27/01/2022
The power to choose...
To the extent to which we believe we have the power to choose, our choices expand.
Ever tried to make a change you consciously WANT to make and then feel like your brain and life are doing everything they can to stop you? It's because they are.
Our brain is wired to keep us safe, comfortable, out of the danger zone of the unknown, tucked away in the ruts of the ways we have always done things.
We fool ourselves into thinking we can will-power our way out of the darkness and into the light of the new habit we so desire to cultivate. Will power is nothing more than an extension of ego, and it is failure waiting to happen because it has no power over what we believe at a subconscious, soul level.
Hear me: anything we aim to do that contradicts what we believe about ourselves, God, people, or the world will fail.
Change and growth can only happen when we confront our beliefs.
Bob Goff writes in his book, Dream Big, "The reality is this: the life you're currently living is the accumulation of your choices and commitments to date."
And every single choice and commitment we make is simply a reflection of what we believe.
Cycling through one bad relationship after another? Or longing for a relationship but unable to snag one?
Belief: Love is hard, rare, or unsafe and I am unworthy of it, unlovable, and will be miserable or alone my entire life because that's the way it is.
---> Change the belief to "love is safe, easy, and I am deserving because God calls me His beloved."
Yo yo dieting and never able to lose the weight no matter what workout or meal plan you try?
Belief: Food is comfort and I need to feel comforted by food; I'm not an "exercise person" and my body doesn't respond. I cannot lose weight and am destined to be overweight and unhealthy because _____(diets don't work, healthy food is expensive, genetics, build, hormones, etc.).
--> Change the belief to "God made me to move, my body is a temple worthy of healthy food, and I know I can borrow Jesus' strength because He lives in me. God's power knows no limits and He is in me! I deserve to be healthy and feel good!"
Change the belief and all of a sudden your brain gets on your side and you don't have to solicit will power to make a change; you get SOUL POWER! And that, sweet friend, is where we become unstoppable!
Limiting beliefs convince us our ambitions aren't truly available. Bob Goff writes, "they are the invisible ghosts whispering that we'll never make it, that we can't accomplish our ambitions, that we missed our chance."
So, how do we do that?
My personal practice is to flip the script on Satan's lies by using the glass half full story he tells me against him by pointing out how God is using it for my good and His glory.
Case in point:
Lie: Miranda, you aren't good at relationships. Every relationship you've ever had has been hard, whether friends, lovers, bosses, coworkers, it doesn't matter...all hard, all painful, all disappointing.
Truth: But God... "Listen here, Satan, human beings aren't perfect so neither are our relationships. God has taught me something important about myself and Him in every relationship so there is no such thing as a relationship failure. Some people are meant for a lifetime and others are meant for a season. I believe what God says about me...I am loved, He delights in me, I am beautifully and wonderfully made in His very image. You have no sovereignty over my mind; only Jesus reigns here."
We are what we believe.
Our lives reflect what we believe.
Our choices show what we believe.
Beliefs CAN change.
It's work.
It's simple but not easy.
That's where God does His best work, though. In our surrender, we make space for Him.
Repeat the new belief.
Write it everywhere over and over.
Combat satan's lies with God's truth every time a limiting thought pops up. "Take every thought captive..."
Take action aligned with the belief you're trying to cultivate while you wait for it to stick! Action dispels fear faster than anything!
"If you want to clear the path to your ambitions, you're going to have to stare down some monsters that have made their way into your closet or under your bed or into your life. You have to silence these old voices telling you lies about yesterday so the truth of today becomes a little bit more audible."
"If you want to clear the path to your ambitions, you're going to have to stare down some monsters that have made their way into your closet or under your bed or into your life. You have to silence these old voices telling you lies about yesterday so the truth of today becomes a little bit more aduible."
His promises are YES and AMEN, a firm foundation to stand on.
