Introduction
Today, we are going to dive deep into something incredibly important for our spiritual growth: our initial reactions. These knee-jerk thoughts and feelings, though often spontaneous and fleeting, can reveal a lot about where we are spiritually. They reflect our mindset, beliefs, past experiences, and even the way we view the world around us.
In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are told to “take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” This verse shows us that we don’t have to be slaves to our thoughts. As Christians, we have the power to bring every thought into submission to God’s truth. But this requires intentional effort. It doesn’t happen automatically; it takes time, practice, and a willingness to be transformed by the Holy Spirit.
Today, we are going to focus on the power of our initial reactions and how we can shift those reactions toward truth—God’s truth. We will also explore how to move away from negative, biased, or fearful thinking and embrace a mindset grounded in the positivity, peace, and hope of the Gospel. Our goal is to align our thoughts and perceptions with God’s reality, not with our subjective experiences, biases, or distorted view of the world.
The Importance of Initial Reactions
Before we dive into the exercise, let’s take a moment to reflect on why our initial reactions matter.
1. They Reflect Our Heart Condition:
The Bible teaches us that “out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Our thoughts are the precursors to our words and actions. The first thought you have about a situation often reveals the deeper condition of your heart. Is it filled with love, peace, and hope? Or is it marked by fear, anger, or bitterness?
2. They Reveal Our Beliefs and Biases:
Our first responses often reflect what we believe at a core level. Are we operating with a belief in God’s goodness and sovereignty, or are we reacting from past wounds, pain, or fears? When we see something as “ugly” or “bad,” are we viewing it through the lens of human judgment or God’s divine perspective? This can help us uncover hidden biases or unresolved issues in our hearts.
3. They Set the Tone for Future Reactions:
Our initial thoughts also set the tone for how we continue to process and respond to situations. If we immediately react with negativity or fear, that often influences how we approach challenges in the future. If we react with positivity, truth, and faith, it builds a habit of seeing things through a hopeful and Christ-centered lens. Therefore, learning to respond well in the moment is crucial for cultivating spiritual maturity.
The Exercise: Exploring Your Initial Reactions
Now, let’s move into the practical exercise. I want you to reflect deeply on the words I’m going to present to you. The goal here is to capture your first thought when you hear each word. Don’t overthink it. Just write down the first thing that comes to your mind.
I encourage you to do this exercise prayerfully, asking God to reveal any areas where your mind may not be aligned with His truth. As you go through the list, pay close attention to any words or categories where you have a particularly strong negative or positive reaction. This will help you identify areas of strength and areas that may need healing or transformation.
List of Words to Reflect On:
1. Marriage
2. Society
3. Sin
4. Jesus
5. Lion
6. Criminal
7. Fight
8. Taylor Swift
9. Hitler
10. Doctors
11. School
12. Apples
13. My Church
14. Beautiful
15. Ugly
16. Lost
17. Yoga
18. Muslim
19. Movies
20. Television
21. Red
22. Black
23. Husband
24. Wife
25. Miracles
26. Hero
27. People
28. Trust
29. Lies
30. Common
31. Rich
32. Poor
33. Children
34. Dogs
35. Reality
36. Fantasy
37. Love
38. Hate
39. Escape
40. Mountain
41. Home
42. Help
43. Party
44. Good
45. Bad
46. Challenge
47. Sad
48. Funny
49. Crazy
50. Heaven
Reflecting on Your Results:
Now that you’ve completed the exercise, take a moment to reflect. How did you feel as you wrote down your first reactions? Were they mostly positive or negative? Were there any patterns that emerged? Did certain words trigger particularly strong emotions or memories? This is where the real work begins.
1. Count the Negative vs. Positive Reactions:
After reflecting on each word, count how many of your initial thoughts leaned toward negativity (fear, anger, frustration) versus positivity (hope, peace, joy). This will give you insight into how you naturally perceive the world.
2. Examine the Origins of Negative Reactions:
Ask yourself: Why did I think that? Were your reactions influenced by past experiences, societal conditioning, or perhaps false beliefs? For instance, if you wrote “society” and thought “broken,” what is the truth about society from God’s perspective? Yes, the world is fallen, but as Christians, we are called to be salt and light, offering hope and healing (Matthew 5:13-16).
3. Search for Hidden Biases:
Were your reactions influenced by stereotypes or prejudices? For example, did the word “Muslim” trigger fear or discomfort? Or “rich” makes you think of greed and corruption? God calls us to love and serve all people, regardless of their background, and not judge based on appearances (1 Samuel 16:7). As Christians, we should seek to see people through the lens of Christ’s love.
Shifting Your Mindset: Aligning Thoughts with God’s Truth
Now that we’ve identified some of our initial reactions, it’s time to take captive those thoughts and transform them with God’s truth.
1. Identify the Lies and Replace Them with Truth
When a negative thought arises, it often stems from a lie we’re believing. For instance:
• Lie: “I’m not good enough.”
• Truth: “I am fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image” (Psalm 139:14).
• Lie: “This world is hopeless.”
• Truth: “God is sovereign over all, and He is working all things for good” (Romans 8:28).
Take time to pinpoint the lie behind your negative reaction, and replace it with the truth of God’s Word. The Bible is our ultimate source of truth, and when we align our thoughts with it, we are better equipped to face life with a Christ-centered mindset.
2. Reframe the Thought with a Christ-Centered Perspective
t’s not enough to just replace a lie with a truth. We need to reframe our thinking in a way that reflects the mind of Christ. For example:
• If you thought “school is stressful,” reframe it as: “Education is an opportunity for growth and learning, and God is with me through every challenge.”
• If you thought “society is broken,” reframe it: “While the world is fallen, I am called to be a beacon of hope, sharing the love of Christ wherever I go.”
3. Practice Gratitude
Gratitude has a powerful effect on shifting our mindset. Even when things are hard, we can always find something to thank God for. If you’re struggling with negative thoughts about your job, your health, or your relationships, start by listing things you are grateful for. This practice can help shift your focus from what is wrong to what is right.
Philippians 4:8 encourages us to “think about 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.” This is the goal—to train our minds to focus on the good, the noble, and the godly.
Exercises to Strengthen Positive Thinking
Shifting your mindset takes practice, but here are some practical exercises to help you grow in positive thinking and godly perception:
1. Mindful Reflection
Throughout your day, pause and reflect on your thoughts. When a negative thought arises, ask yourself, What is the truth of God’s Word in this situation? Reframe your thought according to Scripture.
2. Scripture Memorization
Choose one or two areas where you struggle with negative thinking, and find verses that speak directly to those areas. Memorize those verses and speak them out loud when negative thoughts try to take root.
3. Gratitude Journal
Every evening, list three things you are grateful for, no matter how small. This practice will help shift your focus from what is wrong to what is right.
4. Prayer for Renewal
Each morning, pray that God would renew your mind and help you see the world through His eyes. Ask for the Holy Spirit to help you take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.
In Philippians 4:8, Paul exhorts us to “think about 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.” This is a call to shift our minds toward truth. It is a call to see the world not through our subjective fears, biases, or past wounds, but through the objective truth of God’s Word.
As we practice these exercises, we will become more spiritually strong in our perceptions and reactions. With God’s help, we will learn to see life as He sees it, and shift from negative, reactive thinking to positive, truth-centered thinking.
The Power of Words – Speaking Life , Not Death
There is an incredible power in words. God Himself created the universe through words: “Let there be light,” and light appeared. In the beginning, God spoke everything into existence, and everything He spoke was good. But the power of words doesn't stop there—it extends to each one of us. You and I have been given the ability to shape our reality through the words we speak.
In fact, our words carry more power than we can even imagine. The Bible says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). This means that the words we speak can either bring life, joy, healing, and peace—or they can bring death, discouragement, and destruction. Every time we speak, we are either speaking life into our situation or aligning ourselves with the enemy’s tactics.
One of the enemy's most insidious strategies is using God's name against us in the form of “I AM” declarations that serve to curse and limit us. Let’s break this down.
The Power of "I AM"
The Bible is clear that God’s name is powerful. When God revealed Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14, He said, “I AM WHO I AM”. This statement is so profound that it reveals God’s eternal, unchanging nature. God is—He doesn’t change, He doesn’t fade, and He doesn’t need to prove anything. The name “I AM” speaks to His sovereign, eternal, all-powerful presence.
But what happens when we, as humans, use this phrase in a negative or harmful way? The enemy has perverted the power of the name “I AM” by getting people to declare negative, self-defeating statements. In the same way God used His name to bring creation into existence, we too can use the power of words to shape our lives. But instead of affirming our identity in Christ, the enemy convinces us to speak curses over ourselves. The enemy whispers:
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“I am depressed.”
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“I am an alcoholic.”
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“I am an addict.”
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“I am unworthy.”
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“I am never going to make it.”
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“I am a failure.”
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“I am hopeless.”
Each of these phrases is a declaration that you have aligned yourself with a lie—the enemy’s lie. When you speak these words, you are not declaring the truth of who you are in Christ. Instead, you are unknowingly partnering with the enemy’s plan to keep you stuck, broken, and defeated.
The enemy is clever. He knows the power of words, and he has strategically placed these lies into our thoughts, hoping we will speak them into existence. He wants to get you to say things like “I am sick”, “I am lonely”, or “I am addicted”, because once you speak those words, you begin to live in agreement with them. They shape your mindset, and before long, they shape your actions. It becomes your reality.
But here’s the truth: You are not your circumstances. You are not defined by your struggles.
The Enemy’s Tactic: Turning "I AM" into a Curse
Let’s talk about how the enemy uses “I AM” to manipulate us. When you say, “I am depressed,” you are associating your identity with depression. The enemy wants you to believe that depression is a part of who you are—that it is something you can never escape. But that is a lie. Depression may be something you’re dealing with, but it is not your identity. Your identity is found in Christ alone. Saying “I am depressed” keeps you locked in a cycle of negative thinking, but the truth is, you can be healed and set free in the name of Jesus.
The same is true for “I am an alcoholic” or “I am an addict.” These labels may describe behaviors or struggles that you are facing, but they do not define who you are. If you are a believer, you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Saying “I am an addict” is like saying “I am a child of darkness,” when in reality, you are a child of the Light. You are not your addiction.
And what about “I am stupid” or “I am unworthy”? These are lies straight from the enemy. You are created in the image of God, and He has a plan for you (Genesis 1:27; Jeremiah 29:11). You are worthy of love, you are worthy of grace, and you are worthy of God’s plans for your life.
When you say “I am” in these negative ways, you are aligning yourself with the enemy’s lies, and the Bible is clear that we are to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). The enemy uses words to keep you in chains, but Jesus came to break those chains and set you free.
Speaking Victory and Affirmation Over Yourself
So, what do we do about this? How can we change our words and start speaking life and victory over ourselves? Here are a few steps to get you started:
1. Recognize the Power of Your Words
The first step in speaking victory is recognizing that your words have power. The Bible tells us that death and life are in the power of the tongue (Proverbs 18:21). That means every time you speak, you’re either sowing life or sowing death. You have the power to speak life into your situation, your relationships, and your future.
2. Replace Negative “I AM” Statements with God’s Truth
Next, replace those negative "I AM" statements with the truth of who you are in Christ. Instead of saying, “I am depressed,” say, “I am more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:37). Instead of “I am an addict,” say, “I am free in Christ” (John 8:36). Instead of saying, “I am a failure,” say, “I am victorious through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). These are the truths that define who you are.
3. Declare God’s Word Over Your Life
Start your day by declaring God’s promises over yourself. Speak His Word out loud. Say, “I am the righteousness of God in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Say, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14). Declare, “I am a child of God, and nothing can separate me from His love” (Romans 8:39). Speak these truths over yourself, even if you don’t feel like it at first. The more you speak God’s Word, the more you will believe it, and the more it will transform your life.
4. Renew Your Mind
Finally, renew your mind by filling it with God’s truth. The Bible tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). This happens when we start thinking differently about who we are. As you meditate on God’s Word and speak it over your life, your mind will be renewed, and you will begin to see yourself as God sees you.
5. Get Accountability
Don’t go through this alone. Find a trusted friend or mentor who can hold you accountable in speaking life over yourself. It helps to have someone who can remind you of God’s truth when you start slipping into old habits of negative self-talk.
Conclusion: Speaking Victory into Existence
Remember, your words are powerful. When you speak “I AM” in alignment with God’s truth, you are speaking life, victory, and freedom over yourself. You are God’s masterpiece, created for a purpose, and He has given you the ability to speak those purposes into existence. You are not defined by your past, your mistakes, or your struggles. You are defined by God’s love, His grace, and His truth.
So, next time the enemy tries to get you to speak a curse over yourself, reject it and declare “I AM free, I AM loved, I AM victorious!” The power of God’s name is on your side, and there is no weapon formed against you that can prosper (Isaiah 54:17).
Declare it today: “I AM who God says I AM!”
Prayer for Day 6
Lord, I thank You for Your Word, which is the ultimate source of truth. I ask You to help me renew my minds and transform my thinking. When negative thoughts arise, help me to capture them and replace them with Your truth. Teach us to see the good in every situation and to focus on what is praiseworthy. Give me strength to change my initial reactions and align them with Your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.