Have you ever considered the possibility that “not every thought that enters your head is yours ?” This is how Marcus Warner puts it in his book, “Understanding the Wounded Heart. His point and much of what we deal with in counseling is that over our lifetime we hear, see or experience things, some good, some bad, some tragic, but all of them influence our thoughts, and play a part in developing our core beliefs which serve to shape our identity. For example;
Do you find that you have a strong desire to please other people or maybe you prefer
to control situations and that in doing so you feel a sense of security, acceptance, or
satisfaction?
Do you live with a sense of self-condemnation, believe you don’t measure up, can’t do
anything right?
Have you stopped to consider where these thoughts, these beliefs originated? Have you considered the possibility that these thoughts may not be your own? Have you considered that these thoughts, or beliefs don’t align with your identity in Christ?
Romans 12:2 Paul 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.” Consider your thoughts, the motivation behind your actions, and test them against what God says about you, others, and the world around you. Practice the principle that Paul suggested in 2 Corinthians 10:5, taking captive your thoughts so that they are not conformed to this world but obedient to Christ.
*Re-read the examples of beliefs above and compare them, test them against Gal. 1:10, Prov. 19:21, Ps. 139:14, Rom. 5:8, and Heb. 10:14)
If you would like to explore your thoughts, beliefs, identity in Christ more thoroughly, I have a resource that you might find helpful. Let’s connect.
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