Renewing Your Mind & Breaking Cycles
Do you find yourself trapped in some kind of cycle that seems like it never ends? Maybe this is something you've struggled with for years! There's cycles of sin and addictions, drama and emotional outbursts, broken relationships, depression, discouragement, insecurities, and more! The enemy uses the same tricks to keep us running in circles! He wants to keep us busy without ever really growing or going anywhere.
1. Think It
Proverbs 23:7 says "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you." This tells us that we will become what we believe that we are!
Romans 12:2 tells us "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." This clearly lets us know that our minds should not remain the same after turning to Christ! Whatever ways of thinking we used to have must be set aside and renewed to align with the Word of God.
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Holiness should always be our focus! We have free will to stop whatever it is we are thinking and change the direction of our focus. Be intentional about seeing the good in situations and choose to meditate on the things of God.
In Paul's letter to the Colossians we read in 3:1-3 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Once we have Christ living inside of us, we should be thinking from a heavenly perspective and stop seeing things the way the rest of the world sees. Our vision should be transformed!
2. Speak It
1 Peter 3:10 tells us “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies." This basically means we should refrain from ungodly speech. Whatever tears down or partners with evil should not be coming out of the mouth of a believer.
Ephesians 4:29 says "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Our words should edify whoever is listening to us speak. Even when rebuking and correcting someone, it should come from a place of edification and encouragement, not with the intention to cause harm.
Matthew 15:11 says "It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” What we speak out matters to God and we can ruin our own testimony and become a poor example of Christ by defiling ourselves with ungodly speech.
3. Do It
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says "We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." What you think, speak, and believe will reflect in your actions, habits, and even your character! We are to actively capture rebellious thoughts and put them under submission to the Spirit!
James 1:14-15 in the Amplified Bible says "But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death." This is why the verse we just read in 2 Corinthians tells us to "capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." Our ungodly thoughts and words become actions and when sin runs its course it leads to death! Spiritual, emotional, and physical death. Nothing good comes from ungodly cycles!
We can hinder our own breakthrough and keep ourselves in ungodly cycles by not thinking and speaking as a new creation. The root of the problem is our thoughts and words. Think it. Speak it. Do it!
1. Think It
Proverbs 23:7 says "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you." This tells us that we will become what we believe that we are!
Romans 12:2 tells us "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." This clearly lets us know that our minds should not remain the same after turning to Christ! Whatever ways of thinking we used to have must be set aside and renewed to align with the Word of God.
Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Holiness should always be our focus! We have free will to stop whatever it is we are thinking and change the direction of our focus. Be intentional about seeing the good in situations and choose to meditate on the things of God.
In Paul's letter to the Colossians we read in 3:1-3 "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Once we have Christ living inside of us, we should be thinking from a heavenly perspective and stop seeing things the way the rest of the world sees. Our vision should be transformed!
2. Speak It
1 Peter 3:10 tells us “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies." This basically means we should refrain from ungodly speech. Whatever tears down or partners with evil should not be coming out of the mouth of a believer.
Ephesians 4:29 says "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Our words should edify whoever is listening to us speak. Even when rebuking and correcting someone, it should come from a place of edification and encouragement, not with the intention to cause harm.
Matthew 15:11 says "It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” What we speak out matters to God and we can ruin our own testimony and become a poor example of Christ by defiling ourselves with ungodly speech.
3. Do It
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says "We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." What you think, speak, and believe will reflect in your actions, habits, and even your character! We are to actively capture rebellious thoughts and put them under submission to the Spirit!
James 1:14-15 in the Amplified Bible says "But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death." This is why the verse we just read in 2 Corinthians tells us to "capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." Our ungodly thoughts and words become actions and when sin runs its course it leads to death! Spiritual, emotional, and physical death. Nothing good comes from ungodly cycles!
We can hinder our own breakthrough and keep ourselves in ungodly cycles by not thinking and speaking as a new creation. The root of the problem is our thoughts and words. Think it. Speak it. Do it!
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV )
"Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4 ESV )
God wants to break you free from the unholy cycles you find yourself in. He has so much more for you than you can possibly imagine, but you have to surrender your thoughts, words, and actions to Him. The sin and addictions have to stop. The drama and ungodly emotional outbursts need to be healed at the root. The broken relationships must end, because you deserve so much more. And the cycles of depression and discouragement must be broken in the name of Jesus!
You discover your worth when you discover who you belong to. Once you know your identity as a new creation in Christ, you won't accept anything the enemy has to offer or settle for less than God's plan for you. Maybe you've been trapped in a cycle for 10+ years or maybe its just been a few weeks. Whether you are a new believer or a seasoned Christian, you have the ability to break free. For some its an immediate change and for others its a process of gradual freedom. Either way, God is good and wants to help you break those cycles.
You discover your worth when you discover who you belong to. Once you know your identity as a new creation in Christ, you won't accept anything the enemy has to offer or settle for less than God's plan for you. Maybe you've been trapped in a cycle for 10+ years or maybe its just been a few weeks. Whether you are a new believer or a seasoned Christian, you have the ability to break free. For some its an immediate change and for others its a process of gradual freedom. Either way, God is good and wants to help you break those cycles.
Soul Wounds
"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." (3 John 1:2 NKJV)
Of course we want to prosper in everything and walk in divine favor, blessings, and health! When we think of the word "prosper" we often think of things that are tangible like owning property and materialistic things, having high finances, and being overall healthy and physically well. But what does it mean to have a prosperous soul? And what if our soul is a wreck? What if I'm prosperous on the outside but my soul is wounded?
When John approaches the topic of prosperity, he refers to "all things" which could be tangible, "health" which can be seen and felt physically, and then he mentions the soul. Our soul is the intangible part of us that essentially makes us who we are. This is our character, emotions, thoughts, and memories. John says that he prays that we prosper in all tangible and physical areas of our life as our soul should already be prospering. This personally gives me the impression that the focus and priority of where we should desire to prosper is our soul, and everything else is secondary.
Matthew 10:28 tells us "do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." The focus of prosperity and our well-being should be our soul! Our bodies and belongings are temporary but our soul is eternal and it should be a priority to align our soul with God's will for our lives. Yet so many of us have become so focused on outward prosperity and blessings that we have completely ignored the stagnant, passionless, condition of our wounded and diseased souls.
Do we all have super messed up souls? No of course not. We may face ugly situations that we heal from and can be left with a scar as a reminder. However, some people take longer to heal than others, and some just pretend to be healed and completely avoid confronting the situations that wounded them. If we want physical healing, that means taking medicine, getting stitches, and sometimes going through surgery, all of which can be unpleasant but is necessary! It's the same when it comes to healing soul wounds, there's things that have hurt us that sometimes need to be confronted and dealt with in order to truly be set free from the pain.
When John approaches the topic of prosperity, he refers to "all things" which could be tangible, "health" which can be seen and felt physically, and then he mentions the soul. Our soul is the intangible part of us that essentially makes us who we are. This is our character, emotions, thoughts, and memories. John says that he prays that we prosper in all tangible and physical areas of our life as our soul should already be prospering. This personally gives me the impression that the focus and priority of where we should desire to prosper is our soul, and everything else is secondary.
Matthew 10:28 tells us "do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." The focus of prosperity and our well-being should be our soul! Our bodies and belongings are temporary but our soul is eternal and it should be a priority to align our soul with God's will for our lives. Yet so many of us have become so focused on outward prosperity and blessings that we have completely ignored the stagnant, passionless, condition of our wounded and diseased souls.
Do we all have super messed up souls? No of course not. We may face ugly situations that we heal from and can be left with a scar as a reminder. However, some people take longer to heal than others, and some just pretend to be healed and completely avoid confronting the situations that wounded them. If we want physical healing, that means taking medicine, getting stitches, and sometimes going through surgery, all of which can be unpleasant but is necessary! It's the same when it comes to healing soul wounds, there's things that have hurt us that sometimes need to be confronted and dealt with in order to truly be set free from the pain.
"Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it." (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 ESV)
According to 1 Thessalonians, we come in 3 parts and in order to achieve complete sanctification we should be asking God to sanctify us in each part. We want God to sanctify our bodies so we are healthy physically and act in a holy manner. We want God to sanctify our spirit which connects us to him to ensure we operate in discernment and can hear God clearly when he speaks. And we should want God to sanctify our soul… This means asking God to reveal anything and everything we are holding on to that we need to let go of.
Soul wounds can be caused by unforgiveness or believing a lie of the enemy that is rooted in some type of traumatic experience.
One bad experience with someone can wound a person enough to see themselves or see all others like the one who hurt them in a negative light. This is why some people have a bad church experience and completely leave the faith and avoid every church afterwards. Soul wounds are real but leaving them undealt with can cause the wounded person to believe a lie of the enemy and see the world through distorted lenses. We can't see clearly looking through distorted lenses. We may be able to function decently with wounds but we may end up bleeding on others without realizing it.
Betrayal, accusation, abuse, sin, loss, rejection, and discouragement can really cut deep and leave a long lasting negative impact. How does it get fixed? How do we approach it?
1. We Detect It
In Job 13:23, Job asks God "How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin." Are there ungodly emotions and negative thoughts that you experience on a regular basis? Ask God to reveal to you when you first started dealing with it and get to the root cause. It's most likely connected to a traumatic situation you witnessed or experienced.
2. We Confess It
1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Once we locate what area, memory, emotion, or character trait that needs to be sanctified, we confess it to God and release the pain to him. The first step in solving a problem is locating and admitting there's a problem present.
3. We Cleanse It
Romans 12:2 says "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." For deep healing to take place, we don't just remove what is hurting us, but we cleanse it and bind it entirely to ensure that the same situation won't occur again. To remove the lies we've believed or the grudges we've held, we must look to the Word of God and see what He has to say about our situations. We must rebuke any mindset that does not align with the Word of God. Speak scripture over your soul!
4. We Inspect Ourselves Regularly
1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." We all experience heartache and trauma in one way or another, but if we aren't loving, forgiving, or operating in the fruits of the spirit. As we are called to, there may be a would that needs to be addressed. The enemy never sleep and we should remain aware of his tactics and constantly check ourselves to ensure we aren't ignoring the wounds we experience in life on a regular basis.
The wounds we experience aren't all the same and for some people it's best to meet with leadership to receive counseling, discipleship, and in some cases demonic deliverance.
Like John, we should want to prosper in every area of our lives, but especially desire for the people of God to be excellent and prosperous in our souls. Be encouraged to pray and seek the Lord on your own to figure out if there's a wound you need to address. Speak to those in a close relationship with you and ask if they believe you are still holding onto hurt or trauma from your past. Whatever it is you're facing or dealing with, you're not alone. Lets rebuke ungodly mindsets and emotions, let go of traumatic memories, and choose to intentionally forgive those who have hurt us. Release the lies the enemy spoke over you and receive the truth of Jesus.
Soul wounds can be caused by unforgiveness or believing a lie of the enemy that is rooted in some type of traumatic experience.
- A child experiencing their parents divorce may be told in frustration that its their fault. Later in life this can cause them to be profusely apologetic about everything because they believe they are to blame for everything bad that happens around them.
- A woman in a long term abusive relationship may believe that they aren't worthy of true love or that every man in her life will always see her as a punching bag. She may have low self confidence and blindly obey men just to avoid confrontation. Or this can take the opposite turn and she may become combative with every male and see every man in her life as a threat to her well-being.
One bad experience with someone can wound a person enough to see themselves or see all others like the one who hurt them in a negative light. This is why some people have a bad church experience and completely leave the faith and avoid every church afterwards. Soul wounds are real but leaving them undealt with can cause the wounded person to believe a lie of the enemy and see the world through distorted lenses. We can't see clearly looking through distorted lenses. We may be able to function decently with wounds but we may end up bleeding on others without realizing it.
Betrayal, accusation, abuse, sin, loss, rejection, and discouragement can really cut deep and leave a long lasting negative impact. How does it get fixed? How do we approach it?
1. We Detect It
In Job 13:23, Job asks God "How many are my iniquities and my sins? Make me know my transgression and my sin." Are there ungodly emotions and negative thoughts that you experience on a regular basis? Ask God to reveal to you when you first started dealing with it and get to the root cause. It's most likely connected to a traumatic situation you witnessed or experienced.
2. We Confess It
1 John 1:9 says "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Once we locate what area, memory, emotion, or character trait that needs to be sanctified, we confess it to God and release the pain to him. The first step in solving a problem is locating and admitting there's a problem present.
3. We Cleanse It
Romans 12:2 says "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." For deep healing to take place, we don't just remove what is hurting us, but we cleanse it and bind it entirely to ensure that the same situation won't occur again. To remove the lies we've believed or the grudges we've held, we must look to the Word of God and see what He has to say about our situations. We must rebuke any mindset that does not align with the Word of God. Speak scripture over your soul!
4. We Inspect Ourselves Regularly
1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world." We all experience heartache and trauma in one way or another, but if we aren't loving, forgiving, or operating in the fruits of the spirit. As we are called to, there may be a would that needs to be addressed. The enemy never sleep and we should remain aware of his tactics and constantly check ourselves to ensure we aren't ignoring the wounds we experience in life on a regular basis.
The wounds we experience aren't all the same and for some people it's best to meet with leadership to receive counseling, discipleship, and in some cases demonic deliverance.
Like John, we should want to prosper in every area of our lives, but especially desire for the people of God to be excellent and prosperous in our souls. Be encouraged to pray and seek the Lord on your own to figure out if there's a wound you need to address. Speak to those in a close relationship with you and ask if they believe you are still holding onto hurt or trauma from your past. Whatever it is you're facing or dealing with, you're not alone. Lets rebuke ungodly mindsets and emotions, let go of traumatic memories, and choose to intentionally forgive those who have hurt us. Release the lies the enemy spoke over you and receive the truth of Jesus.
