From the moment we are born, our brains immediately begin absorbing thoughts and belief systems.  

As children, we are unable to tell the difference between what is real versus what is a lie; therefore we receive a lot of lies through others, which then become our reality.  

For example, maybe your parents didn’t want to have another child, so when you were born they felt overwhelmed and ill prepared to care for you.  

The belief that you are a burden then gets passed down to you.  You could go your entire life sabotaging relationships because you have believed the lie that you are a burden.  

Maybe your parents always worried about money and there were times where you didn’t know where your next meal would come from.  You then took on the belief that money and food are scarce.  

I want to share with you, two of the most powerful realizations I’ve had related to my thoughts:

First, I have had is that not every thought is mine, and this is a major relief. The enemy spends his entire existence planting lies and deception in our minds.

Many times, our thoughts are a culmination of belief systems that other people have passed down to us.  

The second realization is that there is a difference between the facts of my circumstances and what the truth of God’s Word said.

As it relates to my own journey, the facts in my life said I was abused, overweight, abandoned and filled with cancer

Are you ready for the truth? God says that I am free, beautiful, accepted and by His wounds from the cross, completely healed.

If we stay stuck in our thinking that we can’t win, well, then we probably won’t!

The Bible tells us to take every thought captive, and to turn them towards Christ. 

If our thoughts were not powerful, then this verse would not exist! 

Scripture goes on to tell tells us that we are to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, meaning that every transformation begins with our thoughts! 

Today, I want to encourage you to take an inventory of our thoughts.  I want you to close you eyes and focus in on what is going on in your mind. Without fighting it, allow yourself to become aware of the thoughts that you are having.  Are they thoughts that bring you life?  Are they encouraging and offering you grace? Or are they thoughts that are destructive? 

With each thought, I want you to replace it with something that God says in His Word. At first this may seem difficult, but I can promise you, that the tide will turn in your favor, and as you allow His truth to be the compass of your life, then you will overcome!