1. THINK IT
Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you." This tells us that we will become what we believe that we are! Romans 12:2 tells us, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." This clearly lets us know that our minds should remain unchanged after turning to Christ! Whatever ways of thinking we used to have must be set aside and renewed to align with the Word of God. Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Holiness should always be our focus! We have free will to stop whatever we are thinking and change the direction of our focus. Be intentional about seeing the good in situations and choose to meditate on the things of God. In Paul's letter to the Colossians, we read in 3:1-3, "Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." Once we have Christ living inside us, we should think from a heavenly perspective and stop seeing things the way the rest of the world sees. Our vision should be transformed!2. SPEAK IT
1 Peter 3:10 tells us, “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies." This basically means we should refrain from ungodly speech. Whatever tears down or partners with evil should not be coming out of the mouth of a believer. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Our words should edify whoever is listening to us speak. Even when rebuking and correcting someone, it should come from a place of edification and encouragement, not to cause harm. Matthew 15:11 says, "It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.” What we speak out matters to God, and we can ruin our own testimony and become a poor example of Christ by defiling ourselves with ungodly speech.3. DO IT
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 says, "We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." What you think, speak, and believe will reflect in your actions, habits, and even your character! We are to actively capture rebellious thoughts and put them under submission to the Spirit! James 1:14-15 in the Amplified Bible says, "But each one is tempted when he is dragged away, enticed and baited [to commit sin] by his own [worldly] desire (lust, passion). Then when the illicit desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin has run its course, it gives birth to death." This is why the verse we just read in 2 Corinthians tells us to "capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ." Our ungodly thoughts and words become actions, and when sin runs its course, it leads to death! Spiritual, emotional, and physical death. Nothing good comes from ungodly cycles!
We can hinder our own breakthrough and keep ourselves in ungodly cycles by not thinking and speaking as a new creation. The root of the problem is our thoughts and words. Think it. Speak it. Do it!
God wants to break you free from the unholy cycles you find yourself in. He has so much more for you than you can imagine, but you must surrender your thoughts, words, and actions to Him. The sin and addictions have to stop. The drama and ungodly emotional outbursts need to be healed at the root. The broken relationships must end because you deserve so much more. And the cycles of depression and discouragement must be broken in the name of Jesus!
You discover your worth when you discover who you belong to. Once you know your identity as a new creation in Christ, you won't accept anything the enemy has to offer or settle for less than God's plan for you. Maybe you've been trapped in a cycle for 10+ years, or maybe it's just been a few weeks. Whether you are a new believer or a seasoned Christian, you have the ability to break free. For some, it's an immediate change; for others, it's a process of gradual freedom. Either way, God is good and wants to help you break those cycles.
