Life Is A Style (Part 2: You choose what to think about and act accordingly)

Often, the mind is a battlefield. There is a lot that goes on in our minds that can be overwhelming. Especially with regards to decisions we must make. Some of those decisions include how to spend our money, how to live with others, how to solve life problems, how to love and ultimately how to ensure that we are living and shining God's light in our relationship with the people we encounter daily.

What I have learned these past few days is that you are your own mind’s steward. You control what you want to think about. That is why it is possible (you read that right...possible but not easy) to focus your mind on the good things in life. It is possible to focus your mind on letting God take the lead but also very difficult to do so. That is the reason why you must pray to God to give you the strength and discipline you need to pursue this course.

Proverbs 19:21 says “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand”

Isaiah 41:10 also says “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand”.

We face temptations from life’s struggles daily, but those temptations offer us an opportunity to test the focus of our minds. It is during those periods that we are tested on our ability to discern and obey the voice of God. We must always let God take charge of our minds because the evil one is the father of lies as stated in (John 8:44) and is always attacking our minds with lies. However, the Bible assures us that no temptation has overtaken or befallen us that we are not able to handle or is uncommon to us (1 Cor 10:13). God knows we will have many temptations in this life. Nonetheless, no temptation is uncommon to man therefore this gives us an assurance that we too, can pull through.

This can also be applied to our relationships with people. We are in control of the thoughts we have towards others irrespective of what type of relationship it is. We are in control of the experiences we give to others when they encounter us. In other words, we are responsible for ensuring that people who encounter us feel God’s love through us even if we do not get along well with them. We should be open to conflict resolution and being the peacemakers in all our relationships with others. Personally, I have learned to always listen from a place of understanding and love, and to especially put myself in the shoes of those I feel may have hurt me. Why do I emphasize this? Because most of the time, those I claim to have hurt me are not even aware of it. Thus, I tend to be the one who hurts the most. However, I have realized that the quickly I let things go, the easily I become more willing to understand those who offend me and the situations that prevented them from doing the things I would have preferred. Changing how you think about others; from a self- centred perspective to a loving perspective, brings a lot of clarity and helps you to forgive quickly.

I am still learning every day, better ways of focusing on myself and getting rid of the things that did not glorify God. Every day I aim to love others with my thoughts and actions. I am still not there yet, but I will be one day! It is not easy getting rid of the old self including negative thinking patterns, but the Bible says, “If a man be in Christ he is a new creation”. Therefore, let us be firmly grounded in Christ so that we can begin to see positive changes in our thoughts and consequently, our actions. We have got this!

About the writer

Esther Blankson is a young Christian Writer from Ghana but currently lives and studies in the USA. She has a passion for young people like herself and is an executive under the Purpose Lyceum sub ministry of the Teens Aloud Foundation USA branch. You can connect with Esther on Instagram:@ms.blankson