We all have areas in our lives where it looks like we can’t change our results. No matter what we do, it seems that we always find ourselves in the wrong direction. But glory to God, He has a solution, and it’s quite simple.
She thought this man was different, but after a few months of dating, she realized that he was just as manipulative as her old partners. “Why do I always attract the same type of men?” She wondered how to change this inevitability. We can experience all kinds of bad results in different areas of our lives. We can go round and round in our finances, our profession, our health, etc. Once we have identified the problem to be changed, we can roll up our sleeves and work hard to improve the behavior that leads us to these unfortunate results. But when we are children of God, the solution is much simpler and above all, easier.
The Bible says that our actions are the result of our thoughts. Our sins and our wrong directions begin inside us. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders” (Matthew 15:19 NASB). Instead of changing our actions, it would be better to start by changing our thoughts, or our heart.
To do this, we need help because there is nothing more difficult than trying to stop thinking in a certain way. It’s possible, it’s what a multitude of psychologists and therapists teach their patients. But it takes a lot of effort, we must continually analyze our thoughts. What God teaches is instead to saturate our thoughts with his Word. It is the most effective weapon to overcome our internal struggles, it is the scalpel that comes to operate the miracle in our heart. “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12 NASB).
If you want to enter into God’s promises concerning your finances, you must begin to read, study, meditate and declare what God says about your finances. “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3: 16-17 NASB). And it is also the method to receive a new direction in your relationships. Read the passages that talk about how we should behave while dating. Study the verses that speak about the criteria to look for in a partner. Meditate on what God says about your new nature and responsibilities. Declare the promises He has made to you. Your thoughts will change, then your actions and of course, your results.
Your biggest enemy in this process is also inside of you. In the parable of the sower, Jesus enumerates what could prevent the seed, the Word of God, from bearing fruit (Matthew 13:18-23). Our heart may be hardened: we can read the promises of God and not believe them. We can read about the direction that God is asking us to take and just give up because we believe we would never be able to follow it. The Word of God can not have effect if we do not believe in it (Hebrews 11:6)!
The Word of God can also be stifled by our daily worries. We may be so preoccupied with our routine that we fail to keep in our mind, or to meditate on, what is in the Bible. The desire for worldly success, the riches of the world, can also distract us from the Word of God. The mockery of those around us when we choose to follow the path of God can also make us change our minds.
We must be vigilant. The Word of God is mighty and effective, but it must remain in us to take root. The life of peace, the happy marriage, the prosperity and health, all these promises of God are within our reach. Open the instruction manual that your Creator has given you, focus on it, and you will see wonderful results.