Hey girls! Before we get started, I want you to know that today’s post is deep and wide on purpose. Getting a grip on the our thought life requires more than a 300 word post. Today I wanted to share with you what God has shown me in His Word about how to really win the battle that takes place in your mind. So, today we have a Bible study that will do your heart and mind good. Arming up for a lifetime of battles takes more than a few minutes. So take a few extra minutes and walk through this thing… print it out… do whatever you need to do to discover the power that is already yours over your thought life. These are biblical tools you can put in your mental and emotional tool chest for the rest of your lives. So dig in… it will be worth it.
The mind. It’s where our battles are fought first and where the war is won or lost. You’ve probably already figured that out.
But did you know that God’s Word is threaded with hope and healing for every anxious heart and war-torn mind? Oh sweet friend, it surely does!
If you’ve been born again, your Creator has recreated you into a fully armed and equipped soldier who holds the title Conqueror whether you feel like one or not… whether your living like one or not. It’s who you are because of WHOSE you are, sweet friend. And it’s time to walk in the victory that Jesus paid oh-so-high a price for you to have.
Clouds have a way of hanging over the heads of those who forget they dwell above them. And mind games tend to wreak havoc on the hearts of those who haven’t fully embraced that they have been equipped with the mind of Christ.
I long to see God’s girls fully set free from what they’ve already been set free from.
So, today, I want to share with you 10 biblical steps to walking in the freedom that is already yours. Ten steps to having a sound mind when you feel like your losing yours. Ten steps to being all God created you to be. Because you and I can never fully enter into our God-given destinies if our minds can’t fully embrace our identity.
And without question or exception, the freedom you long for is found when you plant your heart and your mind in the Word of God.
1. Examine Your Heart
We are all taking steps along the way to our tomorrows one choice at a time. The Bible tells us…
“Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established andordered aright.” Proverbs 4:26 (Amplified)
In the original language, the word consider means to make a smooth path or to weigh something out.
Sometimes we need to get the dreaded scales out and weigh out what has been on our minds… to really ponder where our hearts have lingered long.
The battle may begin and end in the mind, but the war takes place in the heart.
We need to examine our hearts and consider what it is that has been captivating our minds.
2. Seek His Face
It’s easy for you and I to allow our lives to become so loud that we drown out the still small voice of God and then wonder where He is… and then wonder where His peace and power is.
We get so busy seeking so many things, but it’s God and God’s Word alone that can give us peace of mind and clarity of calling.
Much of our wandering of the mind comes from wandering from His Word.
“The Lord says, ‘I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.’” Psalm 32:8
“This is what the LORD says–your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: ‘I am the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.’” Isaiah 48:17
Not sure what to think about a certain circumstance in your life? Don’t know what to do? Spent far too long mulling over the madness that is going on in your heart?
Seek His face and you’ll find that the One who created you will willing give you the answers you need. (James 1:5)
3. Adjust Your Attitude
“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7
Our attitudes becomes the lens through which we see ourselves, our circumstances and others.
Attitudes determine perspective and perspective determines the way we approach everything!
- If we see ourselves as failures, we’ll give up.
- If we see ourselves as wounded, we’ll never take our place on the front lines.
- If we’re afraid of our own shadows, we will never attempt to do anything.
- If we don’t see ourselves as victorious in Christ, we won’t be able to walk in the fullness of what He has for us.
- If we feel unforgiven, unloved or unloveable, we won’t be able to have an effective and vibrant testimony.
- If we’re frustrated, impatient, critical or bitter, we’ll be incapable of seeing clearly enough to take the next step or experience the joy of the journey.
Winston Churchill said,
“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”
So if you want to make a big difference, perhaps a little attitude adjustment will help!
OH… and let’s just get real here! Some of the struggles we face come from the fact that we’re female. Hormones have a way of hiding out in places of our hearts and showing up when we least except it.
I used to say PMS wasn’t an excuse for a bad attitude, but if I ever find it somewhere in Scripture, I promise you I’ll be the first to let you know.
4. Embrace Intentionality
I remember when I was a little girl, my momma would say, “Those dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.” Things just don’t happen all by themselves. We are either those who choose to make things happen or let things happen.
If we want our homes to be clean and organized, we have to get ‘er done. If we want healthy meals for our families, we have to plan, prep, and cook them. If we want our children to know Scripture, we have to teach it to them. If we want to draw close to God, we need to spend time at His feet.
If we don’t live intentionally, we will look back with a lifetime and a heart full of regrets. And many sisters in Christ are being defeated by insecurities, fear of failure, lack of motivation, and lack of mentoring. Many are faltering between being able to control their thoughts and feeling so out of control that they don’t know what to think.
God gives us the power to take each thought captive. If that wasn’t true, God wouldn’t have told us we could. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
You and I were created in Christ Jesus for good works. If we’re not intestinally living this life, we’ll likely miss most of them. I don’t want to miss a one, sweet friend! Not a single one!
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10
5. Look Out for Mind Mines
It has been reported that 12 children died in land mine explosions in 2010 in Yemen alone. Land mines are a often the weapon of choice for those who are too cowardly to fight their own battles. They place them on the routine pathways and playgrounds where innocent men, women and children live.
They may be well concealed, but when someone stumbles upon them, they maim and murder unsuspecting victims.
There is a war that rages on around us. We can’t see it, but the enemy of our souls has placed land mines in our pathway – obstacles in our journey to becoming who we were created to be.
He knows that if you’re wounded, you won’t take your place on the front lines.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Pull down those strongholds. Cast down those imaginations. Remove the weights that are hindering you.
If you struggle with lust, guard your heart, your mind and your eyes. If you wrestle with food strongholds, make a list and stick to it, enlist an accountability partner. Struggle with memories of a painful past, do what the next 4 steps tell you to do. (Develop a Plan, Filter Your Thoughts, Create a Whatever List, Target Your Prayers).
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.” ~ Henry Ford
6. Develop a Plan
In Luke 14:28 & 31 we are reminded that wise leaders don’t go to war without first counting the cost and conceiving a plan; wise builders don’t begin constructing a building without first counting the cost and conceiving a plan.
If we’re going to win the war that has been waged against us, then we need to devise a plan of protection as well as a plan of attack.
In Ephesians 6:10-18, God lists only one offensive weapon and then He tells us to stand…to stand dressed to the hilt with the whole armor of God.
Swords need sharpening – and since the Sword of the Word is our only God-assigned offensive weapon, we’d be wise to sharpen it before the battle begins.
Memorizing Scripture gives us the tools to slice and dice every wayward thought that comes our way and helps us gain victorious steps on our way to becoming who we were created us to be.
Every verse we memorize is a stepping stone to the victory that’s already ours.
Devise a Plan of Attack. Use your concordance or go to Biblegateway.com and research verses that deal with areas you need to grow in or areas you struggle with. (What verses should you know, claim and memorize in the pursuit of your purpose?) Verses like, Philippians 2:5-8 and Phil 3:14.
7. Filter Your Thoughts
One year, while at youth camp, we made an unplanned trip to a gem mine. I’d never been to one before, but it didn’t take long to learn the goal was to filter out the junk and find that little nugget left behind on the metal mesh net.
The Word of God is not only like the metal mesh net, it’s also the nugget that’s more valuable than anything we can mine for on the planet.
he Word of God is also the best and most effective ‘thought filter’ available.
It’s what we use to sift truth from error – the junk from the jewels.
There’s a bunch of junk out there vying for our attention, beckoning us from what we know is right and good, luring us by the lust of our own flesh. We’re attacked through three very distinct domains – the enemy, the world and our flesh – and every thought that stands in opposition to God’s ways and God’s Word will end up as dross if we’ll learn to use God’s Word as our thought filter.
We take thoughts captive when we use the Word as our ‘thought filter.”
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
8. Create a Whatever List
“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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9
Make your own personal “Whatever” List This is your chance to dream, sweet friend! Think about those things that make your heart smile that can fall into the Philippians 4:8-9 whatever topics (the things that you should be thinking about when your faith is weak, when your fear is strong and when you forget your way).
True: ______________________________________________
Noble: _____________________________________________
Right:______________________________________________
Pure: ______________________________________________
Lovely: _____________________________________________
Admirable: __________________________________________
Excellent: ___________________________________________
Praiseworthy: ________________________________________
9. Target Your Prayers
Whatever List helps us build bridges to our destiny, we still find ourselves struggling in the battle of our minds. There’s more to the process.
Overcoming fiery darts, fleshly desires and worldly wandering becomes possible when we choose to begin our fight on our knees. I’m not talking about the posture of our bodies, I’m talking about the posture of our hearts.
When the battle of the mind rages and the enemy is waging war with our hearts, our first line of defense is to strategically and intentionally pray like crazy – to assign prayer targets that will send the enemy fleeing.
“As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:15-16
Establish Prayer Targets – Make a “Prayer Target” list and when the enemy shoots fiery darts in the form of wayward thoughts, begin to pray for family and friends, neighbors and nations.
____________________________ _________________________________
____________________________ _________________________________
____________________________ _________________________________
____________________________ _________________________________
10. Just Do It
I remember watching the Princess Diaries (one of my favs!) and thinking, “She was a princess and she never even realized it.”
You see, Mia had been born into a royal family and by nature of that birth, she was a princess. The only problem is, she never walked in who she was until she came to grips with her position, her calling and her responsibilities.
Even after she was made aware of her rightful role, she didn’t own her identity until she was willing to become who she was created to be.
Realizing she was a princess didn’t automatically mean she knew what that was supposed to look like or that she wanted to take on such a prominent position. It didn’t mean she’d just step into her role and fulfill her destiny.
The thoughts that swirled in her head almost destroyed her destiny.
What about her past?
What about her future?
What about her inabilities?
What about her fear of failure?
What about the ceaseless responsibilities?
What about your past, your future, your inabilities, your fear of failure, the ceaseless responsibilities that await your “YES”?
When you became a Christian, you became a princess! Did you know that?
You didn’t just become a daughter of a king – you became a daughter of THE KING!
God has a wonderful plan for your life…He always has! (Jer 29:11) He formed you in your mothers womb and placed you on this planet for a purpose.
So put your crown on girlfriend and get busy becoming who you were created to be! A woman with a sound mind and faithful heart. YES! That’s you!
God’s Word gives us what we need to overcome the world, to overcome the war that rages in our hearts and minds. We’re equipped… and frankly, we’ve already won. We just need to learn to walk in who we are.
WHAT ABOUT YOU? DO YOU STRUGGLE WITH YOUR THOUGHT LIFE? DO YOU WONDER IF YOU WILL EVER GET A GRIP OF YOUR MIND OR EMOTIONS? WHAT IN THIS BIBLE STUDY POST HAS HELPED YOU MOST?
PLEASE BE SURE TO SHARE THIS ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS. WOMEN EVERYWHERE ARE STRUGGLING WHEN THEY COULD BE FULLY SET FREE FROM WHAT THEY’VE ALREADY BE SET FREE FROM.
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