Find and Replace
In times of isolation, quietness, and solitude, the noise of this world becomes amplified and the lies of the enemy can become overpowering leading to anxious thoughts, thoughts doubting God’s goodness, and hesitation to fully embrace the identity of who God says we are.
“anxiety in the heart of man causes depression but a good word makes it glad.”
- Pro. 12:5
Have you ever considered if the anxiety you are feeling or the reason you are downcast may be due in part to the words you are taking ownership over? How we think has direct implications on how we feel and thus our actions and behaviors moving forward in our walks. These words influence our thought processes, sculpt our worldview, change how we feel emotionally, and impact how boldly we approach the throneroom of God in prayer.
We need to think about what we THINK ABOUT.
“what a man thinks, so he is. A person is the sum total of our thoughts”. - Pro. 23:7
What we think about shapes our identity and calling. Lately, I’ve believed lies. I’ve believed the lies of the enemy–lies that I’m not good enough. I’ll never be enough. I’m always going to be alone. I drive people away. I’m not worthy or making a kingdom difference. I’ll never measure up to her. Lies that scream at me that I’ll always be stuck, trapped, unloved, unneeded, unappreciated, unused, and unwanted. Are any of these familiar lies the enemy tells you too?
These lies have pierced my heart, plagued me with despair and depression. They have hindered my walk with the Lord. Admittedly and ashamedly, I’ve let the enemy rob me of my joy in Christ and let him destroy my witness paralyzing me with fear from truly surrendering to the Truth that is in the Person, Jesus Christ. No longer will I allow this. No longer will I be kept down, crawling to the altar rather than running strong after Christ.
One of the best things about our Savior does is not let you continue to go down the wrong path. God doesn’t distract, but He interrupts us with the healing remedy.
Change your mind to be more like Christ.
The battlefield is in my mind. That’s where this all takes place. It’s no wonder the Bible commands us to take every thought captive, to renew our minds, to set our minds on Him. It’s in the mind where the enemy attacks first; he rarely needs to go further than that because we let him win with just that small, fiery dart to the mind.
Romans 12:1-3 tells us the true and proper worship is to offer our bodies, not just our soul or our spirit, but the entire body---the whole you. The entirety of who you are---the spirit, the past, the present, the hopes, the dreams, every scrap and DNA strand of who you are---is to be offered as a living sacrifice to God. Giving God access to everything you own includes your mind. Paul tells us the “secret” to this sacrificial worship is by not conforming to the patterns of the world, the labels, stereotypes or the routine thinking.
Break the mold and be transformed by the renewing of your minds. This mental metamorphosis takes on a new shape, a new way of being human and back to what God intended for us at the very beginning. This transformation is done to us as we offer our lives to God in sacrifice and worship.
The fight against strongholds in your life is won or lost on the battlefield of our mind.
Some of us are prisoners of our own mind, slaves held in bondage, chained by the weight of our past. As His Spirit transforms us, as we open up our lives to God, we are given divine power to destroy and demolish strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-6), the places in our lives where the enemy has been given power, control or authority over you in your life, your mind, your body, your relationships. Depression and anxiety may be strongholds where the enemy has power over you, where you are under the control of turmoil, but we are not without weaponry.
When a thought attacks, enslaves, or assaults you, remember this: you have two choices. First, when the thought attacks you, you surrender to it and let it take over your mind controlling you filling your mind. Or you could do this instead - You fight back! You demolish strongholds, you don’t give airplay to that thought in your mind, but take it captive to the obedience of Christ.
This is a command to take thoughts captive, but God never commands you to do anything He will not give you the power or ability to follow through on. You may think you have a stronghold you will deal with the rest of your life, you may feel like the labels put on you from your past will forever be branded, but friend, believe me, you are wrong. Christ is back from the grave and He can put back relationships, right the wrongs, and bring beauty from the ashes as you fight back. Lean into the Spirit of God to not surrender to that way of thinking and let Him rescue you.
The voice we believe will determine the future we experience.
The heading in my Bible for Isaiah 55:1-3 says “invitation to the thirsty” (what a perfect God-title is that!?). Looking at the first verse:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price” - Isa. 55:1
What a beautiful God we serve! Four times in just one verse He invites me to “come” to Him. He doesn’t demand anything. I don’t need to be anything more than who I am now. Moreso, I am invited to come to Him without price because I’m already paid for with the ultimate price of His sacrifice (see two chapters before in Isaiah 53).
“Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to Me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, My steadfast, sure love for David” - Isa. 53:2-3
I love that! God is inviting me to listen so that my soul may live. Listen to who? The words of the One who is steadfast and loving. Who I listen to will determine how I live. Overcoming the lies with the truth of His promises is the response I must have to this great call of invitation. I must hear God’s voice above all others and must respond, defying my inner critic, consuming my thoughts with promises, and thinking “whatever” He thinks (Philippians 4:8).
Turn your anxieties into prayers. Saturate your soul with Scripture. Fill your mind with God’s thoughts.
As you simply come to Jesus, you are given new words and declarations over your life to replace with the lies we’ve believed. This replacement tactic is similar to the “find and replace” feature I have so many times used in college. As a student, I write a tremendous amount of papers–long, exhaustive papers that can result in repetition trying to lengthen it to meet the minimum page requirements.
A major problem I often run into is the repetition of simple, hollow words without using synonyms or more purposeful word choices. Whenever I run into this problem, I use this wonderful tool called “Find and Replace”. This technology tool allows me to highlight any words that I repeated too often, any words that sound ineffective or futile and replace them with whatever word I choose.
That is the same thing God allows us to do! We have a choice what we choose to believe! We must “find and replace” the lies in our lives with the promises of His Word. We must first detect and find the lies we believe before they take root, then replace with the promises of truth.
Continuing in Isaiah 55…
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways“, declares the Lord, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” - Isa. 55:8
When we replace those lies with promises of God, we will have the perspective of God. His thoughts are so much higher than ours–so let’s strive to think like Christ and drown out that noise.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hannah is a twenty-something Tucson native saved by the overwhelming grace of Christ. She is currently a university instructor while also pursuing a graduate degree. Hannah loves country music, camping and hiking, binge watching Gilmore Girls and traveling on spontaneous road trips. Her favorite days consist of a great cup of coffee, a good book, and enjoying monsoon thunderstorms. She longs to see young women thrive in their relationship with Jesus, knowing He always has immeasurably more in store for us.