You’ve seen God’s faithfulness before, and you will see it again
It is the first place we can lose the battle. It’s the number-one area where can be brought down the most, and where we need to practice the utmost control and command... it’s in our thoughts.
Pay attention to what your mind is saying. Are your thoughts helping you? Or, are your thoughts hindering you? For victory starts in our thought-life.
If we want to know what we will likely be in the future, let’s read our dominating thought pattern. We are each responsible for what we feed our mind, as our thoughts can determine what we have or what we will become. For in time, we can develop into exactly what we consistently think.
Oswald Chambers once said: “Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you, and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him.” Therefore, let us keep a tight rein on our way of thinking, setting a guard over what goes in our eyes and ears. Unconstructive, unrighteous thoughts and words can quickly taint us. For if our thought-life gets polluted, then that will eventually influence our behavior. We act according to our outlook.
So, let’s arm ourselves with strength, by being disciplined and guarding our thought-life.
I read in the Bible how young Ezekiel had dedicated himself to becoming a priest. In those times, priests began their temple duty at the age of thirty. However, when Ezekiel was in his early twenties, he was seized and taken to Babylon.
When Ezekiel turned thirty, he could have negatively thought, “Why is this happening to me?” and “My dreams are over.” But Ezekiel continued to seek God even though he felt lost.
Before long, God appeared. Ezekiel looked up and saw remarkable visions of God. And as described in Ezekiel 1, God called the thirty-yearold exile to be a powerful prophet.
While in the midst of the disappointments, Ezekiel saw the glory and power of God at work. In the same way, when we think life has collapsed around us, the God of glory can appear above us and turn things around in our favor. He is a way-maker and a miracle worker. As God had great plans for Ezekiel, He still has great plans for you.
So, don’t speak doubt into your situation. Cast out defeatist views. Believe the best. Visualize victory, turning your mind towards things that are pleasant, holy and righteous. Let’s combat negativity by surrounding ourselves with loving friendships, gathering goodness from life and clothing ourselves in joy and being thankful for what is good and right. We do not have “to conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” (Romans 12:2). Thus, “Be careful of your thoughts, because your thoughts become your life.” (Proverbs 4:23). As, “God will go before thee and make the crooked places straight…” (Isaiah 45:2).
A while back, I spoke to a young woman who was diagnosed with a serious illness. In times of trouble, we must especially guard our mind for it is then when harmful, negative thoughts can bombard and attack. For, sometimes, it is easier to focus on what is wrong than on what is right.
Yet, rather than being depressed, the woman spoke about how blessed she had been, and how grateful she was to God. She had many reasons to be negative and bitter, but this woman chose to see her circumstance differently. And with steadfast effort and positive affirmations, she refocused her beliefs. She said, “I use my mind to think on that which is good, not on the conditions around me that I cannot immediately change. And I pray daily and have faith in a loving God who sustains me.”
The greatest adversities you face can become catalysts for positive change by recognizing your purpose. It didn’t happen overnight, yet this young woman eventually recovered. With hard work, her dreams came to pass, as she became a nurse helping others as she was helped though her illness. And today, she is living a full, healthy and happy life.
As we lean on God, our worries and heartaches cease, and we can gain the wisdom, strength and courage to carry on. Our cares and woes come into perspective, and His love for us becomes the greater object of our thoughts.
Scripture tells that when the Apostle Paul looked at the Roman soldier assigned to guard him; he was reminded that our battle is a spiritual fight. We are prompted in this Scripture to “put on the full armor of God…” so that we might stand firm in the struggles of life. (Ephesians 6: 11-18).
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, armor is defined as, “a defensive covering worn to protect the body against weapons.” So, with prayers and faith, let us put on that armor, for we must be spiritual soldiers and fight the good fight of faith, believing that God has equipped us for our journey.
In the book of Ephesians, 6:17, the scripture also talks about ‘the helmet.’ A most critical part of our body, a helmet is a covering that protects the head. Moreover, this tells me that our way of thinking needs safeguarding, because the attitude of our mind is vital in making correct moral and spiritual decisions. Accordingly, let’s not be submissive and let just any thought linger. Instead, we must rise up and be strong, filling our mind with an overflowing of faith, love and peace, so there will be no room for doubt or discouragement.
Daily, let us recite and dwell on God’s faithful promises and line up our thoughts with His, helping us to prevail over every situation. “…Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8).
You’ve seen God’s faithfulness before, and you will see it again. So, let us make room for all the good things we want to transpire in our life, first in our own thinking. Because when we change our thoughts, we transform our world.