Think Again!

104 • Think Again: Transformation That Yields a Return on God’s Investment

something that might not happen. Second, even if it does happen, it is rarely as bad as it was imagined to be.

Awfulizing is a self-inflicted source of anxiety. You fear things that probably won’t happen, and even if the imagined fears come true, you inflate the impact on you. Although what you dread is unlikely to become reality, you may go so far as to believe that your fears are more than probable, they are inevitable . So you become a victim of your own imagination. The enemy has a field day generating troubling scenario after troubling scenario, watching you add fuel to the fire of his lies. • If I go out with my friends, they may laugh at me. That would be awful. • I might not meet people’s expectations and they would be disappointed. That would be awful. • I might be rejected. That would be awful. • I might make a mistake. That would be awful. • I might say something dumb. That would be awful. • Once I’ve gained happiness, I might lose it. That would be awful. • I might not look as good as other people. That would be awful. • They may not approve of me. That would be awful. • She might discover what a nothing I really am. That would be awful. • I might get hurt. That would be awful. • I might be asked to do something I don’t know how to do. That would be awful. Here are some common lies of Satan to tempt people to awfulize: