Change Your Mind
I want to challenge the way you think a little bit.I don’t want to test your knowledge or skills, but I want to challenge you to think about the way you think. I want you to think about what you think about.Most of us feel like our thoughts are random or uncontrollable—sort of like a faucet we can’t turn off. It’s a never-ending flow of words, imaginary scenarios, song lyrics, or TikTok sounds, maybe even made-up conversations.Some of us have never stopped to think about our thoughts at all. What’s the point of that? Seems like a waste of time.But the Bible talks a lot about how we think. For starters, you’ve probably heard this verse:“For as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Proverbs 23:7
You are your thoughts. Your thoughts drive everything, whether you realize it or not.Just think about ads these days. This is why ads work. Have any of you ever fallen for an Instagram or TikTok ad? Have you seen something flash by while you’re scrolling that makes you stop? You realize you don’t follow this person or account, but you’re interested. Maybe it’s clothes, shoes, skin care, or even just food. Now, you’re swiping through the ad or even clicking on the link just to see how much it is.If you’re stronger than me, you may back out and realize you’re not actually going to buy this thing. But wheels are already turning—a thought has started. And now you’re going to see even more of these ads, over and over and over. Then suddenly, it seems like your friends are talking about it or you’re seeing it on TV or in the real world. How The thought is growing—you don’t even notice that you’re thinking about it. If you’re weak like me, you’re buying the thing by the 3rd or 4th time you’ve clicked on the ad.But the only way to pull yourself out of the cycle is to become aware that you’re in one.All marketing campaigns do is tap into our thoughts. They know the truth that this verse is getting at:“For as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.”Your thoughts drive everything, whether you realize it or not.What you believe determines your life.
I’m learning that my thoughts have the power to shape my days and my future, but I have more power and authority to change them than I thought.Have you ever spent the day writing down your thoughts? Everything that pops into your head? What you’re actually thinking about? It’s an eye-opening exercise.These were some of my thoughts:I won’t be able to do this business.Everyone thinks I’m stupid for trying to do this.I want them to apologize.I want justice.I’m angry.I’m hurt.I miss (person).They don’t want me around.That friendship wasn’t real.I will never heal.I want to get back into bed.What if I’m wrong about everything?This will never turn into anything.I’m annoying.I’m an imposter.I’m useless.
And those are just the negative ones, and only some of them. The rest of my brain is filled with repetitive things, to-do lists, triggering memories, future scenarios, and ADHD-like distractions.But I’m sure my list sounded familiar to you, at least in some ways. Yours are just a different flavor.I want us to think about what we think about today. Because what we believe determines our lives.If you take a deeper look at what you believe, you’ll notice that a lot of these beliefs are actually lies. They aren’t true. And believing a lie is so dangerous.The enemy knows that, and that’s why it’s his number one tactic:“[He] does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44
Lying is what the enemy does. It’s all he knows how to do. He literally can’t tell the truth. But he’s also really good at lying. I mean, he’s had centuries of practice.He doesn’t just walk up and drop a straightforward lie in broad daylight. (You’d be able to see that coming). He sneaks it in, he simply suggests something, and he makes it sound like your own voice.He asks a question:”Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, 'Did God actually say…’”
Genesis 3:1
He’s crafty, he’s sneaky, he’s smart—not to give him too much credit, but we also need to know what we’re dealing with. Like I said, he’s good at lying—it’s what he does.And his go-to trick is to ask the question: “Did God actually say..."Have you heard that question before? I know he has said it to me. "Did God really say _______________?” And man, have I bought into it before. It's literally the oldest trick in the Book. The first trick of humanity.And I have fallen for it:“Did God really say He loves you no matter what?”“Did God really say you’re good enough?”“Did God really say He would be there for you?”“Did God really say you’d have everything you need?”“Did God really say fill-in-the-blank…”
In Genesis, Eve fell for it big time:“Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
Genesis 3:1-3
The question was tricky—that’s how it usually goes. It was a lie mixed with a setup. He was trying to get at the one thing God told them not to do. He was focusing on their limitation rather than their freedom.Eve knew the serpent was wrong, but her memory was a little fuzzy. What did God actually say?“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Genesis 2:16-17
There was nothing in there about touching it. Just don’t eat from it. This command was for their protection—to preserve their lives in the garden and in the full presence of God. To obey this meant that they trusted what God said was good for them. It meant that God could be trusted to show us what’s good and what’s bad for us.But the enemy got Eve thinking about her limitations. He got her to start wondering if God really wanted good for her at all.“But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’”
Genesis 3:4-5
Now she’s thinking, “God is holding back from us?” The enemy starts to pull at the thread that God doesn’t actually want good for us. The sad part is that they had all the good they could ever want or need, but they weren’t God. And they wanted to be like God. They wanted to know for themselves. It wasn’t enough to trust what God said.Once we know the lies we've been believing, we can start asking ourselves some questions. These are the same questions God asked in Genesis. You know the rest of the story. They took and ate of the tree, disobeying God, and immediately shame set in. Next thing we know, they’re hiding from God.The first question we need to ask ourselves is found in verse 9:“But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, 'Where are you?'"
Genesis 3:9
That’s what we’re doing today. By thinking about what we’re thinking about we are trying to answer this question.Where are you?
Where is your head at? What lies are you believing today?I think the main categories of lies we believe are:Lies we believe about GodLies we believe about ourselvesLies we believe about our situation
The lie the enemy loves, that we’ve already seen play out in Genesis is: God can’t be trusted.But it can break down into so many different lies:God isn’t good.God doesn’t love you.God doesn’t care.Even, God isn’t real.
The enemy also wanted Eve to believe a lie about herself: You aren’t enough.This can also look like:You don’t have what you need.You aren’t smart enough.You will never make it.You are unwanted.
Last, in the story we see the lie about their situation: You know better than God.This lie could also sound like:God doesn’t want good for you.God isn’t paying attention.You are in control of your destiny.You have to take care of yourself.
So, what lies are you believing? Can God be trusted? Are you enough? Does God know best?The second question is found in verse 11:"[God] said, 'Who told you that?'"
Genesis 3:11
Once you know what you’re thinking about, once you know what’s going through your head, ask yourself: where did the thought come from?Who told you that?
Is it a lie from the enemy? Or is it from God?If what you’re believing sounds a lot like what we see in Genesis, it’s probably a lie from the enemy. If you can’t find it in scripture, it’s probably a lie from the enemy.God will not speak to you contrary to what’s in scripture. If you aren’t sure, look it up. Your greatest weapon against the lies in your head is God’s Word.When you find yourself in a spiral or thinking the same things over and over again, trace it back to the source. Who told you that? Where did you first hear it? Is it in scripture?Once you know what you’re thinking and where it came from, you can begin to change the way you think.“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Romans 12:2
You don’t have to stay stuck. You don’t have to keep spiraling deeper into the lies. You can change the way you think. You can start today! I’m going to give you three short and easy truths that you can remember, starting right now.#1 - If the lie is: God can’t be trusted.
Remind yourself of the truth.“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8
You can trust God because He will never change. He’s consistent. He’s constant. Think about it this way—everything in your life changes, literally everything. Culture changes, people change their minds, seasons change, you get older—you change. But God doesn’t change. In His kindness and faithfulness, He chooses to be the only constant in the universe. That is trustworthy.So, if the lie is: God can’t be trusted…Remind yourself: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”#2 - If the lie is: You aren’t enough.
Remind yourself of the truth.“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
Genesis 1:31
This statement from God comes after he creates humans. We were the pinnacle of creation. And we are deemed by God as “very good.”So, if the lie is: You aren’t enough…Remind yourself: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”#3 - If the lie is: You know better than God.
Remind yourself of the truth.“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
You’ll need this truth so much in your life when things don’t make sense: when there’s a bad diagnosis, when you lose a loved one, when you don’t get the job you want, when your friends betray you, when your family lets you down. There will be countless times in your life where you secretly wonder if you could do a better job than God with your situation. You question if He is who He says He is or if you are who He says you are because this is not how you’d do things if that were the case.But hold onto this truth in all of those times. We cannot understand fully why God allows or even orchestrates certain situations in our lives. If we could, we’d be God. And if we want to be God, we’d be like Eve, taking the apple.Instead, this is where faith comes in—to trust that He knows what He’s doing.So, if the lie is: You know better than God…Remind yourself: “His thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are His ways your ways. His ways are higher than your ways, and His thoughts than your thoughts.”I know this is easier said than done. But we have to change the way we think.It’s not only possible, it’s biblical. We just have to let God transform us. We can change the way we think.“We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”
2 Corinthians 10:5-6 MSG
Another piece of life-changing news:We have power + authority over our minds—it doesn’t have power + authority over us. We have what we need to do this already—all of what we need to change the way we think.You don’t need to be better first or buy a new tool or figure out some magic formula. The tools you have are God-given and are already within your reach.You can interrupt your thoughts with Truth. This means you can orchestrate your own thought life. But it’s going to take work.The way that your brain was wired by repetition is the same way your brain will be rewired—repetition.Still not convinced? Think about this:How have you seen God’s power on display in your life in other ways?Has God saved you?Redeemed you?Delivered you?Protected you?Healed you?What has His power already done in you?
He wants to do even more. His power within you is always available to you.We have to change the way we think. Because what we believe determines our lives. What you buy into matters, and what you believe matters. And if you want to have any amount of influence in your life, you have to start with the way you think.If you have influence in your own thought life, you can have influence in your family, influence with your friends, and influence in your community.But if you’re limited by your own thoughts and the lies creeping into your head, you won’t be able to do any of that.Here’s what gets me fired up about this whole thing…The enemy would love nothing more than to take you out before you even start. And he does that by coming for your mind.Think about it this way:The easiest path to keep you from having any influence with your life is to keep you from even trying.Your thoughts directly affect your calling.Once he unleashes a lie that you accept as truth, he’s got you. He doesn’t have to do anything else in your life to hold you back; you’re holding yourself back. The job is done.Don’t let that be your story.And if you’re struggling with a lie that’s holding you back right now, today—know this: God must have something pretty influential planned for your life if the enemy is trying to keep you from even starting.
He doesn’t mess with people who aren’t doing anything. Know that whatever God has for you is worth fighting for. And we have the tools to fight back.We have the power and authority to change our minds.What I’m Doing:
Ads I’m avoiding on Instagram are for lash serums—so I compromised and found a cheap one to try. I’ve been using this semi-regularly for almost 2 months, and it WORKS. Plus you get an everyday mascara that has the serum in it. Don’t fall for the fancy ones.What I’m Listening To:
What I’m Reading:
Okay, I’m not personally reading this, but I’ve bought it for two close friends’ baby showers. It’s BEAUTIFUL as a children’s bible, and it’s comprehensive.Disclaimer: I receive commissions for purchases made through links for Amazon.
