A Christian's mental health - a sound mind

[ladylynn]

[h=1]AN UPDATE FROM DR. CAROLINE LEAF[/h][h=3]POWER OF THE POSITIVE[/h]Recently Dr Leaf video taped a 14 min clip for the POWER OF THE POSITIVE online summit. It had contributions from speakers like Tony Robbins, Michael Hyatt. Henry Cloud, NFL Coaches etc.
In this VIDEO she emphasizes that our thoughts need to line up with our words otherwise we will have 'cognitive dissonance!'.... saying one thing and believing something contrary.




I have found Dr. Caroline Leaf to give some very sound and Scriptural advice and encouragement when it comes to our minds as believers. I hope you find this short video helpful. Blessings! Lynn

 

[ladylynn]

I'm encouraged that our minds are separate from the brain. Who woulda thought???? God tells us about our thinking and how to think. Ohhh yes, I know I can hear some of you now .... "oh brother another wacky idea from another wacky Christian"

As much as we humans have come to understand life from our physical flesh and find it VERY difficult to see life any place differently, it IS a real fact of our new nature., the new MIND we have been given can and will cause change to take place if we know about it. (we are not victims) We have the Holy Spirit working in us.

There is no magic bullet on how to renew our minds. It takes the action to go and read His Word and find out 'how to think' Learning HOW TO think is major. I never knew I could change the way I think and act. The Bible tells us to THINK ON THESE THINGS... now finding out what to think about and how to bring those thoughts into captivity ARE the steps we must begin to take. Being AWARE of our thoughts and how some of us just go along with whatever and wherever our thoughts take us.

God has given us the ability through Christ to act out the sound mind He has given us. The Bible says God has not given us the spirit of fear.... but of POWER and LOVE and A SOUND MIND. Just like we walk out our own salvation / we work OUT what Christ has PUT IN. This includes our thoughts being changed. Changing our thoughts, changing our minds takes repentance.... meaning a willingness to change our set ideas and habits... our minds are able to change our brains.

Do hope some of you are encouraged. This process is an awesome journey of faith in Christ's new life in us as believers. I'm on this journey and it is a day by day process that yields day by day successes. Faith does work in and through the mind and body to change us to be what He has made us already, sons.

 

[thepsalmist]

"she emphasizes that our thoughts need to line up with our words otherwise we will have 'cognitive dissonance!'.... saying one thing and believing something contrary."- Lady Lynn

Yes ... I didn't watch the video ... but I agree with the highlighted quote above ... For sure! Lying is a sin that leads to self-corruption and self-delusion ... absolutely.

I've seen people who lie constantly slowly degrade to a state where they can no longer tell the truth from the lie ... even themselves.

 

[Grace777x70]

Here is scripture that goes along with setting our minds on things above where we sit with Christ now. To the natural mind or the unrenewed mind to the truth of what Christ has done in His finished work. - this is foolishness to them because they are spiritually discerned.

I believe the double-minded person that James is talking about is someone living from their unrenewed brain and not listening to the mind of Christ that is in their spirit man. This person does not receive from God because of their unbelief.

Colossians 3:1-3 (NASB)

[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

[SUP]2 [/SUP] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

[SUP]3 [/SUP] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Knowing who we are in Christ now while on this earth is paramount to having our minds renewed and to walking in the spirit. This means walking from our inner man - our spirit where we are a new creation in Christ - created in righteousness and holiness.

 

[ladylynn]

"she emphasizes that our thoughts need to line up with our words otherwise we will have 'cognitive dissonance!'.... saying one thing and believing something contrary."- Lady Lynn

Yes ... I didn't watch the video ... but I agree with the highlighted quote above ... For sure! Lying is a sin that leads to self-corruption and self-delusion ... absolutely.

I've seen people who lie constantly slowly degrade to a state where they can no longer tell the truth from the lie ... even themselves.

Yes, AND our words do have power to set our minds for healing or sickness., and we don't even realize it. As Christians we should KNOW how important what we say really is.

Even the world knows how SAYING something over and over to yourself and everyone else around you can set it in cement for your daily life. And like I've heard preachers say and I agree, we constantly are speaking death to ourselves and others.

"these shoes are killing my feet" "Those jokes are killing me" "YOUR KILLING ME!!!" "I'm dying for a cookie" "this job is killing me" "that school is killing my son" ... It's always about death. We don't realize how satan has brought this even into our unconscious thought life and we say this everyday without considering the impact it has. The enemy knows and I'd guess he is having a lot of victory in Christian's lives by the very words he causes the world to say over and over. We just kind of go along with our societies language.

There is sooooo much to our lives that impacts our thinking., our healing, our emotions and our physical bodies as well. A believer can be doing a lot of things right but saying tons of wrong things over and over to himself and causing much mental and physical illness.

 

[ladylynn]

Here is scripture that goes along with setting our minds on things above where we sit with Christ now. To the natural mind or the unrenewed mind to the truth of what Christ has done in His finished work. - this is foolishness to them because they are spiritually discerned.

I believe the double-minded person that James is talking about is someone living from their unrenewed brain and not listening to the mind of Christ that is in their spirit man. This person does not receive from God because of their unbelief.

Colossians 3:1-3 (NASB)

[SUP]1 [/SUP] Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

[SUP]2 [/SUP] Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

[SUP]3 [/SUP] For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Knowing who we are in Christ now while on this earth is paramount to having our minds renewed and to walking in the spirit. This means walking from our inner man - our spirit where we are a new creation in Christ - created in righteousness and holiness.

Exactly Grace777, we are co-laborers in this process. We are supposed to be witnessing our changes and experiencing the joy of our freedoms in Christ. Seeing our minds actually changing our lives because we do have the mind of Christ but have not yet learned how to stay IN that mind set while we deal with and put off the familiar old mind set. A changed mindset can make all the difference. If we believe God doesn't love us, we will be undecided, insecure and always fending for ourselves. We won't be letting Jesus BE our good Shepherd leading us into the green pastures.

It takes our action of 'following'. And following takes on many forms...one of which is the WILLINGNESS to change our thinking and believe HIM instead of US. To start talking differently., to start talking to others differently. To not give in to impulses of anger but give into the Holy Spirit and His peace. He gave us peace the last time we followed and we enjoyed the fruit of the last time we gave into Him and not our flesh.

Change takes on so many forms in us as believers. We have only just begun to walk in this journey of being conformed.

 

[thepsalmist]

Yes, AND our words do have power to set our minds for healing or sickness., and we don't even realize it. As Christians we should KNOW how important what we say really is.

Even the world knows how SAYING something over and over to yourself and everyone else around you can set it in cement for your daily life. And like I've heard preachers say and I agree, we constantly are speaking death to ourselves and others.

"these shoes are killing my feet" "Those jokes are killing me" "YOUR KILLING ME!!!" "I'm dying for a cookie" "this job is killing me" "that school is killing my son" ... It's always about death. We don't realize how satan has brought this even into our unconscious thought life and we say this everyday without considering the impact it has. The enemy knows and I'd guess he is having a lot of victory in Christian's lives by the very words he causes the world to say over and over. We just kind of go along with our societies language.

There is sooooo much to our lives that impacts our thinking., our healing, our emotions and our physical bodies as well. A believer can be doing a lot of things right but saying tons of wrong things over and over to himself and causing much mental and physical illness.

And God SAID let there be light ... as Christians surely we KNOW that words are powerful ... It's good that you remind us to remember that truth Thank you

 

[thepsalmist]

James 3

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they sayis perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.
3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.
9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

 

[wattie]

I don't think enough christians think about the consequences of getting into spiritual gifts heavily, especially when they are mimicking the church of Corinth rather than learning from the church of Corinth's mistakes.

The consequence of doing this often leads to unstable mental health, because christians tend to 'force' it the gifts. So they will get themselves into a state of mind, get wound up or emotional to 'bring on' the manifestations.

The fruit of the church of Corinth's abuse of the gifts was fornication and abuse of the Lord's Supper among other things.. are christians going to mimic that church, or learn from it?

Another thing that leads to unstable mental conditions for christians is putting your faith in miracles for everything. The miracle becomes the object.. rather than Jesus. What happens when the miracle doesn't occur?

Miracles are by definition, very rare. Faith should be in Jesus, not in something that happens very rarely and is for particular purposes.

Eg.. 'We are not going to get medication for my son's treatment.. we are relying on God for a miracle'..

That's not sound faith.. it's in something that is in God's hands and He operates with miracles - especially of healing, very rarely.

You can disagree.. fine..

But remember it is Jesus who we trust in. A miracle isn't worshipped.. neither are gifts.

 

[ladylynn]

And God SAID let there be light ... as Christians surely we KNOW that words are powerful ... It's good that you remind us to remember that truth Thank you

It's been a real shock over the last few years to see how I was causing much of my own misery not only my spiritual life but the physical and the emotional part. I agreed with my own ideas and those of other people when we said things like "this is an awful job" "I can't stand this house" "I hate my situation" "This is such a rotten car" "I'll never get over this trauma" "I'll always be this way" "I hate this" etc...

I spoke defeat into my life every single day. And Jesus brought me to the conclusion; was it any wonder there was no joy that lasts for you? Joy only lasts as long as your situation is good. Soon even good things were not good for you.

Seriously, a person can live and work their whole lives climbing a ladder to a building they built brick after brick only to get to the top and find it was the wrong building.

I'm so thankful to Jesus that He saw my plight and completely moved the ladder to the correct building where He is the foundation. Yes, I'm a bit late starting again but Amen to Jesus!!! I didn't get to the end and find He wasn't there., all that bunch of wood, hay and stubble. would have been burnt up with nothing to show Jesus. He really did do the beauty for ashes thing in my life.

 

[JesusLives]

Recently I told someone that if you say you are going to have a horrible day you will be right because it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy... You say it and believe it and then every crummy thing that happens that day makes it a horrible day but another person can say today will be a good day and they seem to look for all the good things that happen that day and guess what? They had a Great Day..... We must be careful what we tell our minds as we just might believe what we are saying.... I don't know about you guys but this Blond would rather have Good days than horrible ones.... God would like for us to be happy and at peace with knowing that He is in control....

 

[ladylynn]

I don't think enough christians think about the consequences of getting into spiritual gifts heavily, especially when they are mimicking the church of Corinth rather than learning from the church of Corinth's mistakes.

Hi Wattie, not sure what you mean about the consequences of getting into spiritual gifts heavily??



The consequence of doing this often leads to unstable mental health, because christians tend to 'force' it the gifts. So they will get themselves into a state of mind, get wound up or emotional to 'bring on' the manifestations.

If Christians do anything that is not something the Holy Spirit is leading them to do it will make their lives a misery. It has nothing to do with spiritual gifts but everything to do with emotionally lead people who may have a zeal without knowledge. Spiritual gifts are from God and all that God gives us is always good.



The fruit of the church of Corinth's abuse of the gifts was fornication and abuse of the Lord's Supper among other things.. are christians going to mimic that church, or learn from it?

If they read their Bibles and studied to show themselves approved unto God a workman that need not be ashamed and rightly divided the Word of Truth being Holy Spirit lead they certainly wouldn't.

Another thing that leads to unstable mental conditions for christians is putting your faith in miracles for everything. The miracle becomes the object.. rather than Jesus. What happens when the miracle doesn't occur

I believe we have to know what His promises are and by faith walk them out in our lives. The truth of God's Word and His promises are true and we can count on them. But our faith has to be IN the ONE who gave the promises.


Miracles are by definition, very rare. Faith should be in Jesus, not in something that happens very rarely and is for particular purposes.

Miracles are not rare, they are a daily happening for us if we open our eyes and dare to believe like the Holy Spirit keeps beckoning us to do. I have seen the Lord make a bag of dog food last for more days than it should have. Have had protection from sickness while everyone else i work with got terribly sick. My car keeps starting and my body keeps working. Those are only a tiny few, I could go on.

God keeps opening doors that were once closed. He opens doors and no one can shut them. He keeps graciously loving me and showing He is taking care of me because His Holy Spirit keeps leading to believe He will. That Holy Spirit KEEPS leading us to believe.

Before I got this revelation, I didn't know He literally meant THAT in His Word when it said to walk by faith and NOT by sight. It sounded to simple and hair brained like those wacky Christians I used to see running around praising Jesus all the time. Now I'm one of them and see why they are so joyful and happy. He really does and He really will. I refuse to allow my mind to believe He won't be true to His word. I can only do that by daily learning how to walk by faith. Committed to daily learning because the other way is no life at all.




Eg.. 'We are not going to get medication for my son's treatment.. we are relying on God for a miracle'..

This is a daily walk and each day we take a step at a time. Not taking your medicine is not wise. God gives us many ways of getting healed. Medicine is a gift and so are doctors. Taking a shower is important if you want to stay clean., changing your clothes is wise. We live in these bodies and God gives us abilities.

There also is a time when we realize that all these good things are from Him and we should take them happily and learn about His grace by taking from Him. And then keep stepping out in faith to dare to learn even more. No one can walk that out for us. No one, not even God will MAKE us take from His gracious hand.

We are to work out/walk out our own salvation in all seriousness knowing how much He loves us. He will meet our needs and take care of us just as He promises despite what circumstances or people say.

That's not sound faith.. it's in something that is in God's hands and He operates with miracles - especially of healing, very rarely.

You can disagree.. fine..

But remember it is Jesus who we trust in. A miracle isn't worshipped.. neither are gifts.

For me, I have to tell you Wattie, whenever I put my faith in Him it is sound decision. Without faith it is impossible to please Him. He wants me to believe He loves me and cares about my person such as it is "but dust" He knows what we are and He has made provision for us IN Christ. The question for me was., does He make provision for ME??? YES He always does. Because of Jesus imputed righteousness to me personally I am one of the beloved who the promises are for. (and so are all those who have Jesus)

 

[ladylynn]

Recently I told someone that if you say you are going to have a horrible day you will be right because it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy... You say it and believe it and then every crummy thing that happens that day makes it a horrible day but another person can say today will be a good day and they seem to look for all the good things that happen that day and guess what? They had a Great Day..... We must be careful what we tell our minds as we just might believe what we are saying.... I don't know about you guys but this Blond would rather have Good days than horrible ones.... God would like for us to be happy and at peace with knowing that He is in control....

Amen JesusLives! Us blonds are not so dumb after all!

 

[ladylynn]

https://youtu.be/92I6uu9HePU


Someone just posted this on another thread. I had seen it some months ago and it is a good video about the reason why we can know God loves us. Jesus took all our sin with it's curses and death and sickness and disease condemnation and mind distortion issues. Now we are 100% righteous because He gave us His righteousness as a gift.

 

[vic1980]

Psalm 34:2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.

Amen

 

[bikerchaz]

She (the lassie in the video) didn't mention Jesus once, LOL. She has come from a basic human point of view that takes 63 days at 7 minuets a day to describe what Jesus does for us in a nano second when we ask Him in. Brilliant, love it! Thank you.

Wattie I can see your pain, I really can. My eldest son is very minimally asperges but it effects his life so we have had to home school him. My wife has been hospitalised three times with her mental health and has only just received her diagnosis of two personality disorders after 25 years.

I sit and look at her and him and pray silently in my heart every day that God will show a way forward, I listen to my wife tell me that God has it in for her, that He is a liar and a fraud. I remember when she was full of the Spirit of God and could see clearly, then church (small c intended) stepped in and did not help because it was run by people who had their own agenda's, not God's, and I was too young in the Lord to see what was going on.

I know what God has done for me, and How he has changed me. If God can do that for me then making my family whole is a minor thing by comparison, I know that to be a truth! Yet here I am waiting, praising, and trying to do what I am told. I know He will work in my family, but should He not and this awful discrepancy take my wife before me then I know that she will be with me in the kingdom because of my place within my household as High priest (within the order of Melchizadec), as is Jesus to the church.

If on the other hand He should call me home first, then I have complete faith that He will bring those I love to where they need to be, because "Nothing will He withhold from those that love Him"
God bless.

 

[ladylynn]

She (the lassie in the video) didn't mention Jesus once, LOL. She has come from a basic human point of view that takes 63 days at 7 minuets a day to describe what Jesus does for us in a nano second when we ask Him in. Brilliant, love it! Thank you.

Wattie I can see your pain, I really can. My eldest son is very minimally asperges but it effects his life so we have had to home school him. My wife has been hospitalised three times with her mental health and has only just received her diagnosis of two personality disorders after 25 years.

I sit and look at her and him and pray silently in my heart every day that God will show a way forward, I listen to my wife tell me that God has it in for her, that He is a liar and a fraud. I remember when she was full of the Spirit of God and could see clearly, then church (small c intended) stepped in and did not help because it was run by people who had their own agenda's, not God's, and I was too young in the Lord to see what was going on.

I know what God has done for me, and How he has changed me. If God can do that for me then making my family whole is a minor thing by comparison, I know that to be a truth! Yet here I am waiting, praising, and trying to do what I am told. I know He will work in my family, but should He not and this awful discrepancy take my wife before me then I know that she will be with me in the kingdom because of my place within my household as High priest (within the order of Melchizadec), as is Jesus to the church.

If on the other hand He should call me home first, then I have complete faith that He will bring those I love to where they need to be, because "Nothing will He withhold from those that love Him"
God bless.

Hello bikerchaz, I'm sorry you missed the point of the video and only found fault. She uses her medical education and understanding and her Biblical understanding as a Christian woman and in fact has gone against the worlds view that we are unable to change things in our minds. But instead she has agreed that God has given us the ability IN Christ because we now have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit to change our minds as we submit to His truth. Deny the wrong and embrace the truth.

Please don't misrepresent this "lassie" on the video. I'm sorry you totally missed the message as it sounds like it could actually assist and maybe help you out. We are co-laborers with the Holy Spirit in this process. If you listened to what Dr.Leaf actually says you would hear her talk all the time about Jesus. Our life and understanding truth is - a - process. It takes time. God never told us we could down load info without going through the process.

Sorry to hear about your wife. There is hope in Christ for us, and this is the truth at all times., there is no exception.

 

[tourist]

I don't know about you guys but this Blond would rather have Good days than horrible ones.... God would like for us to be happy and at peace with knowing that He is in control....

I'd rather have God days too.

 

[thepsalmist]

It's been a real shock over the last few years to see how I was causing much of my own misery not only my spiritual life but the physical and the emotional part. I agreed with my own ideas and those of other people when we said things like "this is an awful job" "I can't stand this house" "I hate my situation" "This is such a rotten car" "I'll never get over this trauma" "I'll always be this way" "I hate this" etc...

I spoke defeat into my life every single day. And Jesus brought me to the conclusion; was it any wonder there was no joy that lasts for you? Joy only lasts as long as your situation is good. Soon even good things were not good for you.

Seriously, a person can live and work their whole lives climbing a ladder to a building they built brick after brick only to get to the top and find it was the wrong building.

I'm so thankful to Jesus that He saw my plight and completely moved the ladder to the correct building where He is the foundation. Yes, I'm a bit late starting again but Amen to Jesus!!! I didn't get to the end and find He wasn't there., all that bunch of wood, hay and stubble. would have been burnt up with nothing to show Jesus. He really did do the beauty for ashes thing in my life.

If we keep in mind that "In ALL things the Lord works for the good of those who love Him according to His purpose" then we will be more likely to see everything a little more positively. Seeing everything as a blessing ... which surely it is, according to the verse above ... will help us keep our joy through difficult times.

I think of the Israelites in the wilderness ... when they complained: God said they were grumbling against HIM! And this grumbling was no small thing to God!

Let's try to always give thanks to God and rejoice in Christ through thick and thin ...

 

[bikerchaz]

Hello bikerchaz, I'm sorry you missed the point of the video and only found fault. She uses her medical education and understanding and her Biblical understanding as a Christian woman and in fact has gone against the worlds view that we are unable to change things in our minds. But instead she has agreed that God has given us the ability IN Christ because we now have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit to change our minds as we submit to His truth. Deny the wrong and embrace the truth.

Please don't misrepresent this "lassie" on the video. I'm sorry you totally missed the message as it sounds like it could actually assist and maybe help you out. We are co-laborers with the Holy Spirit in this process. If you listened to what Dr.Leaf actually says you would hear her talk all the time about Jesus. Our life and understanding truth is - a - process. It takes time. God never told us we could down load info without going through the process.

Sorry to hear about your wife. There is hope in Christ for us, and this is the truth at all times., there is no exception.

The young lady never mentioned Christ once, I thought it was a good video and didn't find fault, Jesus name was not mentioned. You may know this but I did not. I do now.

I understand How God works and I thought it very good at explaining it, we should all be 'going through it all the time'. As for anything else I wrote down that was supposed to be encouragement for Wattie.

I know Jesus is the name above every name and He made and controls all things including my wife's problems and as such I wonder what He is going to use her for.
Sorry if I upset you.
God bless