Want to change your results?

What we think affects how we feel. How we feel determines the choices we make. Said differently, what we think about becomes what we want; what we want drives our behavior. Over time, our behaviors become our lifestyle, our rhythms. These rhythms determine our health.

In his book, Inner Excellence, Jim Murphy says it this way, “Your results come from your behaviors. Your behaviors come from your feelings. Your feelings come from your thoughts.” His point? Change your thoughts, change your results.

But scripture tells us our thoughts cannot be trusted. Isaiah 55:8 states, “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ declares the Lord.”.

Scripture also makes it clear our heart is actually the problem as this is where our thoughts are cultivated. As 2 Corinthians 9:7 explains, we make decisions “in our hearts”. Luke 2:19 tells us “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”.  King David knew his “anxious thoughts” where in his heart asking the Lord to “search” and “know” his heart. (Psalm 139:23)

Why is this a problem? As Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.”.

If our thoughts can’t be trusted and our feelings can’t be trusted. What can we trust? The solution according to Proverbs 3:5-6 is to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” 2 Corinthians 2:5 reminds us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”.

Although not often considered, “submitting” to the Lord “in all our ways” includes our health. God knows our hearts. He knows our tendency to criticize and rationalize. Scripture encourages us to align our hearts with His truth, even pertaining to our health. He wants us to see ourselves as He sees us. Taking our thoughts captive “to make (them) obedient to Christ” protects us from anxiety, depression, and discouragement. If “trusting the Lord” makes our “path straight”, we can conclude “leaning on our understanding” leads us astray. Praise God, we don’t have to “understand” to “trust”!

While our thoughts and feelings cannot be trusted, God’s can. Our understanding is limited and distorted by our experiences, but God’s is not. Lean into Him in every area of your life. He wants to be intimately involved “in all your ways”. Seek Him in your relationships. Honor Him through your diet and exercise. Bring Him your anxiety and worry. Call out to Him when you lonely. As His child, there is no area of your life where He is not invested. There is nothing He cannot heal. There is nothing He cannot redeem.

Want to change your results?  Align your thoughts with His thoughts and your ways with His ways.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Philippians 4:4-8

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6