Changing Our Stinkin' Thinkin'

written by Zach

I believe every good thing in this life, and especially in my own life, is a gift from God. Psychology has been a blessing in my life. So, do you want to take any guesses as to who I thank for psychology?

That’s right. I thank God for psychology.

I thank God for science. I grew up thinking and believing that science was the devil, and that science was man’s attempt to “play god.” I believed that any acceptance of science was a slippery slope toward a lack of dependence on Jesus and his power for my life.  You know how you’ve always got to be on the lookout for that mark of the beast too!  However, my thinking has changed. My thoughts have evolved you might say…

I have concluded that God himself created psychology. The Bible even contain verses like,

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

and

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Friends, these verses related to our thinking are psychology. I embrace this as the goodness of God in my life, that he would share these truths with us. However, I don’t want to just stop with the verse. Sometimes we are really good at reading a verse, memorizing a verse, or teaching a verse without getting practical with how we can actually apply it to our lives. We will study a verse TO DEATH, be able to explain the Greek meaning of it, yet miss the practical application.

That’s what these next few blog posts are going to be about: getting grossly practical with these deep truths in a way that hopefully help us change our irrational, fearful, negative thinking patterns…our stinkin’ thinkin.’

Williams James is famous for saying that "The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind."

Dr. Caroline Leaf adds that “Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking. When we hope, it is an activity of the mind that changes the structure of our brain in a positive and normal direction.”

Taking care of our mind is not just giving into psychobabble. I have found it to be one of the most sacred and beneficial processes I can daily take part in. It has made me a better husband, dad, and friend, as well as a more sincere, healthy Jesus follower. 

Anyone else want to go on this journey with us?