BROADCASTS.com

b'

Do you find yourself running thoughts over and over again in your mind?\\xa0 In today's episode, we're talking about how to stop ruminating over a toxic relationship.

FREE Toxic People Survival Guide
https://krisreece.com/toxic-people-survival-guide

How Toxic are My Thoughts? FREE Quiz
\\xa0https://krisreece.com/toxic-thoughts-assessment-2/

Renew Your Mind Online Course
https://krisreece.com/renew-your-mind/

Building Faith Podcast from Kris Reece Ministries is a podcast to provide biblical solutions to life's tough challenges.

TRANSCRIPT

Do you find yourself unable to stop thinking about the toxic person in your life? Maybe it\\u2019s your self-centered, husband your narcissistic mother or your obnoxious boss. You find yourself thinking repeatedly about the offenses maybe run the scenarios over and over again of what you should have, could have, and would have said. Maybe you repeat the offenses over and over again. And you struggle with forgiveness or perhaps you are the type who blames yourself and then wonders, what you could have done differently.

Whoever it is and whatever the thoughts, it is likely that this person is taking up way too much, mental real estate. And if you\\u2019re like many, your joy is gone, and you have trouble attending to the needs of life simply because you can\\u2019t stop thinking about this person and what they\\u2019ve done or are doing. Most people, I encounter will provide a blanket solution for this problem. They\\u2019ll say, I know, I know I just have to stop thinking so much about them, and to that, I challenged and say the problem is not that you\\u2019re thinking, the problem is what you\\u2019re thinking about.

If you\\u2019ve ever struggled to lose weight and just told yourself, I need to stop eating so much you\\u2019ve likely, found that suggestion not very helpful. So let\\u2019s dive deeper into understanding what you\\u2019re thinking about and bring some biblical resolve to that mental battle. Rumination is running thoughts over and over again in your mind, but wait, that sounds a lot like meditation and you\\u2019d be correct, but there is a distinct difference, in meditation in the Godly sense not the new age is the focus on God\\u2019s word.

Psalm 119:15 says, \\u201cI will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.\\u201d Psalm 19:14 should be the cry of our hearts, \\u201cLet the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, Oh, Lord, my rock and my redeemer.\\u201d

Rumination on the other hand is the fixation of your heart and mind on the negative aspects of the people, the situation, and maybe even God. It can take on an obsessive nature where you can\\u2019t seem to stop. It is the devil\\u2019s counterfeit to meditation. And for many, they believe that, if they can just think on it enough, they will find peace. And this is a trick from the enemy to pull you further into his mental pit.

And I\\u2019m guessing a big part of you doesn\\u2019t want to ruminate on this person. You want to get back to the plans and the purpose that God has for your life, but there\\u2019s a problem and our minds, don\\u2019t like unsolved problems.

So let\\u2019s talk today about what\\u2019s happening in your mind and how you can overcome this mental battle biblically.

Four primary problems we\\u2019re going to talk about that are taking place right now.

Problem #1 \\u2013 Confusion. \\xa0Toxic relationships always create confusion. One minute the relationship is good and the next minute, it\\u2019s not. And as a person with a desire to be in a healthy relationship you are likely willing to deal with the ups and downs and go through the tough times with people. But this toxic person always seems to change the rules and it causes confusion. There\\u2019s never peace and you\\u2019re always waiting for the o