Changed Thinking Changes Our Lives

By this time of year, most people according to surveys, have given up or forgotten their New Year’s resolutions. That is a sad thought about most of the people around us. Most people on January 1st have high hopes and big dreams of accomplishing things in the coming year that they haven’t in the past and believe the new year will be better than the previous. Yet a month into the new year, hope is gone and they have gone back to the life they previously had. I have to think God sheds a few tears over this given He is a God who can do immeasurably more in and through us than we can imagine. God will give us the strength and support to be better and to live a healthier life – we just have to give Him the opportunity!

Most people give up because they think the same thoughts and continue to have the same thought patterns from the past which continue to defeat them. But let’s listen in to what Paul says in Romans 12:2

“Do not be conformed to the thinking of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

Paul is stating good news here! We can change our thinking. Our thinking and thought patterns are what drive our emotions (such as anger, frustration, “I don’t feel like it”, “I can’t do it”, “I’m not good enough”) and our emotions are what drive our actions, behaviors and habits.

There is a war going on – and it is mostly between our ears. It is the battle for control between old, faulty, defeating thought patterns and Godly thought patterns. Neuroscience has found that people have brain plasticity – meaning that our brains can change, expand, grow and rewire itself. In other words, as we renew our minds with new thinking, our brains will become wired for better and more effective thinking that will lead to changes and transformation in our lives.

The GOOD NEWS is we can change how we think, and when we change how we think, we can then change how we respond to things and our actions! Most of us focus on changing behavior rather than the thinking behind our behaviors. We rarely ask:

• “why did I do that?”

• “Where did that habit come from?”

• “What drives me to react that way?”

If we want to get to the bottom of changing our behavior and habits, we need to look at how we think. Because how we think shapes how we live!

Neuroscience confirms what God’s Word has said – we can change our thinking that will change our behaviors and habits that result in a transformed life. So this isn’t just pie in the sky thinking or abstract religion. This impacts our real lives. This should give us hope that we can change and meet our goals and succeed in following through in our resolutions.

However, this will take hard work because we have to choose between believing a LIE and the TRUTH.

• LIE - we are victims of our thoughts and thought patterns and are powerless to change. After all, we have been thinking these same thoughts for so long, that they are automatic. And this part is true. But the lie is that we can’t break free from them to become what God has designed us to be.

• TRUTH - we have a choice and the power of God is available to us to change. God has given us the ability to interrupt current thought patterns and create new ones and change our brain chemistry. As this happens, permanent changes occur in our brain that lead to renewed thinking that eventually leads to significant changes in our lives.

I have seen this process happen in my own life. I can tell you it takes a lot of concentrated effort, but it is very rewarding when you see positive changes occurring in your life. And let me be honest here, it usually doesn’t happen in a vacuum. You need to be intentional, you need to be willing to try and fail, and you need to be willing to allow others into the process whether that be a trusted friend, a counselor, or being a part of a support group. The good news here is, you can become healthier as you change how you think. God has equipped us to take charge of our thoughts, get healthier and achieve the goals He has set for us!

God bless you and see you next month!

Jack

Here are a few resources that you might want to check out if you want to learn more about brain plasticity, how the brain works, and how you can find greater health and healing as you work to change how you think:

The Brain That Changes Itself, Norman Doidge, MD

The Brain’s Way of Healing, Norman Doidge, MD

Switch on Your Brain, Dr. Caroline Leaf

Get Out of Your Head, Jennie Allen