KILLING THE GIANT OF JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS
This person jumps to a negative conclusion that is not justified by the facts of the situation. Two examples of this wrong kind of thinking are “mind reading” and “the fortune teller error.”
1. Mind Reading: This is where a person interprets events in a negative way—without really knowing what is truly going on. For example, a man walks in where two friends are talking and laughing. He automatically assumes that they are making fun of him—when actually they are planning a surprise birthday party for him!
The problem with this kind of negative “mind reading” is that it can cause you to either withdraw or counterattack. It can hurt relationships with others when it shouldn’t.
2. Fortune Teller Error: It is as if you had a crystal ball that foretold only misery for you! You imagine something bad is about to happen, and you take this prediction as fact even though it is unrealistic. For example, a high school librarian repeatedly told herself during anxiety attacks, “I’m going to pass out or go crazy.” But these predictions were unrealistic because she had never once passed out or gone crazy in her entire life.
Can you relate to this kind of wrong thinking? Perhaps you have had thoughts like this or know someone who does.
This kind of wrong thinking can put you into a place of fear and bondage. It can make living life very difficult and uncomfortable to say the least. But the good news is that you can be free from this “giant of jumping to conclusions!” Let me tell you how.
1. First of all, learn to be secure in who you are in Christ.
(1). II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.”
Declaration of faith: I AM A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST. I AM SECURE IN HIM! As you grow in knowing that you are secure in Christ, you will be much less likely to always jumping to negative conclusions in certain situations.
(2). II Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.”
Declaration of faith: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” When you know by revelation who you really are in Christ, the temptation of mind reading and fortune telling will become a thing of the past! You will become that secure in who you are in Christ!
2. Secondly, learn to walk in love because walking in love will keep your mind and emotions free.
(1). I Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
As we grow in the love of God, there will be no place for “mind reading” and “fortune telling.” The love of God will keep us from the temptation of jumping to conclusions!
Walking in the love of God will never fail to kill the giant of jumping to conclusions!
Let me illustrate. Let’s say that I walk into a situation that looks really suspicious. I can either begin to jump to conclusions or I can do the following: I can say by faith, “God’s love in me is patient; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud; it is not rude; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs; love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. IT ALWAYS PROTECTS; ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES AND ALWAYS PERSEVERSES. LOVE NEVER FAILS!
Now someone may say, yeah, but what if some friends really are making fun of me? What if someone is doing something that they shouldn’t be doing?
What if they are? First of all you don’t know all of the facts. Secondly, this doesn’t change the fact that jumping to conclusions will not solve anything, and it will put you in bondage! So the best thing to do is not jump to conclusions (mind reading and fortune telling), but rather walk in the love of God. And know this, if someone is doing something wrong, God is big enough and God-enough to take care of it and them! So the way to kill the wrong thinking of the “giant of jumping to conclusions,” is to learn to find your security in who you are in Christ and to walk by faith in the love of God.
This person jumps to a negative conclusion that is not justified by the facts of the situation. Two examples of this wrong kind of thinking are “mind reading” and “the fortune teller error.”
1. Mind Reading: This is where a person interprets events in a negative way—without really knowing what is truly going on. For example, a man walks in where two friends are talking and laughing. He automatically assumes that they are making fun of him—when actually they are planning a surprise birthday party for him!
The problem with this kind of negative “mind reading” is that it can cause you to either withdraw or counterattack. It can hurt relationships with others when it shouldn’t.
2. Fortune Teller Error: It is as if you had a crystal ball that foretold only misery for you! You imagine something bad is about to happen, and you take this prediction as fact even though it is unrealistic. For example, a high school librarian repeatedly told herself during anxiety attacks, “I’m going to pass out or go crazy.” But these predictions were unrealistic because she had never once passed out or gone crazy in her entire life.
Can you relate to this kind of wrong thinking? Perhaps you have had thoughts like this or know someone who does.
This kind of wrong thinking can put you into a place of fear and bondage. It can make living life very difficult and uncomfortable to say the least. But the good news is that you can be free from this “giant of jumping to conclusions!” Let me tell you how.
1. First of all, learn to be secure in who you are in Christ.
(1). II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.”
Declaration of faith: I AM A NEW CREATION IN CHRIST. I AM SECURE IN HIM! As you grow in knowing that you are secure in Christ, you will be much less likely to always jumping to negative conclusions in certain situations.
(2). II Corinthians 5:21 “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.”
Declaration of faith: “I am the righteousness of God in Christ.” When you know by revelation who you really are in Christ, the temptation of mind reading and fortune telling will become a thing of the past! You will become that secure in who you are in Christ!
2. Secondly, learn to walk in love because walking in love will keep your mind and emotions free.
(1). I Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
As we grow in the love of God, there will be no place for “mind reading” and “fortune telling.” The love of God will keep us from the temptation of jumping to conclusions!
Walking in the love of God will never fail to kill the giant of jumping to conclusions!
Let me illustrate. Let’s say that I walk into a situation that looks really suspicious. I can either begin to jump to conclusions or I can do the following: I can say by faith, “God’s love in me is patient; it does not envy; it does not boast; it is not proud; it is not rude; it is not easily angered; it keeps no record of wrongs; love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. IT ALWAYS PROTECTS; ALWAYS TRUSTS, ALWAYS HOPES AND ALWAYS PERSEVERSES. LOVE NEVER FAILS!
Now someone may say, yeah, but what if some friends really are making fun of me? What if someone is doing something that they shouldn’t be doing?
What if they are? First of all you don’t know all of the facts. Secondly, this doesn’t change the fact that jumping to conclusions will not solve anything, and it will put you in bondage! So the best thing to do is not jump to conclusions (mind reading and fortune telling), but rather walk in the love of God. And know this, if someone is doing something wrong, God is big enough and God-enough to take care of it and them! So the way to kill the wrong thinking of the “giant of jumping to conclusions,” is to learn to find your security in who you are in Christ and to walk by faith in the love of God.
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