"What wrong thought pattern robs you of living a life of freedom and joy?"

A thought by Craig Groeschel from his book, Winning the War in Your Mind (p. 35). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

Good question!

Craig says, "Know this: You cannot defeat what you cannot define. You have to identify the lie that has become a stronghold for you. You must realize the negative impact it’s had on you and others.

"Do you see how you have become a prisoner of deception, locked up by a lie you believe is true? If you are going to change your life, you have to change your thinking. Demolish your strongholds."

He goes on, "If you want to truly change your life, you cannot just change your behavior. Even if you change your actions for a while, the original issue will just reestablish itself. That’s why Christianity has never been about behavior modification; it’s about life transformation.

"We’ve all experienced that frustration, right? We make a New Year’s resolution or some commitment to start or stop doing something. Lose weight, quit smoking, pray more, stop yelling at the kids. Well, for a few weeks it seems to work, and then we go right back to doing what we always do. Why? We haven’t gotten to the root of the problem: the lie we believe."

He continues, "Addressing the problem is attacking the city. Identifying and destroying the lie is pulling down the stronghold. Both are necessary to win the war.

"To do both and experience success, we need God’s power. We cannot have victory without his strength and support."

He later says, "Admitting that you need a power you don’t possess is vital, even though it may be difficult. I know it has been for me. If you’ve been taught to be an independent, self-reliant, pull-yourself-upby-your-bootstraps individual, confessing you don’t have what it takes might feel like weakness. But it’s not. It takes real strength to admit, I can’t do this on my own. I need power greater than I possess."

He says, "To bring down your strongholds, it’s time to go up. As a child of God, you have access to everything that belongs to your heavenly Father. So look up, go up, and access the power God has that you need to remove lies and replace them with truth. Ask him to show you the lies that you have believed for too long. Tell him you want your mind to be filled with his truths instead of the devil’s falsehoods. And then thank him for hearing you."

And that is so true, isn't it?

Yes, yes!

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