Vital Smarts has some great resources. Crucial Conversations is one of them. One of the ideas I reaped from them was that: facts are neutral, I tell myself stories about the facts, I believe my own stories, I project those stories on the facts as true. I then act on that "truth."
And, when I find that my stories are wrong I can change my stories.
This got me thinking about a couple of passages of the Bible.
We do not battle against people, we battle against satan and his lies. We examine the stories we tell ourselves and check to see if they are true. We compare them to the message of Jesus, found in God's Word, the Bible. If they are true we accept them. If they are not true we expose their error and change them so they are true using that same Word of God. (my own imperfect translation of parts of Ephesians 6, and 2 Corinthians 10)
Satan is constantly bombarding my mind with distortions and outright lies. I detect some as the lies they are. Some of the lies I believe. And I always regret believing them.
If I can examine my thoughts as they enter my mind I can compare them to the truth of God's Word, correcting the lies and so be able to live in reality and live how Jesus wants me to live. To detect lies I have to know the truth. That comes from reading the Bible and doing it. Reading the Bible is like putting gas in your car, it gives you the potential to go somewhere but you haven't fulfilled the purpose of the gas and car. Doing the Bible is like driving the car. Now you're going somewhere. And, it is in the going that Jesus teaches you Truth. (He will not teach you Truth in a parked car, no matter how full the tank is).
So, truth and lies enter my mind. I determine if they are truth or lies by comparing them to the Truth. I know Truth when I read the Bible and actually do what is says to do.
And, when I find that my stories are wrong I can change my stories.
This got me thinking about a couple of passages of the Bible.
Satan is constantly bombarding my mind with distortions and outright lies. I detect some as the lies they are. Some of the lies I believe. And I always regret believing them.
If I can examine my thoughts as they enter my mind I can compare them to the truth of God's Word, correcting the lies and so be able to live in reality and live how Jesus wants me to live. To detect lies I have to know the truth. That comes from reading the Bible and doing it. Reading the Bible is like putting gas in your car, it gives you the potential to go somewhere but you haven't fulfilled the purpose of the gas and car. Doing the Bible is like driving the car. Now you're going somewhere. And, it is in the going that Jesus teaches you Truth. (He will not teach you Truth in a parked car, no matter how full the tank is).
So, truth and lies enter my mind. I determine if they are truth or lies by comparing them to the Truth. I know Truth when I read the Bible and actually do what is says to do.
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