I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.

He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God.

Psalm 40:1-3

Anyone who has ever had a song stuck in their head understands how annoying it can be. We find ourselves singing, humming, whistling the songs over and over, no matter how hard we try to stop them. Even when we’re silent, they continue to play in our thoughts. Music is powerful that way, making a home in our minds, and eventually our hearts. These stuck songs are so common, and so frustrating, they were given an appropriate name: earworms. 

Our negative thoughts work the same way. We walk around every day thinking critical untruths about ourselves, our looks, our abilities, even our lovability. It’s a little bit like being bullied over and over, day after day…except the bullies are ourselves! We repeat these lies so often, they become the earworms of our lives, playing over and over in our minds just like those songs. Eventually they too, make homes in our hearts, and once they settle there, it’s harder to make them leave.

So how do you stop the negatives? You fill up on positives! You fill up on God! He has given you a new song, and it is far more powerful than any negative thought you could dream up. His song is all about Him, His grace, His glory, and His love for you. When you focus your heart on Jesus, He reminds you that you don’t need to wallow in self-pity or spend any more time repeating the enemy’s lies. Stand on the solid promises He has given you, and sing praises to Him alone. No worms, just worship!! You are loved!