Transform Your Mind
Through Hope

By Kayleigh Dahman

By Kayleigh Dahman

“Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes.” 

-Romans 12:2

We live in a rapidly changing world, and as a general population, we are more connected to one another because of technology. There are currently 3.96 billion people who use social media every day Backlinco). You may have noticed that it is becoming more challenging to focus on one thing at a time. Perhaps, you jump from thought to thought quickly before fully processing the given task. Because of our highly connected world, we’ve stopped processing in the brain’s natural cycle, keeping us from us adopting a positive change in our lives. Our brains are begging us to take a break!

I’m a big fan of Caroline Leaf, who is a Christian neuroscientist from South Africa. She helps to clarify the spiritual and physical effects of negative thinking. When we think about a particular thing long enough, a neuron will grow on our brain and create a pathway to think along those lines. It takes an average of three, twenty-one-day cycles of repetition of truths to grow on our brain. Likewise, it takes the same amount of time for a lie cycle to create a new neuropathway. Caroline Leaf goes on to say in her book, Switch on Your Brain, “Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking. When we hope, it is an activity of the mind that changes the structure of our brain in a positive and normal direction.”

 

“Thoughts are real, physical things that occupy mental real estate. Moment by moment, every day, you are changing the structure of your brain through your thinking.”

What a powerful statement

Hope is an activity that changes the structure of our brain! If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never again think a negative thought. I believe that Jesus Christ is inviting us to identify cycles of truths and lies in our own lives to set us free from the chains of fear and shame. What if, when faced with a difficult challenge or circumstance, we recall and recite truths that are full of hope rather than lies cloaked in cynicism, anger, and fear?

In Romans 5:5, the Apostle Paul writes, “Hope does not disappoint, for the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” It’s time to replace familiar lies with thoughts of hope.

 

Here are the one’s I’m reciting:

“I have given you a hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11), 

“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you”

 (John 14:27), 

“The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still” 

(Exodus 14:14).

 

It is interesting how our mental processing changes over time. For those who could really benefit from a mental “break” (this is where I’m focusing ALL of my energy these days), try practicing the hard work of rest, as Leif often preaches. Living from rest requires us to step into a place of trust with Father God. We will only then be able to exchange old lie cycles.

Isaiah 30:15 says, “…In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” I also really love Isaiah 26:3-4, “You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”

What truths are you reciting in this season?

With All The Love,

Kayleigh Dahman

Executive Administrator

Global Mission Awareness

P.S. I’d love to hear about your experience with words and labels. You can email me at  my-email@email.com

Recent Blog Posts

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Global Mission Awareness • All Rights Reserved • P.O. Box 3049, Peachtree City, GA, 30269

Copyright 2021