A few weeks ago, I began a new series titled 'Unlocking the Power of Your Thinking." I acknowledged that the path to this topic is littered with debris from teachings labeled 'name it and claim it,' 'positive thinking,' and 'mind over matter.' It would make sense, however, that a topic of this importance would have opposition and a variety of counterfeits, for no one ever makes phony $4 bills because there are no real $4 bills. There is only value in producing a fake that has some basis in truth and reality, and that is why I have chosen to write about how God made your brain to function and how we can use it to work with Him and not against Him.
Last week, we looked at a stronghold and I promised this week, we would look at how to pull down a stronghold. Rather than study how to deal with a counterfeit stronghold, I thought I would share how to build a proper one. Let's get started.
HOW TO BUILD ONE
Last week, I defined a stronghold as "an accumulation of thoughts and beliefs over time that become a rigid way of doing things or seeing the world." I thought I would describe how I built what I consider a positive stronghold to help you build the same. Then next week, we will look at how to demolish a negative one.
About 40 years ago, I was diagnosed with a bad back. My mother had suffered with back problems, so it made sense to me that I could have inherited this condition from her. I was told by a doctor that it was just a matter of time before I would need surgery to correct a structural problem. I was presented with a thought and had a choice to either build a supportive cast of thoughts that would reinforce that diagnosis or build an alternative collection that would focus on healing. I figured I had nothing to lose by choosing to build a positive stronghold around healing. If I was wrong, I would just have surgery and would have gone off chasing an idle pursuit. If I was right, there were obvious benefits.
From that day forward, I decided to trust God for my healing, even though I was in pain. I read and meditated on Exodus 15:26: "“If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you” (emphasis added). It was not debilitating pain and I continued with my life, assured by my doctor that playing softball, working in my garden, or other normal activities would not cause further damage. Every summer I would play softball, go to the chiropractor the next day, and thank God for my healing. This went on for years. I would be in the shower or in the car and when I would feel the pain, I would thank God for my healing.
I SLIPPED UP
After many years, my wife and I were on a cruise with the ministry I was working for at the time. We were walking down the corridor to a meeting when I stepped on a piece of celery from a reception that had just been held in that area. My one leg went flying into the air and i fell hard on my back, at which point I began to shout, "Thank You, Lord! Thank You, Lord!" People thought I was injured but the opposite was true. For the first time, I realized my back did not hurt. I could not say when the pain left, but the pain that should have resulted from that fall was absent. That fall took place in 1994 and I have had no problems since.
I did not allow the thought of surgery to get a strong hold in my mind. Instead, I built a stronghold that God is my healer, reinforcing and surrounding that thought with other thoughts that were in line with my starting point. I have used that model to build other strongholds to guide my thinking and behavior, such as "I can write more than one book a year." "God doesn't need a company to pay me. He can do that Himself." "I can have energy and be productive until I die at a ripe old age." As with my healing mindset, if I am wrong, what have I really lost? If I am on the right path, however, I have much to gain.
Next week, I promise we will examine how to tear down and replace a negative stronghold, but the process involves what I described this week. You must find a new thought that will become the foundation or pillar and build a supportive mental structure around it. For this week, you can start to build a positive, godly stronghold by accepting a simple truth and choosing to believe that, no matter how much opposition it receives from conflicting thoughts that assail your mind. your job will be to find thoughts and Bible verses that can partner with your new thought. While you do that, I am going to once again bend over and thank God for His healing power that proved stronger and mightier than a doctor's prognosis. Have a blessed week.
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