Have negative thoughts snowballed on you? The more attention and influence I give them, the louder and more frequent they become. I get tuned in to them. 

Here is an analogy I bring to mind when I get into a negative cycle. Picturing myself building the antennas I’ll describe motivates me to make better choices.

Imagine you are given two antennas. One is tuned to a frequency of faith, love, and connection. The other to fear, lack, and separateness. Your actions either build up the antennas or tear them down. 

See how this can play out:

Sam, a man much like me, was invited to an axe-throwing event with guys from church. Bad idea, he thought. His throw would cut off an arm rather than split wood. Worse, his lack of masculinity would be exposed. No axe throwing tonight. A book at home would be fine. 

Two pages in, sitting on his couch, Sam’s chest became heavy when he pictured the banter and pats on the back he declined. His apartment was silent and his shoulder was cold. 

Sam recalled the warm glow of his computer when muscular guys were on the screen. His brain sparked and his body revved. He swapped the book for his laptop and was no longer alone. 

He clicked away two hours before his cell phone pinged, “Sorry we missed you.”

Sam stared at the phone until well after the text disappeared. This is stupid, he told himself. I’m a loser.

He shut the laptop and performed his rote confession. He sank into bed, replayed his regrets, and allowed shame to cover him. 

In Sam’s story, he extended his negatively tuned antenna when he declined his friend’s invitation out of fear. When he chose comfort through porn, he attached the antenna to the peak of his roof. When he entertained shame, he swapped it for a satellite dish. 

Negative messages would come easier the next day because his actions that night agreed with these transmitted lies: I’ll be rejected if guys truly know me, porn has something to offer me, shaming myself is productive, God doesn’t want to meet me in my mess, and I can never change. 

Throughout my life, God told me I had great worth and value, promised to provide for my every need, and offered freedom from fear, but I often didn’t get the message. My negative antenna was formidable. The one tuned to God was from a starter kit.

And I don’t know about you, but Satan likes to turn up the bass on the thoughts he aims at me. They reverberate in my body, making them feel even more true. What he has to offer isn’t as powerful as what God gives, so he has to turn up the volume.

But in the midst of strong feelings, when lies seem to be swimming around me, a simple step of faith, such as calling a friend for support, perks my ears to hear the still small voice of God. Going for a walk gets rid of some noise. Reading God’s word and conversing with Him gives me a direct feed to Truth.

Take back control. Be aware of the thoughts you are tuned to. Note the loud ones, the ones that rev your emotions. Listen for the faint ones. Hold all of them against the truth of God’s word. 

Let what is true penetrate your mind and body and test your beliefs and impulses. Take action aligned with it. God’s voice will become more clear. 

Picture your antennas. Choose actions that dismantle your negative antenna and build up your positive one. Every decision makes an impact. Live with intention. 

Jon Gordon provides a great tool in his book, The One Truth. He outlines a straightforward method to tune into God’s frequency. T-U-N-E. 

Trust and Truth

Unite with God

Neutralize the Negativity

Elevate Your Thinking

Visit these links to learn this tool and put it into practice: 

Video overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4SLf92TFuQ 

PDF download: https://tools.jongordon.com/tune 

Considering same-sex attraction, you will see its intensity diminish as you practice this. When you say no to dead-end desires and yes to what’s possible through Christ, you dismantle Satan’s megaphone and open up to receive from God. 

Remember, you are in charge of your life, not the thoughts coming at you or the feelings that surely must be acted on. Let your next action tune you to God.