April Issue: Me, My Mouth And My Mind
Me, my mouth, and my mind make me who I am. I think, I speak, I am.
What I think and how I respond to my thoughts determine my behaviour, moods, or reactions.
According to psychologists, a negativity bias was built into our brains millions of years ago when our ancestors were dealing with life-threatening experiences during gathering and hunting for food. So fear, anxiety, and negativity are part of being human, and these, when out of control, will hinder our spiritual journey with Jesus.
That is why the Bible says that we are not of this world, and we do not conform to the law of the flesh; instead, we are from a heavenly Kingdom. Therefore, we need to transform our mindset to the things of the Kingdom of Christ. This transformation to becoming more Christ-like and Kingdom-minded is a spiritual journey.
“Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”
“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.”
Whether verbalised or thought of, negativity will affect your spirituality. Your thought process can set you up for failure or success.
Having the mind of Christ and understanding the power of your thought process and the power of your spoken words over yourself and others will set you on the correct path to Christian spirituality.
Life is not just about ‘you are what you eat’; it is also about ‘you are what you think’.
Here’s a little story.
When I was little, my mum told me the story of the two potted plants. “There were two potted plants,” Mum explained. “Both plants received the same amount of light and water, and their soils were topped with the exact amount of nutrition each week, yet one plant thrived while the other just withered away and died. Do you know why? Why is it that one plant did better than the other while receiving the exact about of care?”
Every morning, Mum said: “The gardener went to the one plant and said, Wow, you are so beautiful and lovely, my potted plant; in time, you will grow and flourish into a blooming wonder, and everyone will stop to admire you.
While to the other plant, the gardener shouted: You are just the ugliest thing I have ever seen. You will never bloom, and no one will admire you. You are nothing but useless!
As the days passed, the plant that received all the unkind shouting soon withered and dried up, while the plant that heard all the admiration bloomed brilliant flowers and grew taller and stronger each day. Do you know the moral of this story, my child?”
She enthusiastically said: “The moral of the story is that words have the power to make or break a person, so use them wisely”.
In the February and March issues, we touched on how to spend personal time with Jesus and get more serious in your relationship with Him. So I encourage you to go back and refresh your mind on these essential steps.
The human mind is one of the most intelligent creations of God. He intricately wove us (Psalms 139) and formed us into the wonder we are.
The human mind is a hard drive or powerhouse responsible for thinking, reasoning, perception, belief, sensation, memory, emotion, motivation, and desire. Our minds create thoughts about ourselves and others, motivating or demotivating us to move forward. This impacts our walk with Christ, and our spirituality begins here.
Romans 8:5-8
“Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.”
So let us begin with these 8 simple teachings that will help control your mouth and mind to stay in check with God’s word.
Download the free printables below and work through them, filling in your thoughts as activities.
1. The Mind’s War Zone
Your mind is at war. What is your weapon of choice?
Romans 7:21-25 explains that our mind is at war against the Laws of God. You, your month and your mind will be in constant battle with each other; this is scriptural.
Romans 7:21 -25
“So, I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”
What is your weapon?
The choice is yours; you can either surrender to self-doubt, or quote the Word of God and stand up against the enemy when he wars against you.
Through Christ, this war ends as you renew your mind with God’s Law (The Bible), which will free you from the slavery of sin. Further Reading: How to stop negative thoughts by using God’s Word
ACTIVITY: Fill in: ‘What is my mind at war against?’
2. Get Out Of Your Head!
Get out of your head and take on the mind of Christ. What a powerful tool to possess.
When God created the heavens and the earth, He spoke His thoughts, “Let there be light”.
Wow, can you imagine His thought process? He first saw the whole of Creation in His mind: the galaxies, every molecular, every tiny microscopical insect, the tall giraffe, and the crawling centipedes; all He did was say the words, and He created it. Remarkable.
So, too, as children of God, we can say that according to 1 Corinthians 2:16, we possess the mind of Christ. When we read and meditate on God’s word through the power of the Holy Spirit, we take on the mind of Christ. Likewise, our words and thoughts have the same power to create life or death. So, which will you choose for yourself?
Understanding the power of the mind of Christ in us will help us cope and deal with self-hate and criticism. So, enrich your mind with God’s word to calm the storm in your head.
Shift yourself from thinking with your flesh and start thinking with your Spirit.
“Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
3. Catch The Lovebug
When you fall in love for the first time, you become so lovesick that you cannot get that person out your mind. Your mind is in constant obsession. Even if the world around you is falling apart, nothing distracts you. All that occupies your thoughts is that one person.
Matthew 22:37: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
When you love God with all your mind, your mind is constantly driven to please Him; therefore, there should be no room for corruptive thinking. Because of His unconditional love for you, your confidence in yourself is heightened, and self-hate or self-harm has no control over you.
ACTIVITY: Fill in your mindful focus.
Here is an example: Jesus loves me, and I love Him, and I will always think of His love for me, and I will live each day in the knowledge of His love for me.
4. Let Your Words Be Sweet
Psalms 139:14
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.”
If you do not believe in yourself, then why should anyone else?
ACTIVITY: This is your moment to love yourself.
Under the topic ‘My notes’, fill in the section, ‘Why am I worthy?’
Let yourself go, search your heart and do not let your negative thoughts or words that were spoken over you tell you otherwise. God calls you a chosen generation and a royal priesthood. He believes in you. What the world sees as trash, God sees as treasure.
5. Discipline Your Words
My mouth needs to be obedient to Christ.
Speak words that will build, enrich and enlighten yourself and others.
Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.“
Here is your chance to filter your thoughts, do not speak negativity. Your tongue says what your mind thinks up. No one other than God hears your thoughts, so why speak them out? If your thoughts are negative, DO NOT SPEAK THEM. Make your thoughts obedient to God, do not entertain them. Cast them out and bring them into captivity.
“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.”
6. Stop Fear. It Breeds Negativity.
Do not overthink and fret about tomorrow. Stop fear. Fear leads to negativity.
1 Peter 5:7
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you”.
ACTIVITY: Fill in ‘My To-Stop-Overthinking List’
7. Do Not Be Fooled. Silence The Voice In Your Head.
Read Philippians 4:8, and then draw your conclusions and deduce. Ask yourself: Am I going to fixate on non-factual thoughts that carry no weight in my thought process? Your mind will conjure negativity, but this is where you start your analysing process.
Ask yourself, is it true? Is it right? Is it praiseworthy? And if your answer is NO, NO, NO, then this thinking behaviour stops right here. Do not verbalise this any further.
Philippians 4:8
“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.”
8. Start A Library Of Scriptures
Nothing is more powerful than the weapon of the Word of God. When negativity builds up, overcome the enemy with the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony.
Quote the Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
ACTIVITY: Fill in your Library of Scriptures
God bless you!
Please write to me. I would love to hear your testimony, and I can add you to my prayer journal.
Psssst, look out for May’s issue and free printable.