Sometimes we as humans think the hardest battles in life are life itself. But what if it’s
not? What if the biggest issues we as humans encounter in this life are ourselves? I believe one
of the hardest challenges we as Christians face is renewing our minds (Romans 12:2 NLT), and
rewriting the narratives that we play daily in our heads and live out from the experiences (good or
bad) that we as individuals have gone through in this life. Will we as Christians believe God’s
word and His view of our not-so-pleasant situations and circumstances, over the evidence or our
realities that we see day in and day out?
I have been in therapy on and off over the last 7 years of my life. It’s been a great tool for my own self-care and an instrument God has used to speak to me about different things that have gone on in my life through the years. When people think of psychotherapy, people tend to think it’s a scam, it’s just a person telling you what you want for a stronger grip on your pocketbooks, or a glorified fortune teller with a license. As one who’s worked with multiple therapists before in the past around the topics of suicide, heartbreak, and even around my very own relationship with God. I can say with confidence that therapy doesn’t have the negative connotations I mentioned earlier. In simpler words, it’s hard work, it’s you constantly unlearning, relearning how to navigate life and relationships in a healthier way. It’s you having to “rewrite the narrative that’s in your head.”
That is what God told me in this season of unforgiveness and trying to forgive people, unfamiliarity with where God wants me, and what He wants me to do next, and the constant battle of unbelief that my flesh had towards God regarding specific situations in my life and with God. (Romans 12:2 NLT) reminds us that, “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Many may have assumed this act was only a one-time thing that we as Christians did when we finally accepted God into our hearts and lives, such as us uttering words like “God, I believe in you, and I won’t do those bad or sinful things again.” But this verse and transformation are deeper than that. When we all first became Christians and accepted Christ into our hearts, our slates were clean, yes, but our habits or tendencies weren’t. It takes the Holy Spirit continually purifying us, our habits, and our ways of thinking to make us in the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT). It’s literally us working in tandem with God to “rewrite the narrative” that literally got us to the very exact moment we’re at now. It’s work. If you don’t believe me, look at God’s word. We can look at the Book of Psalms, which was authored by King David, a “man after God’s own heart”. David experienced great and powerful testimonies that God used to prove himself, such as David becoming the King of a great nation from his low social class background or the David and Goliath story(1 Samuel 17 NIV) that we all know about. However, the book of Psalms features countless verses describing instances where David believed his own narratives of the peril and dire situations that he was facing with Saul and
others.
However, David had to choose to believe in the narratives he was using in fear, or rewrite the narratives with the help of the Holy Spirit that spoke to the faith he needed to believe to get through treacherous and dire circumstances, just like in (Psalms 23:4 KJV). Which states, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me(Psalms 23:4 KJV).” Just like David, the Bible features countless examples of people just like me and you having to do the same thing, Sarah and Abraham the matter of her barren womb, or the 10 spies in Canaan, and etc. They all had a choice: continue to play the current script in their heads that spoke to their current situation, or rewrite the narrative that would bring them out of their pits or death valleys.
What’s on your mind right now—and why is it significant? Our thoughts hold incredible power. They shape how we see ourselves and influence how we relate to those and the experiences around us. Scripture repeatedly points to the importance of our inner thought life and reminds us of our need for the Holy Spirit to renew our minds(Proverbs 4:23 NLT). Jackie-Hill Perry mentioned something recently in a book I’m reading. She stated, “Consider the shallowness of our prayers and how it might reflect unbelief in God’s ability to do abundantly above what the mind thinks or what the mouth prays…that’s because doubt often feels more practical than believing God.” All I can say is, where is your walk with God currently? What does your prayer life look like? How is your heart’s posture toward God? All of these things are negatively impacted by a faulty or negative narrative that we may have due to
unwanted situations or circumstances that we question God on why us? The hardships of this side of life can leave you paralyzed in fear and disbelief to move or attempt to do anything, doubting God altogether, and leave you sinking into the abyss that is “Life lifeing”. So what will
we do?
