When I was around 9 years old I woke up one morning thinking I could jump off the roof of our house and not get hurt if I just held on to an opened umbrella. I climbed on the roof and fearlessly jumped off the roof and landed very hard on the ground with collapsed umbrella. And yes, I did get hurt. Faulty thinking.
It has been a downfall of mine for many many years - allowing my mind to believe lies about myself and whether God really loved me or not. Again, faulty thinking.
This week we watched with horror as a young man took a knife and begin stabbing those around him. We don't know his motive but I can guarantee that this is faulty thinking.
A few weeks ago we heard about the senseless tragedy at Fort Hood where a soldier took the life of three people and then his own. Everything seems to suggest his thinking was damaged and faulty. But it is not just those whose actions are extreme or violent that have faulty thinking. Most of us suffer from faulty thinking in multiple areas of our lives.
Barbara Magnuson (Sonscape Ministries) says "We focus attention on changing behavior. The problem is that when we try to change faulty behavior without changing the thinking that lies behind the behavior, the change is often short lived."
Why do I do what I do? Why do I respond like I do? These are great questions to ask. More often than not they take us back to to deep rooted thoughts or beliefs which can be distorted or just plain wrong. So the person who is always trying to be good enough through their performance discovers in their deepest thoughts they believe they will never measure up. The person with an addiction discovers it is really all about a deep wound that has grown into fear or even self hatred. The person who has to be in control of everything finds their thoughts about life relate back to living with an alcoholic father.
If we take the time to examine our thinking, we often find the key to wrong or even sinful behaviors. One of the primary things we have to do is help people examine their thinking because thinking is often distorted by their past. We often say that our thinking affects our emotions and together they affect our behavior. It is more important to focus our attention on our thoughts than it is on our actions. Often in the church today we do just the opposite. Too much time is spent trying to change faulty or sinful behavior when the greater time and energy needs to be focused on our thinking and bringing it in line with biblical truth.
As a person who has struggled all my life with a low self worth, I know the time and energy that I have invested with the Lord to change my thinking about myself. It has been a long, hard journey but it has been worth it because my thinking has changed. Clear, healthy thinking does not come without effort and intentionality. Without our thinking being correct, it is impossible to see the beauty of God's grace and plan for our lives.
So what are you thinking?
No comments:
Post a Comment