When you are fighting the battle of your mind, how do you take captive your thoughts? What do you say to yourself each morning, and how do you go about your day? In this message from Louie Giglio, we learn about seven supernatural thoughts that lead us to win the battle of our minds.
Key Takeaway
If you think of your mind as a garden, thoughts are planted constantly. When you know the truth, it's up to you whether or not you choose to plant it. If you plant the truth, it uproots the lies. Garden well.
Change in our lives isn't about doing something different; it's about thinking something different. Romans 12:1-2 speaks to transforming through the renewal of our minds.
Think of your mind as a garden. You may not be completely responsible for every thought planted there, but you have the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to garden well.
See 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. We must renew our minds to what God says about us. If a thought comes to mind, you need to ask two questions to demolish the strongholds.
- Where did that thought come from?
- Is it congruent with God's Word? If not, call it out and replace it with Scripture.
Jeremiah 1:9-10 talks about how God had a plan for him at his conception. The same is true of us. In verse 10, the first thing he is told he will do is uproot; the last thing is plant. This is key for us. When we plant the good, it will uproot the bad.
7 thoughts to help you take control of what you think:
1."I am in God's story."
- "In the beginning, God..." It didn't start with me. It all started with God. He is more than a reference point. He's the global lens through which you view the world, not just a reference point. Think of a map; you are the "You are here" spot, and the map is everything God is doing. You have been invited in and given a front-row seat. It's not about you, but He invites you to be included.
2."I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
- Psalm 139:14 says that exact phrase. Fearfully means "jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring, beyond your ability to breathe it in"; it makes you shudder in awe. Wonderfully means "specifically, unique, distinct"; you are not made like anyone or anything else. We are made in the image of God. You didn't make God in your image, God made you in His.
3."My life has purpose."
- Created things have a purpose. Made things have a maker. The Creator has a purpose for its creation. You say to yourself, "I am not random, accidental, incidental, or expendable. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I have an assignment for me on planet Earth—a reason for me to breathe in the air of God's creation. There's a lane for me to run in, something for me to do, a cause for which I was born. There is something noble about my contribution to this planet. I have a purpose."
- If I'm made in His image, then my purpose must be connected to being reflected in His glory.
4."The Cross has the final word."
- You'll never have true victory if you don't believe this. God is good. God is trustworthy. He gave everything to you. It has the final word about God, but also about you. You are of immense value to God. See Romans 8:5—Christ died for us. Jesus has the final say. He tells you who you are.
5."I serve at the pleasure of the King."
- 1 Peter 2:9-10. We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, His own possession, that we may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Everything I do with this brand new life that He has given me is for Him, the King.
- I have been dispatched on Kingdom assignment to be light in a darkened world so that others can see Jesus.
6."Jesus is Lord."
- He's God. He's part of the Trinity, the full revelation of God; glory is on His face. But He is also Lord. Philippians 2:10-11 says every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He sits on a Throne, unrivaled in time, space, and eternity. He doesn't take sides, He is Lord. Because of Jesus, we can come to the Throne of grace. Psalm 84:3 says that we, like the sparrow, can build ourselves a home there.
7."My God turns evil into good."
- It's not always going to work out like you thought; there's going to be evil, circumstances will change, and we are on a broken planet. Plant this thought so that you know God is in control.
It's up to you to plant these thoughts. Garden well.
Discussion Questions
- Pastor Louie compared the mind to a garden with thoughts being planted. Can you expand on this?
- What are the two questions you should ask yourself when you have a thought pop into your mind?
- Do you tend to see God as a reference point or a global lens through which you see the world?
- Read Psalm 139:14; what does "fearfully" and "wonderfully" made mean?
- What is your purpose in life? Have you ever thought about how everything created has a purpose?
- The Cross has the final word. How does Romans 5:8 inform who you are and how you already have victory?
- Read 1 Peter 2:9-10. How do we serve at the pleasure of the King?
- What is proclaimed in Philippians 2:10-11? How is this a comfort? What about this point do you cling to the most?
- Do you really believe that God turns evil into good? How have you seen this in your own life?
- What can you do this week to garden your mind well?