This post originated in my heart from hearing a Michael Hyatt podcast on re-creating your story and Dr.  David Jeremiah’s sermon on the radio coming home from my first night back in class.  Michael shared that we all have stories inside our minds that we play out.  Our thoughts become actions.  Have you ever really consistently listened to the story line of your thoughts?  He challenges you to write them down and re-create a better future.  Interestingly the voice or story within our minds is not created by us, but the very words spoken to us and over us.  It’s your boss, co-worker, spouse, parents, your best friend, a sibling…

When the voice comes up, stop, listen, and take notice.  Is it empowering? Encouraging? Propelling you to greatness?  Or, is the voice/story accusatory? Demeaning? Ridiculing?

If it’s negative, write it out and replace it with God’s truth about you, or something more positive.  Practice speaking good things about who you are becoming.  He gave a personal example, which to me, sounded like re-framing.  He was a young executive in a powerful job.  He felt that any day someone was going to recognize all his weaknesses and fire him.  He ran on anxiety during the day and fear kept him up at night.  He stopped the negative story line he rehearsed every day.  Instead of your too young, he claimed his youth was good because he had more energy and not set in his ways –open to new ideas and growth.  Instead of your inexperienced, he claimed he was a passionate learner willing to make mistakes and grow.  It took awhile, but this simple act over time conquered his fears.

No one can read your mind, but your thoughts direct your language and action, and people around you respond.  If you feel unqualified, interestingly enough, people will start to treat you that way.  Your intent, although unspoken, often becomes a reality or a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Faith…..

Dr. Jeremiah shared that for so long he tried to muster up faith.  He felt if he could concentrate more, work more, do more maybe faith would grow.  God’s word says this, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17  He went through the long list of heroes of the Bible who began with very little faith, yet God delivered.  For example, Moses who tried to bail out because of a speech impediment ultimately rescued his people from Egypt through faith in God’s ability to provide and guide him on the journey.  Faith demands action. Moses may have stuttered but in the end the way he talked did not matter.  His faith and action mattered more.

You want a lot of faith?  Start by following God’s recipe for faith –reading His Word, the word of Christ.  Second, act! Go!  Do!  Don’t let disabilities, fears, thoughts of inadequacy, feelings of  failure stop you.  Dr. Jeremiah shared that the moment you get a direction from God and you say, “Yes!” gives no footing for the enemy to change your mind, or cause you to rationalize.

What is the story you tell yourself over and over again, day after day?  Believe in a God who can re-write this story line, give you wonderful opportunities to act out this new story, and have FAITH!  Act on His promptings!  The greatest place to strengthen our faith and change our story to God’s story in us is hearing the very words of Christ–the Bible.