The Habits Of Thinking And Influence

When our minds are overtaken with worry, distress, or discouragement, we have to learn to think on the things that the Lord says will uplift and minister to us (see Philippians 4:8). The habit of thinking is the process of refocusing our minds on the truth of God’s Word. For better or for worse, our thoughts will mold our personalities and either move us further into the realm of God’s peace or away from it. To calm our anxiety and win the war over worry, we must think rightly, on the right things, at the right time, with our antenna tuned to the frequency of God’s truth—worthy thoughts that come directly from the mind of the God of peace.

The habits of Bible study, Scripture memorization, and contemplative meditation build in us 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” (Romans 8:6). Notice the word peace. When our minds are governed by the Spirit and filled with the Scripture, we’re training them to move from panic to peace, from worry to worship, and from anxiety to confident trust. The great thing about internalizing Scripture through memorization and meditation is its power to transform us and even to convert our circumstances and surroundings from anxiety-inducing to praise-producing. As you do this, your mind is healed by the transforming truth of God’s Word and you begin increasingly to think the way God Himself thinks. You begin to look at life from God’s point of view.

Being transformed by God’s Word will open opportunities for you to practice the habit of influence. If we belong to Christ, we’re primarily His disciples, but He often uses certain people to spur us on and instruct us, influencing and inspiring us in the truths and techniques of our faith. Some of these mentors dwell in yesteryear and others step right onto our pathway now and come alongside as friends, pastors, counselors, and teachers. We cannot overcome the anxieties of life without the help of these God-given allies. We seldom evolve from anxious fear to unshakable faith overnight, but we can move from weakness to strength by persevering over time, especially when we let others help us.

A biblical practice that has helped me will help you too: if you’re battling anxiety, find people who know how to trust the Lord better than you, and study their lives. Ask them about faith. Read their stories. Be discipled and influenced by their examples. In effect, their lives call out to you as the lives of the apostles and prophets did among the people in Scripture. Today we have the Bible. We have the Gospel accounts and the letters and narratives and revelation. Yet we still need models and mentors—influencers—to help us see how the Word becomes flesh. We need patterns to follow. Mentors instruct and influence us through what we learn, receive, hear, or see from them. Whatever your age or stage in life, God has blessed you with someone—or soon will—who can mentor you from a life of anxious care into a life of productive peace based on God’s Word.

Respond

What habits will help you develop a mind that is transformed by the truth of God’s Word?

Who in your life is an example of faith and trust in the Lord?

How can a strong relationship with a godly mentor help you battle anxiety and trust the Lord?