Get Out of Your Head

Are you trapped in a cycle of negative thoughts? The choice to redirect those thoughts and find peace through faith is within your grasp.

1. The Cycle of Negative Thoughts Can Be Broken

Negative thoughts often spiral out of control, leaving us feeling helpless and lost. Jennie Allen shares her personal story of enduring an 18-month battle with self-doubt and fear after a traumatic experience. This darkness crept into every part of her life, leading her to question even her faith in God.

However, she emphasizes that we have the power to stop these spirals. By actively choosing to focus on positive, God-centered thoughts, we can disrupt negativity's grip on our minds. This requires awareness and the courage to confront these thoughts head-on.

Through her faith in Jesus and deliberate choices, Jennie found her way out of the spiral. She encourages others to view negative thoughts not as an inevitable curse but as an opportunity to choose a more positive course.

Examples

• Jennie Allen's doubts arose after a hostile encounter following a church talk and a symbolic power outage.
• For 18 months, she wrestled with sleepless nights and constant fear until she chose to focus on faith over fear.
• This breakthrough began with acknowledging that her thoughts were a choice, not an unchangeable reality.

2. Silence Offers the Path to Awareness

In our noisy lives full of distractions, silence becomes rare. Jennie encourages embracing moments of quiet to reflect and connect with God. Detaching from distractions like phones or endless social commitments can help us tune into our thoughts and assess them.

Allen explains that in moments of silence, we can pour our worries directly into prayer. These pauses not only calm us but also allow us to become conscious of negative thoughts, turning them into positive declarations of faith.

Silence also transforms the brain. Studies show that activities like prayer and meditation can physically rewire the mind, helping us shift from stress to gratitude and joy.

Examples

• A friend of Jennie's found clarity in silence, realizing her emotional struggles needed divine guidance, not worldly solutions.
• Meditation and prayer have been proven to stimulate the brain's healing processes and elevate mood.
• Jennie advocates replacing thoughts like “I’m overwhelmed” with “I thank God for my opportunities.”

3. Community is Key to Healing

Though solitude helps, humans are wired for connections. Jennie underscores the importance of a loving and supportive community to combat negative thought patterns. Even God represents community through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Building a community means stepping out of comfort zones. It can involve making new friends, growing existing relationships, or simply seeking a shared space of faith where you can be vulnerable. Openly sharing struggles helps diminish their hold over us.

One transformative example Jennie illustrates is a friend who confessed her marital struggles, which ultimately saved her marriage and freed her from emotional torment. Community is about showing love and being true to one another.

Examples

• Real friendships, where everything can be shared, act as lifelines during emotional storms.
• A friend's confession of infidelity crushed her guilt and restored her marriage once the burden was shared with someone she trusted.
• Paul’s biblical advice to lead by example underscores the importance of surrounding oneself with God-loving individuals.

4. Surrender Fears and Trust God

Our fears often gain power when we keep them suppressed. Jennie suggests capturing these fears by writing them down, analyzing their roots, and surrendering them to God. This act releases us from their grip and allows divine wisdom to guide us.

She also encourages finding awe in God’s creation as a way of reinforcing trust. Observing the intricacies of a leaf, for example, reminds us of God’s thoughtful design, shifting attention away from personal fears toward God’s control and care.

Trusting in God eliminates the need to control everything ourselves. It allows us to live with confidence in divine plans, finding joy in His creations rather than focusing solely on our issues.

Examples

• Writing down fears and seeking biblical truths about them can help counter insecurities.
• A college Bible study group restored their faith by marveling at the details in a single leaf.
• Focusing on the beauty of life redirects cynicism and self-focus toward gratitude.

5. Gratitude is a Choice

People often dwell on what’s lacking rather than appreciating their blessings. Jennie illustrates this using a friend stuck in a job she disliked. Through expressing gratitude to God, the friend transformed her perspective and found joy in her situation.

Gratitude shifts the lens through which we view life. It allows us to stop feeling like victims of circumstances and instead focus on God’s generosity. Even in hardship, gratitude provides strength and reveals the good in tough times.

The Bible emphasizes thankfulness too. Paul remained grateful even under house arrest, a reminder that gratitude isn’t tied to perfect conditions but to faith and humility.

Examples

• A friend’s bitterness toward a mundane job dissipated when she chose to be thankful instead of resentful.
• Paul’s letters from imprisonment radiate gratitude, offering a powerful example for modern challenges.
• Facing terminal illness, Jennie’s other friend found strength in faith and gratitude for life’s blessings.

6. Humility Keeps You Grounded

Humility allows us to see beyond our wants and focus on God’s bigger picture. Jennie explains that humility is about accepting our place in creation and trusting that everything happens for a purpose.

This includes letting go of the mindset that we deserve more or better outcomes. Recognizing God’s authority over life’s plans can shift grievances into opportunities for growth and reliance on Him.

Humbling oneself also deepens one’s trust in God, reinforcing positive thought cycles that silence prideful frustrations.

Examples

• A friend battling a life-threatening illness accepted her fate humbly, which strengthened her faith in God’s plans.
• The Bible teaches believers that they aren’t the center of the universe, encouraging them to think of others.
• Paul’s humble gratitude while confined under arrest serves as a timeless lesson.

7. Serve Others Rather Than Yourself

True joy comes not from self-indulgence but from doing for others as Jesus did. Acts of service—whether small or large—help create purpose and diminish selfish tendencies.

Jennie urges readers to mimic Jesus, who served without seeking recognition or reward. Service shifts the focus from our own struggles to meeting others’ needs, creating a balance in life that our brains naturally crave.

Scientific studies reveal that serving others promotes mental well-being, reduces stress, and activates the same pleasure centers used by rewards.

Examples

• Cleaning or caring for children is an act of serving God through everyday tasks.
• Jesus’ ministry contained more acts of compassion than dramatic miracles.
• Helping a neighbor or friend fosters joy and meaning without external validation.

8. Complacency Hinders Purpose

Complacency arises when we settle into routines of comfort, ignoring our higher calling. Jennie warns against giving in to passive habits, like mindless TV watching, which rob us of opportunities for fulfillment.

She counters this by suggesting intentional actions, whether it’s volunteering, starting a project, or reaching out to an old friend. Giving is more fulfilling than receiving, as Jesus himself taught.

By breaking free of complacency, you engage more fully in a life lived for God, finding joy and growth in the process.

Examples

• Physiological studies show helping others literally benefits your body and mind.
• Jesus valued small acts of care as much as grand gestures, creating a model for purposeful living.
• Replacing hours of screen time with acts of kindness enables spiritual and personal growth.

9. Rewire Your Mind for God

Your brain’s structure is highly adaptable, meaning you can break negative habits and establish new, healthier ones. Jennie explains that it takes just ten minutes for brain cells to create new connections for positive change.

This means every small step toward refocusing your mind on God opens the door to transformation. Negative thoughts can be replaced with affirmations of faith and trust, creating new patterns of joyful thinking.

When negative thoughts arise, embrace them as opportunities to refocus your mind on God. This simple act begins the process of realigning your mental state.

Examples

• Microtubules in the brain reshape neurons within minutes when exposed to reflective thinking.
• Positive spirals have the power to strengthen faith and help develop deep inner peace.
• Jennie’s writing process for this book stemmed from rechanneling her thoughts toward God.

Takeaways

1. Spend ten minutes daily in reflection and prayer, redirecting one negative thought toward God.
2. Identify one person in your life with whom you can share deeply, fostering a supportive spiritual community.
3. Start each day listing three things you’re grateful to God for, building a mindset of gratitude and faith.