalm 119:65-66, NIV).

Women in Jesus’ day were not allowed to go to school or learn under rabbis. They were considered unable to learn or understand the Torah, and so they were taught to take care of the home.

But Jesus countered their cultural traditions. He had many women followers (Luke 8:1-3), and He taught women, considering them capable of learning and understanding His truth (Luke 10:38-42).

Jesus affirmed women’s thirst for truth and encouraged their role as disciples.

Our roles as wives, mothers, and homemakers do not exclude our role as students of the Word. I love being a wife and mother. I love taking care of our home, providing meals (okay, I don’t really love cooking, but I do enjoy choosing healthy foods for our family), and I like decorating our space to make it cozy and inviting.

I also enjoyed many years of teaching and working outside the home. But I have really loved the opportunity to sit at Jesus’ feet as a student, to listen to His Word being preached, to study the Word for myself, to search out its meaning, and to seek to apply it in my life.

We don’t have to wait for others to spoon-feed us the Bible. And as influencers in our homes, we need to know and understand God’s truth so we can teach our children (Deuteronomy 6:4-9).

I’ll admit, there are areas of the Bible that are difficult to understand and that can cause confusion. But with a few principles to guide us, we can learn to be students of the Word.

Read the rest at jenniferhyates.com #linktree in bio.

#seekingtruth #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #groundedandgrowing #christianblogger #womenintheword #justlikeus
"But now a righteousness from God, apart from the "But now a righteousness from God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:21-24, NIV).
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#seekingtruth #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #groundedandgrowing #christianblogger #womenintheword #justlikeus #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #focused15challenge #womenoftheworld #intheword #jesusandwomen #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus #linktree
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a c Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

I am rewriting Let's Run, my very first book, a Bible study on Hebrews 11 and the faithful call to endure.

I'm so excited to go back through this study and add things I've learned since then. I pray it will encourage the faithful to endure to the end.
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#seekingtruth #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #groundedandgrowing #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #focused15challenge #womenoftheworld #intheword #jesusandwomen #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus #linktree
Competition has no place in the kingdom of God. J Competition has no place in the kingdom of God.

Just think how God's kingdom could grow if we rooted for each other and encouraged one another's faith?

Paul said if you want to outdo one another, try outdoing each other in love and honor.

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor" (Romans 12:10, ESV).

When you encourage a sister in the Lord, both of your faiths grow. 

Let's root for each other and watch each other grow, 🌿
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#seekingtruth #bedeeplyrooted #growingyourfaith #groundedandgrowing #christianblogger #womenintheword #livewithintention #shareyourheart #faithwriter #womenencouragingwomen #wordoflife #seekgoddaily #wordbeforeworld #jesusandcoffee #daughteroftheking #fiercelyhis #womenlivingwell #girlfriendsintheworld #faithblogger #givemejesus #graceupongrace #faithoverfear #seekhimfirst #focused15challenge #womenoftheworld #intheword #jesusandwomen #shereadstruth #butfirstjesus #linktree
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