A Sound Mind
Patterns of thought can be incredibly helpful or detrimental.
A myriad of research has come out in recent years on neural pathways. What science is showing is that the Bible was right. We can be renewed in our mind and in our way of thinking. We all have a “way” of thinking, in fact, many ways. Some of those patterns formed when we observed our parents, and without knowing it, we emulated them. Some of those patterns developed through trauma. When we were incredibly disappointed or hurt in a situation, a wall went up, a riverbank if you will. The water of our thoughts will consistently go down those same riverbanks. We’ll continue to think the same “way” until we let God do a transformative work!
Good News! God has promised you and me a SOUND MIND, one of peace.
2 Timothy 1:7 promises us “For God has not given a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.”
God wants your days to be full of peace because Jesus, the Prince of Peace, has been given rulership over your life. Satan, the Accuser of the Brethren will do everything he can to rob you of that peace and the “abundant life” that Jesus promises us in John 10:10. Satan will tempt you to accuse others, think of how they’ve hurt you, let you down, offended you and it’ll go on and on and on until you can’t even think straight because you’re so convinced your current friends (or co-workers or…) are hurting you or about to or trying to because, after all, that’s the way your mind is working and has been used to working. God can change that! God can give you so much of HIS LOVE that it drives out all fear and worry, stress and anxiety, hurts, offenses, and pain! God can teach you a NEW WAY to think! But it will take time, and it will take you partnering with the Holy Spirit in this sanctifying work!
The wisdom that comes from the Holy Spirit of God causes you to evaluate your motives, behaviors, and thoughts and think deeply about them. Did you know you can think about your thoughts? You should evaluate WHY you thought what you thought to react the way you did. Wisdom will slow you down and ask you questions like “Was that thought glorifying to Jesus?” “Was that action full of grace and honor?” “Was that social media post inviting people into God’s family or pushing them away?” The Spirit of Wisdom will cause you to notice the patterns of thought that are led by what Paul calls “the flesh” and then prompt you to reject them and replace them with thoughts that are “led by the Spirit of God.'“
Patterns of thought can be again, incredibly helpful or detrimental. For someone developing a pattern of worry and sadness, for example, it can take a lot of effort to form a new neural pathway that rejects worry and sadness and embraces gratitude and possibilities.
Since the pandemic, antidepressant medication prescriptions increased by 30%. 30%! While some pastors don’t agree with me on this point, I don’t see anything wrong with medication to help temporarily get someone through a difficult chemical imbalance.
But I don’t believe God wants us to ever be dependent upon anything like that long-term. God is the God who heals. He is Jehovah Rapha and I’ve seen Him do it time and time again. God can heal you and that includes your mind! If you find yourself burning bridges - where relationships simply don’t last - then ask yourself “what are the patterns in my life?” What are the thoughts that lead to the assumptions that lead to the actions? Are they Christ-like? OR… do they need to be replaced with Christ-like thoughts.
“Whatever is true, honorable, lovely, praiseworthy, excellent, just, worthy of praise, think upon these things (and when you do) the God of all peace will be with you!”
For an 8 minute video of me teaching on this and illustrating it in a visual way, click here.