Thoughts are things

So, we’ve all heard the phrase: “You’re your own worst critic.” And, I believe that’s true for most people. I, personally, feel I have a very strong inner critic and I’m realizing this more and more through lots of introspection and verbally processing with others. I am very hard on myself and it’s difficult for me to give myself grace. In my head, there is a steady stream of criticism and judgment of myself. I always thought this was normal and therefore, I fed this inner critic over the years and took its criticisms as truth. I believed that my self-awareness was beneficial so that I could continuously seek to better myself. Now, don’t get me wrong. Self-improvement and striving for excellence are good and necessary. But, sometimes, my mind can take it a little too far.

For example, the other week, I was trying to mix cookie dough batter and struggling to blend it, and I commented that my difficulties stirring the mix were a representation of my current life situation. I.e. My failure at making cookies equated to me being a failure. My housemates immediately lovingly corrected me with the truth. However, this revealed the typical inner thought process of my mind. I often jump to conclusions and condemn and/or shame myself for things that are petty and shouldn’t and don’t define me. I skew reality and then my perception (what I see and believe is true: my reality) is off. Whatever version of truth I believe, that is what I perceive in my life/ environment. Even if it’s not actually true. Because I believe it’s true, I find evidence to support it even if nothing in my circumstances actually confirms that.

For example, if I feel left out and forgotten, I will notice all the times others plan things without me and not realize all the times I am sought out and invited. I will focus on what I see as true, see it consistently in my surroundings, and neglect what I don’t recognize as truth (even if that’s the actual truth).  Your mind becomes hyper-aware of what you believe is true and important. If I’m feeling left out, I will find ways I’m being left out. Then accepting that I am, in fact, left out, I will isolate to escape from everyone leaving me out. And now, I’ve excluded myself and made my inner reality (what my mind accepts as truth) my actual reality. You become what you feed your mind. You create your own reality and it all starts with your thoughts. Thoughts are things. (Credit to Aunt Bonnie) Thoughts have power and if we reinforce lies/false realities over and over again in our minds, they become truth to us and affect our perception of the world and therefore our created reality. What we perceive to be true is our Truth by which we govern our lives, find our identity, and base our decisions. This is terrifying in some regard. But, so liberating at the same time.

Y’all we have authority over our minds!  We have the power to alter them and re-wire them with actual Truth, from the Word and the Holy Spirit.

He says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” ?Romans? ?8:1-2?

We are free! Free from condemnation. If you have Christ in you, God doesn’t remember your sins anymore. He literally can’t.  

“I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” ?Isaiah? ?43:25?

He sees Jesus’ perfect sacrifice when He looks at us and we are holy, made new. So, we are to be in communion and relationship with Him so He can define Truth for us. After all, Jesus is the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life. He is Truth and He tells us what’s true: about us, about others, and about the world. If you surrender not only your heart but your mind to Him, He can alter it to reflect His Truth. The way we “take every thought captive” (2 Corinthians 10:5) is to continually renew our minds by filling them with His Truth. For every thought we identify as a lie that brings death (versus truth that gives life), we cast it out of our minds and speak truth in its place. We replace the lies with truths. We choose to focus on the truths and to forget the lies. Meditating on Truth, repeating it to ourselves and over ourselves. Daily. Over and over.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
??Philippians? ?4:8? ?

This is a process. A journey, really. Mostly of unlearning. Unlearning the lies we’ve accepted as truths, unlearning our skewed perceptions based on these “truths”, and putting on the mind of Christ. It’s hard work to continually analyze our thoughts to distinguish between lie vs truth, life vs death. It takes intentional, persistent effort. An everyday digging in to fight for truth even when we’re not feeling it. Because the lies and way of thinking we’ve become accustomed to are natural, easy, comfortable, and safe. It’s toxic and it’s slowly killing our souls but it’s what we know.  It’s not an overnight fix. There are years of faulty wiring we are endeavoring to set right. We must depend on the Lord and seek Him out and ask Him what His Truth is for every thought we are analyzing. He determines what is true, not us.

And, in this journey of becoming and taking on the mind of Christ, we must be patient with ourselves. Giving ourselves as much grace as Jesus does. Self-condemning thoughts are lies and we must throw them out. I have felt frustration, impatience, and hopelessness in this process and I try to rush it. I get irritated at myself that I haven’t mastered it yet and am spending too much time working on me when I should be loving others and advancing the Kingdom. Well, I do need to do all those things. But, the Lord is showing me that in this season, He’s giving me time to invest in myself and do the inner work He’s prepared for me. By spending time solidifying my identity and becoming self-sufficient in Christ, I will be able to give away more of Him as I’m transformed more into His likeness. Does this mean I stop loving and serving others in this season? Certainly not! But, it does mean I spend extra time pressing into Him, renewing my mind, peeling back layers of false self, and discovering who I truly am in Him.

I’m learning that too many of us have forged ahead in life without doing the work to cement our identity in Christ and let Him transform us in His way and timing. Instead, we rush into marriages, educational programs, and careers and these things become our identity, give us purpose, and soothe that aching in our hearts. But, nothing truly fulfills us and inside, we’re still empty and broken. So, we buy more things, have kids, advance in the workplace. But, we never do the inner work the Lord has for us. So, we’re always left wanting more. We avoid our hurt, brokenness, and flaws. We stuff it down and numb it with whatever we can find. But, it’s still there, deep down.

The Lord’s calling us out. He’s calling the true woman of God or man of God out in you. We all are made in His image. He put His desires and love in our hearts and His thoughts in our minds. He tells us who we are and what our purpose is. He’s asking us to surrender everything to Him: our minds, hearts, souls, desires, and gifts. He deserves it all. And, in return, we get abundant life, renewed minds, purpose, identity, extravagant love, and Him. We get relationship with the Father. But, it’ll cost you. Everything. It’ll take work and perseverance. Your circumstances may be undesirable. But, when your mind and heart are constantly being transformed to more of who you truly are (Christ in you), you have joy/peace/hope/love always, no matter your circumstances.

Will you commit? To transformation and renewal of your mind and heart? To pressing into the Father and living your life based on who He says you are and His Truth? To your best life?

The choice is yours. He’s ever so patient with us. He only has good for us.

He is good.

You are good.

He is Love.

You are loved.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become your character. And watch your character, for it becomes your destiny. What we think, we become.”

Margaret Thatcher