ANTS

Automatic Negative Thoughts

I recently heard of an elementary child going through a seminar called ANTS. Learning how to fight Automatic Negative Thoughts.

The mother thought it was neat that the children were learning how to fight negative thoughts at such a young age. If only we had such a seminar, we wouldn’t have negative thoughts today, she reasoned.

DON’T THINK SO!

We will always have Automatic Negative Thoughts. They will never go away. No techniques we learn will rid us of them. You might argue that we can help at least make them better, maybe.

The INTERESTING part of the seminar is that little children need the ANTS seminar. Yes, folks, it’s true. We were born broken. We were born unhappy, unfulfilled, self-critical, judgmental, you name it. Elementary age children have ANTS and so do I.

So what do I do about my ANTS? I recognize that I’m not perfect. That I can’t cure myself of ANTS and that Jesus understands my ANTS. I understand Jesus suffered for my ANTS and he suffers with me now. And I’m thankful Jesus meets me where I am.