Sugar And "Negs"
By Michael A. Verdicchio

While this is not an article about physical diet, it is interesting to note how many items at the grocery store have sugar or an alternative sweetener in them. It seems as though there is sugar in just about everything our society consumes today.

There is no disputing the fact that we eat a lot of sugar! There are a lot of heated arguments and debates regarding the amount of sugar we should or should not eat. I do not wish to debate that issue here, but instead use that as a universal example in order to make a point.

Suppose you had soda and cookies for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Before long, your body would start to become ill from such a lousy diet: almost all sugar with little nutrition. A diet like that would certainly not help your body to perform at its best, but instead would tear it down.

What about our mental diet as Christians? Does that really matter? Does what we see, hear and think have any effect on our lives? How healthy could a consistent daily diet of negatives be for your mind?

Negative thoughts (or, as I like to call them, "negs") are destructive thoughts. It's important to differentiate not having a pattern of destructive thoughts from just living in denial. When something negative comes up, simply saying that everything is "just fine" isn't doing anything but denying a real and present problem. When situations arise, you need to handle them the best that you can. What we will focus on in this article is how destructive it is to have a consistent diet of negative thoughts.

The more you stay focused and dwell on something, the more you will continue to attract it into your life - just like a magnet. That is the way God designed our minds to work; Christians and non-Christians alike. It is the daily diet of thought, thought after thought after thought, that eventually forms your belief system.

Some refer to it as your subconscious mind, your inner self, or your true self. The Bible refers to it as the heart. That's why that verse from Proverbs rings so true: "as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Whatever you choose to call it, it is where your core beliefs reside.

Your life today is a product of what is in your heart. It didn't happen by accident. You weren't born that way. What is in your heart came from your thoughts. The good news is that you can change your heart - and your life.

I realize that there is no possible way to escape hearing and seeing "negs" in the world. During the day, just like everyone else, we Christians encounter "negs" everywhere: radio, TV, movies, other people, etc. There are plenty of negatives to be found everywhere, just as there are thousands of products that contain sugar. But, is it possible to avoid any of those "negs?" Yes, you certainly can!

Maybe you need to evaluate the people you hang out with. If your friends are always negative, then perhaps it's time to find some new friends. It would be better to have just one good Christian friend who is positive than fifty friends who are negative.

The point is very simple: take charge of your life! Choose your surroundings, including your radio, TV, movies, books, and friends carefully. Take a good look at what you are feeding your mind on a daily basis and decide what you really want to feed it. The choice is yours. It's like planting vegetables. If you like tomatoes but don't like squash, then don't plant squash, plant tomatoes! What you plant is what will grow.

The same is true with your brain. You will actually become what you plant in that brain of yours. Decide what you really desire and then make an effort every day to put those thoughts into your head and heart. It may take a little while to flush out some of those "negs," just like the sugars in your body, but stay persistent and you will see some remarkable results.

You really can have the life that you desire! You can be a successful Christian in every category of your life! Consistently, day by day, keep putting the right thoughts into your heart.