I know many of us with chronic illness live most of our days in isolation & that has the tendency to make you a prisoner of your own mind. It’s easy to get trapped in a never-ending loop of negative thoughts. Thoughts of how capable we used to be & how our lack of independence & ability to contribute give feelings of worthlessness. Then there are the loops of shoulda, woulda, coulda, & if only. All these thoughts have just enough truth that they become easily believed to be the whole truth about us & the sum of our parts. But I’m here to tell you the best sold lies are ones with a little bit of truth to them.
Have you ever really looked at God’s rules for Eden (Genesis 2:17) vs. what the serpent whispers in Eve’s ear (Gen. 3)? The 2 verses/ phrases are nearly identical, just enough to give enough wiggle room to an interpretation of the meaning of the truth. And just enough doubt in the form of a question to give Eve a little push to take more authority. And that slight of hand is what is happening on a minute by minute, day by day basis in our minds & hearts & if we give that negativity too much space in our minds the repercussions are devastating. That is why Jesus asks us to renew our minds for them to be transformed (Romans 12:2).
This is not a one-time thing you do when you accept Christ as your Lord & Savior, but a continual metamorphosis of our being. We must constantly keep seeking out connection with our Creator to find our center & the real truth of who we are in Christ, who He made us to be. Instead of dwelling on our negative thoughts Philippians 4:8 gives us a different focus; Whatever is True & Noble, Right & Pure, Lovely & Admirable, Excellent & Worthy of Praise. This has been said to be the shortest bio of Jesus. In other words, we are to think on His teachings & His Word, in short Him.
I have fought this battle with negative thoughts my entire life. I wouldn’t say I’ve lived depressed, but definitely lacking in self-confidence & self-worth.

The beginning of my journey with Wilson’s was hard, it magnified every negative thought I’d ever had & brought some new ones along. Spending at least 8 hours a day with only my thoughts for company got real old quick. I upped my Audible game, reading, binge watching, you name it until finally it clicked, this is my new normal. I knew I had a choice I could continue down this path of trying to mentally escape/numb out or I could redirect my focus & ask God for help. I chose to start focusing on higher things (Isaiah 55:7-9) & take every thought captive & make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).
You have a choice too. So, which will you choose? The ‘blue pill’ where you can continue down the path you are currently on? Or the ‘red pill’, to learn the truth about how God really sees you & His plan for you? I won’t lie to you this is a hard process & it takes time.

Day 15 Challenge:
• Start a journal. You might not be much for journaling, but it helps to keep track of your progress. Sometimes it will seem like you’re just barely treading water & the journal is a tangible way to see how far you’ve come.
• Sharing your burden with Christ & a trusted friend. Be honest with them about where you’re at.
• Read the Bible daily (study Bibles are a great tool), maybe start in Psalms. I’d also start reading a devotional or Christian self-help book to help you understand the Bible & our Creator a bit better. Keep a list of God’s truths that speak to you along the way (they are really handy for those bad days).
• Start a thankfulness jar/list can be of great help in keeping your mind in the right place. Start off trying to write down one thing you’re thankful for each week then as your gratefulness muscle grows, up it to every day. One day it will come out without even thinking. Then at the end of a month, yr., or when you just need a pick-me-up read through the things you were thankful for.