“Chewing” on Our Thoughts

All day long we carry on conversations with ourselves. You

may even find yourself talking out loud, or mumbling to
yourself while you’re having a dialogue with yourself.
We talk to ourselves while taking a shower or shaving or
driving or listening to a lecture or a sermon. And sometimes we
engage in self-talk without realizing we’re doing it. We catch
ourselves, and “vow” not to waste any more time doing it. But
we will . . . and it’s not always a waste of time.
Were you aware that talking to yourself is a habit you’ve
cultivated? Think of your mind as a massive iPod, and over the
year you’ve downloaded hundreds of statements that you can
play at will. Some of them you’ve played so much that you’re
not really needed to tap the play button anymore. Now, you
hear them automatically.
The more these play, the more we begin to believe them. We
think, This is reality! This is true!
When we dwell continuously on the same theme or issue, it
can be described as ruminating. This word came from a Latin
word for “chewing the cud.” If you’ve been around cows,
you’ll have a visual picture of what this means. It seems like
some cows can go all day long chewing and chewing.
When we ruminate on a thought, we go over it again and
again, often too many times to count. Ruminating reinforces
that thought, the belief, and the effect. It can get in the way of
reality. It also can get in the way of finding a solution to the
problem.
Ruminating on a negative thought can cripple our creative
thinking and hinder us from making positive steps. And several
studies have identified the link between rumination and
depression. In 1989, there was a major earthquake in San
Francisco. Those who ruminated about the experience were
more likely to experience depression and post-traumatic stress.
Another study showed that those who ruminate about their
problems are four times more likely to develop major
depression than those who don’t.
Even when you’re not aware of the content of your self-talk,
and even when some is negative, it’s not a cause for concern.
But help is needed when your negative thoughts become
frequent, or when you believe negative thoughts that aren’t
really true, or when what you tell yourself goes against
Scripture.
In an earlier chapter, we called these “toxic thoughts.”
They’re not based in reality. They’re distorted. And by
changing them, you can change your life.