By Nick Brzozowski
Have you ever stopped and realized that you tend to be negative? Be honest.
You remember the one criticism over any of the other nine compliments.
You don’t see the progress, only the mistakes.
Imagine if you began to see the possibilities in life more often. Imagine seeing the mountains in front of you and having the courage to break them down to workable steps, without crumbling yourself. How would your life change if you believed in yourself or your team? How would you family change if you were less of a grouch? What if you woke up tomorrow morning looking forward to the people you got to see and the work you got to tackle, instead of hitting the snooze and stressing over the checklist in your head?
One thing I can guess about you is that you are a lot more negative than you think you are. While I am at it, I’ll make another assumption about you — that if you can change your outlook to a more positive one, then your entire life will be transformed.
In fact, that is what Paul told the Romans to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2). If you transform your thoughts, you will transform your life. You can become more content, more joyful and more at peace. You can become more productive. And you can be a better friend/leader/wife/husband/mom/dad/person.
Craig Groeschell says it like this, “Your life is heading in the direction of your strongest thoughts.” In his book, Winning the War in your Mind, he walks you through the different steps to transform your mind. The premise is that we are constantly lying to ourselves and because we have been hearing the same lies for so long, we have come to believe them.
So, the process to change your life is to identify the lies that we keep telling ourselves, substitute them for truths and repeat, repeat, repeat.
I’ll make another assumption about you — that if you can change your outlook to a more positive one, then your entire life will be transformed.
So, here it is. It will not be easy. It will take some hard work to go through each step. And you may not like what you see. But, it will be worth it. You will be glad you renewed your mind with the right daily declarations.
1. Do a 24-Hour Thought Inventory
At times, this might be fun and unique. Other times, this will be inconvenient and burdensome. But, I challenge you to set an alarm that will go off every hour. And each time you hear your alarm, right down 5-7 of the strongest thoughts you had in the last hour.
If you do it right, you are going to have a list of at least 50 thoughts by the end of the day. The key is to simply write them out for now. Do your best to recall the thoughts as they are. Don't change them to make the sound better than they are. And don't judge yourself for having those thoughts. You are doing a good thing by becoming more and more aware of your thoughts.
Here are some of the thoughts that I had:
It’s going to be a busy day. I’d better get a little more sleep.
I'm not going to have enough time to work out this morning.
I feel unmotivated. I want to eat and sleep. I don’t feel like doing anything.
Jesus is here and he is calm.
This text I got is making me feel anxious.
We aren't going to have a whole lot of people show up at our service.
I don't know if this is going to work.
This is taking longer than I thought.
I'm so glad that Hannah did all that work.
There's so much more I want to do today.
I'm stressed. I want chocolate.
2. Find 2-4 Lies
You have held off judgement and I know that was killing you! So, now is the time to judge. Go for it! With your list in front of you, do some reflecting. Are you self-critical? Are you angry, scared, hurt? Are you hurried? Are you full of faith? Are you at peace? Do you believe the best about others?
After familiarizing yourself with your list and doing some reflection, find the lies. What are the lies you repeat to yourself throughout the day. For me, I could fairly quickly find three recurring patterns. Put words to them. What do your thoughts tell you about your beliefs?
Here are some potential lies:
This is never work.
I'm not smart enough.
I'm always being cheated.
I can never catch a break.
My feelings don't matter.
Nobody cares what I have to say.
I'm stressed.
I'm tired.
Here are the three lies that get repeated in my head all the time:
I won't be ok unless everyone thinks I'm perfect.
I am a victim and good things won't come to me.
I need to find an escape from my stress (food, sleep, etc.).
3. Identify 1-3 Verses for Each Lie
The Bible is rich with encouraging words to help us think differently about our circumstances. Use it as a tool to rewire your brain.
If you don't know the Bible very well, that is not a problem. Another great tool is Google. If your lie has to do with anxiety, then search for Bible verses related to anxiety. Don't feel like you have to know the whole thing at the top of your head!
Here are some verses that may speak to your lies:
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18)
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:25-26)
The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. (Psalm 9:9)
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. (Psalm 30:11)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
The Bible is rich with encouraging words to help us think differently about our circumstances. Use it as a tool to rewire your brain.
4. Turn the Verses into Inspiring Declarations
It is not enough just to have the words that address your lies. You need the emotion behind those words. Combine truths and principles together using power words that make you feel something.
For an extensive list of declarations you can see as examples, check out Groeschell's blog.
Here are my daily declarations:
I don't need people to think I'm perfect. I am not perfect, but I press on. I am not a people-pleaser; I am a servant of Christ. Who I am and how I am is not determined by numbers or opinions. I am what I am because the great I Am speaks over me.
I am not a victim. I am chosen. I am called. I am gifted. Not only will good thing come to me, they already have come to me: ten years with Hannah, our needs always provided, our church is thriving and I have every spiritual blessing in Christ.
I will turn to God when I am angry, afraid or hurt. He is my ever present help. In him, I am content. In him, I am safe. Because God is always working, I don't need to rush. I will cast my anxiety on him because he cares for me.
5. Repeat Your Declaration Again and Again and Again
Repeat these at least once per day. Remember, your mind has already formed the habit of repeating the critical, destructive and overwhelming negative thoughts throughout the day. You have to fight those thoughts with God's truth.
I have been saying these particular declarations for the last several months and I can feel my mental state becoming more and more stable over time. I haven't experienced nearly as many deep feelings of despair over bad news. I can feel God transforming my life slowly and am grateful for these truths.
May God fill you with all joy and peace as he renews your mind. May he transform your life from the brain on.
Another great way to transform your life is to read the Bible. My wife, Hannah wrote a post about that here.
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