Sunday Service: 20/02/2022
Supporting Scripture: Proverbs 23:7a
Title of Message: Transformational Thinking
Delivered by: Pastor Mercy
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”
The above scripture contains a special truth – “As a person thinks in his/her heart so is he/her. This is a very powerful statement.
The mind is an amazing creation of God. Researchers say that a human brain can handle millions of calculations each second, and process 800 memories a second. No computer will ever compare with the mind’s power.
The minds capability to construct thought is truly amazing. It is what we think that determines what and who we are. It’s not our background, heritage, or environment. It’s what we choose to think about that has the greatest influence on our lives. And often, we focus on the negatives in our lives fall into depression. And so, if we’re serious about changing something in our lives, we must start by changing the way we think. (Romans 12:2)
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
If we want to make changes in our lives that will help us be more of what God wants us to be, we’ve got to start changing the way we think. And the way we do this is by changing our perspective. One of the biggest problems to thinking clearly is our perspective about what we’re going through.
The Apostle Paul had a good handle on this. (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)
“We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed, always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.”
Paul experienced hardships in life, but he also knew that while he may get knocked down, he wasn’t knocked out, and that no matter how bad it was, it was nothing compared to what Jesus went through, and so he was willing to endure for the sake of the gospel.
Before we can transform out thinking, there are certain things we must do.
1. Think about God’s Goodness
One of the main things that keeps us depressed and down is when we continue to focus on all the bad stuff in life. Instead, what we need to think and keep our focus on the goodness of God. I believe that we get depressed a lot of time because we forget how good God is.
Research have shown that one of the healthiest emotions that a human being can have is that of gratitude. And so, the more we fill our minds with gratefulness, thanksgiving, and gratitude, the healthier we’re going to be. Thinking on the goodness of God accomplishes this very thing. And it’s more than being grateful for all that God has done, but also keeping in our minds just how good God really is.
How good is God? Well, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we can live for all eternity with Him in heaven. That’s how good God is.
We need to understand that God is good and has our best interest at heart. He loves us and is faithful to us. And while a lot of bad things happen, God is always good, and can bring good out of the bad if we’ll trust Him.
Consider Joseph. His brothers hated him and ended up selling him to some slave traders to get rid of him. The slave traders sold him to Potiphar in Egypt, but he was falsely accused and ended up in prison for a crime he never committed. Everything seemed be going from bad to worse.
But God had a good plan, because God is good. Eventually through these series of bad events, Joseph was raised up to the second highest position in Egypt, where not only was he able to save thousands from starvation but his family too despite the harm they did him. Look at Joseph’s perspective on the issue and how he responded to it.
“As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20 NKJV)
We’ve all had people mistreat, reject, and cheat us. But God is a good God and is bigger than what we’ve gone through and are going through.
You see, while we can’t control our experiences, we can control how we choose to think about them. And so, when life doesn’t make sense, start thinking on the goodness of God.
Apostle Paul said in (Romans 8:28)
“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
And so, the first thing to help us transform our thinking is to think about God’s goodness.
2. Think About God’s Greatness
Some of us are feeling life isn’t working out the way we want and are thinking one wrong move and that’s it. But that is when we need to see the greatness of God, because God’s hands are great enough to catch us every time. (Psalm 147:5 NKJV)
“Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite.”
The Psalmist is saying, we have to stop thinking or focusing on our problems or what we can’t do, and instead focus on God’s power and what He can do.
Personally, I love what the Lord said through Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 32:27)
“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”
God specializes in the impossible. And so instead of focusing on what’s wrong, start focusing upon the greatness of God.
Lastly, Think About God’s Nearness
God is always with us; He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews. 13:5b)
The unfortunate reality is that in our dark days of despair – the days of worry, fear, loneliness, illness, and financial difficulty, we forget and feel that He has abandoned us. Let’s see what Psalm 112:1, 4 say about this.
“Praise the Lord! For all who fear God and trust in him are blessed beyond expression … When darkness overtakes him, light will come bursting in.” (Psalm 112:1, 4 LB)
The solution to our dark days is the light of God, the light of Jesus Christ that comes bursting into the darkness of our thoughts.
And so, it’s important for us to know and to renew our thoughts with this reality, that whatever we’re going through, God is with us, and we’re not alone. God is aware, understands, and cares. And remember that it’s when we feel lost and abandoned, that God is nearest to us. This is what David found when He was at his lowest.
“The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
I believe, that by knowing that God is near is when we start losing our fear.
Transformational thinking doesn’t ask why something is happening; instead, it asks what can I learn from it?
Finally, folks, what will help us out of darkness is to have our thinking transformed, and this happens when we start filling our minds with what Jesus did for us, and then see the goodness, greatness, and nearness of God in it and through it.