The Belt of Truth

Ah!  How much we learn from others when we listen…

I was explaining my usual analogy of “replacing the tape” in our head with another tape and the advantage of this being a song, when the person in front of me said “REPLANT”.

This was in the context of ruminating or worrying thought processes (sometimes as a manifestation of depression) and that it is much more productive to just simply “replace” the thoughts rather than analysing them or attempting to reason with them or fight them.  How to do this?  Just imagine taking out the tape of the unwanted thoughts and replace them with a tape of good thoughts e.g. Bible verses committed to memory or, most effectively, a song of praise – as in the meditation http://www.thebeltoftruth.org.au/truth/we-have-a-choice-as-to-what-we-think/ .

I have found this over the years to be the most useful strategy for getting rid of unwanted and distressing ruminating thoughts.  The psychological principle is of course sound even if one is just thinking good (this worldly) things, but so much better when our thoughts – or our songs – are directed to God as part of this process.  That then gives opportunity for God to work in us.

Anyway my friend stunned me by saying REPLANT.  And he explained:

Right
Excellent
Pure
Lovely
Admirable
Noble
True

And it’s all there in Philippians 4!!  It can be applied to our thoughts or specifically of the attributes of God that are right, excellent etc so that we can praise Him effectively (even when we don’t feel like it).

Lachlan. January 2010 (rev 2012).

Tags: bad thoughts, depression, singing