CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING: STOP BELIEVING THE LIE…

​What we believe is important. Believing a lie has a serious effect on the amount of hope operating in our lives. Anything which contradicts the word of God is a lie.

Jesus said:

​"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
[John 8: 31,3]

TWO GREAT DECEPTIONS 
​

​The fundamental issue back in the Garden of Eden was one of truth, in particular the truth about the nature of God, and the truth about the nature of man. Satan’s first great deception was the temptation to believe that God is not good, and that He was withholding something important. This double-edged lie has continued through the ages and is a major root of unrest in the human soul.

What is God like? Is He good all the time? The answer is found in Jesus….

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being,
sustaining all things by His powerful word.
[Hebrews 1:3]
​

​Whatever is true of Jesus is true of God. If we want to know what God thinks about sickness, suffering, social exclusion, man’s sinfulness or any other problem we face, we look at Jesus.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and….
He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil,
because God was with Him.
[Acts 10:38]

The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
[1 John 3:8]
​

​And is He withholding good stuff from us? Only things that will destroy us, if we receive them prematurely.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?
[Romans 8:32]
​

​Recognising the truth that God is good, all the time, like Jesus was good all the time, is the most important thing we’ll ever do on the path to peace.
 
The second great deception was to tempt man to believe wrongly about himself, and his purpose and destiny. Adam and Eve were tempted to want to be like God, but be independent from Him. In truth, they were already like Him, being made in His image, and had been offered the fruit of the Tree of Life, representing the Holy Spirit, as they walked in fellowship with Him.

Sadly their refusal to believe the truth meant not only were they cut off from God’s presence, they were also dislocated from their purpose and destiny. This second deception gave rise to a major root of unrest in the soul of man: the temptation to believe the Evil One’s lies about oneself, and be prevented from fulfilling one’s God-given destiny.

The fundamental issue back in the Garden of Eden was one of truth about the nature of God. Satan’s first great deception was the temptation to believe that God is not good, and that He was withholding something important. 

www.rhythmsofgraceuk.org/blog
Click to Tweet

CHANGE YOUR WAY OF THINKING

​The fundamental meaning of the Greek word for ‘repentance’ is ‘to change your way of thinking’. And that’s what Jesus urged people to do, ‘Change the way you think! Align yourself with God, for His kingdom, His rule and reign are at hand!’ 

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is
​—His good, pleasing and perfect will.
[Romans 12:2]
​

It seems that if we change how we think, we will also find our behaviour changes too…
 
A belief system which is not aligned with God’s word holds us in bondage. So often our failure to gain victory over certain circumstances, habits or compulsions is the result of a faulty belief system.

'The truth will set you free,' said Jesus.
[John 8:32]

THIS YEAR’S GRACE RHYTHM

​Take time this year to find out what the Lord says… about you, your circumstances, and your future. Spend time in the Word. Meditate on His promises. Make it a priority to find out the truth.

Sometimes deeply entrenched thought-patterns need time and effort to dislodge them. The following steps are helpful in embedding truth in your life…

Arm yourself with a notebook and pen, find a quiet place, become silent inside and turn your heart towards the Lord. Ask Him to show you which areas of your life are not ‘glistening with hope’, (See Hope Health Check) and which negative beliefs, lies or fears are causing the problem.

As they come into your mind, write them down—without analysis at this point.

Ask the Holy Spirit to help you choose one to work on and write it at the top of a clean page. Then, with Him, work through the following questions. It’s important to write out your answers, rather than doing them in your head, as it clarifies deeply held thoughts and feelings, establishes truth, and replaces negative mental images with ones which are positive and faith-filled. An internet search will provide Biblical answers regarding God’s truth in any area.

• What effect does this negative belief have on me? How does it make me feel and act?

 

• How does this belief match up with what God says? What is laughable about this belief?

 

• What will happen if I continue with this belief? What effect will it have on me, on my life, on my circumstances?

 

• What is the opposite belief? What does God say that makes this true?

 

• What would it be like if I believed the opposite? How would I feel and act? How would it affect my circumstances?

Spend some time on those last images—you’re picturing truth operating in your life! Then write out the new truths in your notebook, speaking them aloud as you go.

Read your notebook entries, and write and speak the truth daily until the old thought pattern has given way to the new. Then follow the same procedure with another negative belief.

​We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
[2 Corinthians 10:5]

​Aligning ourselves with God’s thinking is a choice, and one we need to make speedily—it’s the only way to peace. The truth will set you free—if you let it!
​
2021 is the year for change!

GET IN TOUCH

If you have been blessed, inspired or challenged by this post…

• Please get in touch (see top sidebar) or make a comment (below left)
• Please share it with others (see sidebar)

​[Photo credits:  Aaron Blanco Tejedor (face painting);  Bruce Mars (happy man); 
​ John Schnobrich (hands on laptop) @ Unsplash, with thanks]