Take Back Your Life: Thinking Right So You Can Live RightSample

Cross the Barbed Wire

Think of barbed wire as the separation between who you are and who you know you need to be. You need to approach that separation and battle to cross the barbed wire. There is incredible power in setting all that is within you in this singular direction. So much of the time we defensively react to what comes our way. Instead, meet the enemy on your terms, even if that enemy is you. Go on the offensive. 

There are three parts to this battle: how you think, how you speak, and how you act. The first part of the battle happens in your mind. Our moods and thoughts can hold us hostage, turning us into a version of ourselves we don’t want to be. When this state of mind tries to take over, claim the help that God offers you now and start over on the spot. You can’t live right if you won’t think right. Your spirit is the part of your being that responds to God and receives His power. Learning how to steer your spirit by managing your thoughts is key to advancing in this war.

Positive thinking isn’t a replacement for God, but it is a response to God. If you let negativity in the door, it will want a seat at the table, it will want to sleep in your bed, and soon it becomes your default mode. This means you can change the way you feel by changing the way you think. Focus on the goodness of God and His plans (see Psalm 27:13 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18).

Now let’s focus on what happens when your thoughts hit your mouth. The book of Proverbs says that the tongue contains the power of both life and death (see 18:21). It’s like a tiny nuclear reactor capable of being both an energy plant that lights up a town and a bomb that can destroy a city. When we speak words of faith in the midst of crisis, suddenly we have more to give and joy where there shouldn’t be any. The impossible can happen because of how you speak. Believe that God is going to bring good out of the worst times, and speak it. The devil is not getting the last word.

Lastly, let’s talk about why the habits and decisions you repeat are a really big deal. Bad habits put you at a decided disadvantage, regardless of what you do the rest of the time. On the other hand, healthy habits help the right choices become automatic. The right ones need to stay, and the wrong ones need to go. Determine what new habits you need and write them down. You’ll need them to break the bad ones. The battle for change might not feel good at the moment, but fighting for good thoughts, words, and actions today will, over time, turn into lifelong strengths. 

It is critical you take seriously the battles you are facing. It’s the small things—attitudes, actions, words—that matter. You need to learn to feel your feelings. Lean into them. Diagnose them. And then do what is needed to move through them. You can’t go back and change the past, but what you can do is fight with God’s help for good behavior right now. The prize is waiting for you on the other side of the barbed wire.

Respond

How does the person you are today compare to the person God wants you to become? 

What would it mean for you to consciously face the battle to become the version of you God sees?

What resources has God provided to help you take control of your thoughts, words, and actions? Make a list of people who can support you in this effort.