Cherished Living

Powerful mindsets influence the way we live. 

Can you remember the last negative thought you had about yourself? That seems like a bold question to ask someone. Usually, our deepest insecurities and fears are not at the top of the list of things to share with someone. But maybe it was something as minor as being hangry after church. I sure get that way occasionally…okay, maybe more times than I’d like to admit. 

Sandy Lauder, a Harvard graduate, and veteran, has over 25 years of experience with effective physical, nutritional, and psychological preparation and rehabilitation. He recently published an article explaining how Humans generally have about 60,000 thoughts a day, 75% of them being negative. 

How can we change our mindsets?

Our minds have the power to shape who we are. They can control our emotions, moods, and our beliefs about ourselves and others around us. Our minds can dictate how we feel when we look in a mirror. How we feel when we mess up. How we feel when we fail. How we feel when we are complimented or made fun of. How we feel when good things happen. They shape how we view ourselves, even when that view is distorted from reality. 

The other night, my mind was flooded with negative thoughts. “I am not pretty enough. He is just going to leave me for someone better. I am not spiritually gifted enough to run a bible study. My friends don’t actually like me; they are just being nice. I am just seen for my looks. I eat too much. I should weigh less. I need to study more to get good grades and make my parents proud. I am too tired to pray. I am a failure. I am a bad sister. I am not strong enough. I am inadequate. I have messed up too many times. I am never going to be enough. God is disappointed in me.” 

Let me tell you something. All of these thoughts are lies the enemy has convinced me are true. How do I know this? God says that all good things come from him. When you have a negative thought, realize it is not influenced by God but rather by the enemy. James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” No matter what the enemy tries to convince you to be true, hold close to your heart who God says you are and who he created you to be. This is the ultimate truth. 

Proverbs 6:21 says, “Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.” Hold verses close to your heart to remind you of your true identity in Christ when you have negative thoughts. God says you are fearfully and wonderfully made. God says you are beautiful; there is no flaw in you. God created you in his image. No matter how badly you have messed up. No matter the things you have said, done, thought, or will do, God loves you anyway. God sees and loves you in all seasons of life, and he intricately and intentionally crafted you to be exactly who you are. Your looks, character, voice, humor, mind, and passions were all created uniquely to make up you. The only you. There is no one else in this entire world like you. There is only one of you. 

Let’s look at Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. 

Our minds can either destroy or restore our view of ourselves and the world around us. It’s what we choose to follow that dictates our destruction or victory. What happened to Eve? The enemy convinced her that the fruit was good, true even. Yet, God actually told her quite the opposite. Eve believed what the Serpent said to be true and ate the fruit anyway. She knew the Lord said not to, but gave into the desires of this world, believing it would satisfy her. How often do you find yourself giving in to what the enemy places in your mind rather than holding tightly to the person God says you are and equips you to be? 

I saw something profound the other day by Worshipblog. It says, “Eve found the serpent more trustworthy than God, not because of its credentials, but because the serpent said what Eve wanted to hear.” How often do you fall into the trap of believing what the enemy places in your mind? Maybe the enemy has tried to convince you that you’re worthless, and you agree. Maybe the enemy has tried to convince you that you are undeserving of love, and you agree. Too often, he tries to convince us that we are not enough and that this world will satisfy us. Then, when we fall short from trying to do it on our own, he tries to convince us that we are not enough and not deserving of love and forgiveness. 

The enemy thinks he can destroy us. He believes he has power over our minds. He thinks he can tear us down and break us. To make us believe all of these ridiculous lies about ourselves. Even fall prey to believe the things of this world can satisfy us and take away our brokenness. “But Alyssa, you don’t know what I have done. You don’t know the story. You don’t know how messed up I am. Those are not just negative thoughts. That is not the enemy. I am broken. I am undeserving.” 

No, I don’t, but God does, and he loves you anyway. He created you with a purpose and is waiting for you with open arms. Are you believing what the enemy says about you or what God says about you? How can we change our mindsets? How can we think differently to live differently? 

Your mindset does not have control over you because of the Holy Spirit. 

If you are at a point in your faith where you have asked Jesus into your life and actively seek a deeper relationship with him, then hear me out. You have the power of the holy spirit living inside of you. This is the power to discern right from wrong and even to declare truth over your mind, body, and spirit. We may have thousands of negative thoughts every single day, but we have the power to declare victory over the enemy, over these thoughts, because of the holy spirit. Because of the blood of Jesus.

When Jesus was resurrected, humankind was given the holy spirit to dwell in them. 

“And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven” Luke 24:49. 

In Galatians, we learn that the Holy Spirit dwells in us and grows an abundance of fruit as we seek a deeper relationship with God.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law” Galatians 5:22-23

These are all gifts the Lord blesses and grows in us as we continue to seek him. What I want to specifically point out is the power of self-control. We can declare transformation in our hearts, minds, and spirits because of the power of God at work within us. We can change our mindsets and declare God’s word, the ultimate truth, over ourselves. 

“For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” Philippians 2:13

Now, does this mean we will never have negative thoughts again? No. It is human nature to fall into the trap time and time again of believing what the enemy tells us rather than who God says we are. When we understand the power of the holy spirit lives in us and gives us strength, our lives will transform. When you struggle to overcome those thoughts, run to God’s word, the only sustaining source of truth. This is how we can think differently to live more like Christ. When you have a negative thought, confide in the Lord. Hold his word in your heart and on your tongue to declare truth and victory over yourself and to break free from the strongholds weighing you down.

There is victory on the cross. There is victory over the enemy every single day because of what Jesus did for us. You can declare power over the enemy because of the Holy Spirit’s power in you.