Weeding Out Negativity: A 4-Day Thought DetoxSample

How well do you maintain your garden?

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by negative thoughts? During my twenties, having this mindset is why I resented my residency on Single Avenue. I failed to view my time on Single Avenue as an opportunity to discover God’s purpose for me. I was slow to realize that my ability to discover God's plans depended on my attitude toward how I chose to maintain my garden, which is why my garden was a hot mess.

My lack of due diligence in protecting my mind from the Enemy’s negative thoughts allowed my garden to be overrun with weeds, better known as negative thoughts. It was impossible for beautiful flowers, God’s word, to grow because they never got the opportunity to become deeply rooted in good soil. On the rare occasions, you saw flowers in my garden, they barely survived because I failed to prune them. In hindsight, my flowers failed to thrive because I was too busy creating opportunities without involving God in my decision-making.

I remember all the times God tried His best to get my attention so we could have a relationship. He wanted to show me the plans He had in store for me. My stubbornness prevented me from acknowledging God’s presence. At that point in my life, I could not stress enough that I prevented myself from blooming on Single Avenue. I let weeds run wild throughout my garden!

It wasn’t until I truly focused on God and actively worked towards changing my mindset that I saw his plans manifest in my life. I want you to view your thought life as a garden. If you want that garden filled with beautiful flowers, you must allow the seeds of God’s Word to get deeply rooted.

You need to maintain your garden daily by reading and applying His word. Otherwise, you risk having your garden overrun with weeds, also known as negative thoughts. If you want to have a beautiful garden instead of a hot mess, I want you to be more intentional about removing the weeds that show up in your garden.

If you fail to remove the weeds, you will not be able to gain Christ’s attributes because your soul is consumed with negativity. God created us all with a specific purpose (Jer. 29: 11, Rom 8:28). You must actively work to dismantle the thoughts that don’t reinforce your value to God. I know this is easier said than done, but the good news is that it can be done.

Reflection Questions

What weeds are in your garden?

How can you actively remove the weeds in your garden?

What are the consequences of allowing your weeds to overrun your garden?