Researchers have discovered that once a person is primed to see something a particular way it is very hard to change that set and see things differently.
Do you know that we see with our brain and not with our eyes? The eyes are simply the lens that capture the information, but our brain defines it. The brain adds history and associations.
Much of what we see and respond to is not what is there but our interpretation of stimuli from a set of preconceived ideas.
Many of us are tied up in knots because of the way we perceive life.
Everyone hates us.
My life sucks.
Everyone is out to get me.
We feel like there is no way out of this hell of sin, bondage, addictive behaviors, loneliness, fear, anxiety, worry, discontent, and the list goes on.
And the fact is that all of this is so subjective.
Shouldn’t there be some sort of standard?
And, is there any hope of a way out of this kind of destructive programming?
The answer to both of those questions is yes; there is a standard and that standard can be used to counteract the destructive programming that predisposes us to a life of sin and focus on self.
Jesus says in
John 8:31-32 (NIV) 31… “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
God’s truth is the thing that will give us freedom. God’s truth is what will allow us to live in joy and peace. If you want to change the place you are in, you need to live in God’s truth and that takes a change of perspective.
It all starts with input.
Whenever we talk about changing our thinking we must talk about garbage in and garbage out. If you put in worthless, faulty and inaccurate information then you will get worthless, faulty and inaccurate information out. But then the mind goes further than that. It takes the faulty information and dwells on it till that piece of information takes on a life of its own and it becomes truth to us.
Someone tells you when you were young, “you are stupid” and what happens, if we don’t take that info out, our minds water, fertilize and nurture that seedling into a forest of negative thoughts and emotions till everything we see is now measured by those perceptions. Then when a co-worker walks by and forgets to say hi we immediately go to the conclusion that they not talking to you because they think you are stupid.
What we have to do is root those things out and keep our minds focused on truth.
Guarding what goes into our minds is a good start but it is not enough, we must re-program our thinking.
Romans 12:2 (TPT) 2 Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.
We need a total reformation of how we think, not just guarding the world from coming in but changing ourselves from the inside out,
The way we change the programming is by letting our brain soak up the truth of God so that it begins to color what we see.
We are not talking about behavior modification; we are talking about transformation. God is not trying to change your behavior; He wants to transform you mind which ultimately leads to changed behavior.
Ephesians 1:18-19 (NIV) 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe…
Philippians 4:1-9 (TMNT) 1My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God. I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn’t want his children holding grudges. And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you’re right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the book of life. Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute! Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. 7Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.
Paul wants the very best for them. He says I don’t want you holding grudges, I want you celebrating God and life. Don’t worry and fret about life but put it in God’s hands. So let me sum it all up… I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.
If you want a fulfilled and joyful life then you need to be grounded in the truth of God’s Word– after all it fits the description of true, noble, reputable, authentic.
What does your future look like for you?
Some time ago, a man read an ad in the newspaper that said, "Hunting dog for sale, $2,500.00, but well worth it." He called the number and the man told him that he had to see the dog in action. The next morning they met and went hunting early. The dog flushed two birds from a clump of bushes and when they fell into the water, he walked on top of the water, grabbed the birds, and walked back on top of the water. The man was amazed, and bought the dog on the spot. The next day he persuaded his brother to go hunting with him. They flushed a couple of birds and the dog again walked on top of the water, retrieved the birds, and walked back to their boat on top of the water.
He asked his brother what he thought of the dog and the brother replied, "So, you bought a dog who can't swim."
Which brother are you? What is your perspective? How are you looking at life? Do you look to see things through God’s eyes or through the eyes of the world?
Guard what you put into your mind.
Change your thought life by reprogramming your mind with the Word of God. Search out what the Bible has to say about the situations you find yourselves in and speak those things over and over. Reprogram.
Find people who will reinforce what God’s truth is.
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