There appear to be several major influences behind human behaviors. The first would be the thoughts or beliefs we hold to be true. A person cannot behave for long beyond what they believe about themselves or about an issue. Another source of behavior would be the coping mechanisms called “flesh” that have become our primary reactions to life situations, whether good or bad. The flesh is the engrained habits of thought, emotion, and behavior through which we’ve learned to rely on ourselves to make life work without God. In essence, flesh is our habits that set us on a path of reacting out of emotions rather than truth.
This process of faulty thinking began with the phrase “Did God really say?” (Genesis 3:1). By introducing “doubt” into God’s creation, the Enemy behaved exactly the way God knew he would. By introducing “doubt” the Enemy was certain he had forever destroyed God’s world. Yet all he had really done was initiate God’s plan of Redemption that continues today.
When we “set our mind (thinking) on things above where our life is hidden in Christ with God” (Colossians 3:1-3), we are appropriating our Redemption in that moment. When we allow it to be set on things here on earth by heeding those same four words, “Did God really say?”, the Enemy has focused our view on either the past (regret) or the future (worry).
When a deer hunter sights the deer in his scope, he is living in the present, not the past misses, or lost opportunities. He is not concerned about his hunting trip scheduled for next week and what might come of it. Similarly, by God’s Grace we have been given the magnificent privilege of viewing our life, moment by moment, through God’s scope of Redemption. Sometimes this ability comes quickly, other times slowly.
When we talk of “trusting God” it’s important we begin to understand “faith” as a course of action that brings about the right outlook. In other words, sometimes you have to live your way into right thinking. Where do I get this? But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith…(Galatians 5:22). Fruit is the last thing to appear on a tree, not the first. Many of us have believed faith to be the first thing, but in this case it’s a consequence. So with practice, we train a new habit of exercising “Now faith” (Hebrews 11:1). It’s not “Yesterday faith” or “One day faith.” God must be experienced present tense. When is it ever not “now"?
As we train our minds to believe (trust) rather than doubt, our thinking becomes corrected little by little. I know this is true because it is the way of God. As the Israelites are being led into the Promised Land, God, in telling Moses all that will occur, is recorded as communicating this truth—
And I will send hornets ahead of you, that they may drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate, and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. (Exodus 23:28-30)
Our Promised Land is our Redemption through the Grace of God according to His Divine Plan. Is little by little not good enough for you, or do you need it to be done
your way? Hmmmm. How’s that working for you?
God loves to reveal the truth about our faulty thinking and beliefs. His truth is what sets us free as we learn to set our minds on what God says is true. Give us a call at 864-224-5557 or click on the Counseling button below. We would love the opportunity to walk with you on your journey.