“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:6-8 (NIV)
Infusion Ministries teaches a transformational principle that underscores how free we become: “What you believe determines how you behave, and how you behave determines how you feel.” Think about that for a minute. If you believe you have a good life, are loved, and all your needs are met, you will show contentment in your actions and have positive feelings about encountering each day. There is a positive transformation. However, the reverse is also true. When you think your life is lacking, you behave with desperate, negative actions due to presumptions that things will always be less than you need or deserve, and you will be sad, despairing, and jealous of others.
When you face those negative strongholds and conquer them by recognizing the lies you believed, repenting, renouncing them, and replacing them with truth, you strengthen yourself against future temptations. This is the time to build a positive stronghold with true, noble, pure, right, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy thoughts. This is your spiritual banquet, as Paul pointed out to the church at Philippi. Like any diet, you start by intentionally cutting out junk food, unhealthy carbohydrates, and nutrition-less calories to become healthier. You replace them with life-giving sources. That means following light-pursuing media, films, books, music, Bible studies, entertainment, fellowship, and news sources. If you engage in something and its tone leaves you feeling heavy, apathetic, sad, or frustrated – stop wasting your time on it. You don’t want to fall back into a negative stronghold.
Change your environment by inserting positive Christian media, novels, news, and podcasts encouraging you to draw closer to Jesus, learn to trust Him more, and walk in greater peace and hope. Make positive changes for your thoughts to develop positive beliefs. Your actions will follow. Let the Lord guide you into greater truths by serving others through prayer and actions. Take time to listen to the struggles and victories of brothers and sisters in Christ. Overcomers will testify of the Lord’s sustaining presence in their trials and how He was faithfully leading them like a Good Shepherd. Despite the circumstances, they have come through with a positive confession, encouraging them and others.
The choice is up to each of us. We can choose to positively renew our minds by looking for Jesus moving in our situations and believing He is working all things together for good (Romans 8:28). We can learn of God’s character and be encouraged by His promises. Decide to let the light into all of your life. It’s a choice that directs our lives, so what will you choose?
As adapted from THE BONDAGE BREAKER, STOMPING OUT THE DARKNESS, and EPIC ENCOUNTER by Dr. Neil T. Anderson, Dr. Dave Park, and The Infusion Team.
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