The mind matters, and it is filled with words.

Week Three | WORDS

If the day has you flustered and scrambling already, take a minute and listen to the words of this song. Let it settle your heart. Then, dive in. https://youtu.be/ZC9yJEkZsNI

Happy Monday, Beautiful One!🌻

Can I just say as we start week 3 of our challenge, God is SO good. SO GOOD.

[I should add that this felt like a blog, so it's coming to all of you and not just our challenge group.]

Anyway, when God started guiding me through our 90-day challenge on mind, body, and spirit, He gave me the word "word" for this week. Think "Word of the year."

I made some notes and agreed "word" would be our topic for week three, but last week I got so excited reading Atomic Habits that I decided to change course a bit, focusing on how habits can be formed negatively or positively by our thoughts.

This morning, God said "no" to habits and took me straight back to WORDS. (😁Insert a big smiley face.)

Habits and our brains will be next week (see my P.S.)

This week, we're all about words.

I think words are a big deal to God.

Not only is His story spoken to us through words, as in book form, but several verses also remind us of the importance of words.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1) While a bit confusing at first glance, it makes more sense when we realize Jesus used words to tell us who God was. To teach us about the Kingdom of God. He was God's messenger sent to reveal Himself as God and then, of course, to save us.

The second verse that came to mind was, "I testify to everyone who hears the words of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share of the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are written about in this book." (Revelation 22:18-19)

Both are profound to me.

I remember reading the second verse right after I began leading a group of teenage girls in youth group at Bent Tree years ago. I was terrified to lead but knew God was placing me there for a reason (foreshadowing - it was right before Journey to Dream was born.)

I didn't grow up memorizing or studying scripture. Because of that, I knew at least half of the girls in my group would know much more about the Bible than I did. If not all of them.

As I read Revelation 22:18-19, I remember praying that God would help me stay true to His word when I was speaking or teaching. Still to this day, I fear misinterpreting or claiming the Bible says something that it doesn't.

Words matter. Especially God's.

God knew satan would get to us through words.

Boy does he.

John 8:44 tells us that satan is the father of lies. "He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies."

A murderer.

Has he killed anything in your life?

Trust me; his ultimate goal is always death. And not just death by disease or murder, but death to our hopes and dreams. Death to who God says we are. Death to our spirit. Death to the truth we desperately need.

Sweet Sister, I'll say again. We are at war. A battle we don't want to fight without God.

We have to replace satan's lies with truth, God's words.

It won't happen overnight. It won't come easily.

Like we talked about making new pathways in our brain, it takes repetition.

It takes work and commitment. But it's worth it.

When I first started to work on my mind, the sticky note became my best friend. We lived in a small apartment with a tiny desk in the hallway. The desk had a corkboard where you could post pictures or reminders. That baby was full of God's truths in a short matter of time.

Eventually, my mirror (and my daughter's mirror) had scripture stuck to it. Then came my car mirror and dashboard. Then "we" decided to write one verse down a week and keep it on the dining table to memorize.

To say I was serious about transforming my mind is an understatement. I knew somehow if I could, it would change my life.

And it did.

Last week, I said I would post a list of verses for you to use, but I decided this morning that it's always better to find the truth ourselves.

The first truth I memorized was "Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you." – Hebrews 13:5

I was beyond weary and consumed with the feeling I would never be chosen. Unfortunately, life had repeated that theme one too many times.

The very thought that God would say He would never leave me was life-changing. Regardless of who approved of me or wanted me or who didn't want me or left me, God was telling me He would not only stay and never leave, He would never forsake me (or lie to me, or cheat on me, or hurt me.)

Today, it's still my life verse, and after it came many more truths.

Girls, I tell you all the time that if I don't wake up and spend time with Jesus first thing, I'm just not a good Christian. My thoughts can take me so far away from God. I'm quick to judge or get irritable. And still, I can get up from having the best hour with God, and satan will slap me with a lie. The difference is, I can quickly recall what I read or fall back in line with God's truth because I've spent time with Him.

If we don't commit, if we don't invest the time it takes, we won't replace lies with truth. All the self-help work in the world cannot do what God's truth can do for you. I promise.

Commit to it. Get in the Word and learn about what God says – about you, about HIM, about life.

If you're ready to replace lies with truth, pray something like this. "Father, I am weary of the lies the enemy has convinced me of. Please show me what they are. Reveal to me every lie that I have believed. Replace them with your truth. Just like Jesus, use Your Word, Lord, to put the enemy in his place. Take me to the scriptures you want me to memorize. Help me renew my mind. I want to be free, victorious, and effective in this life, glorifying you. I trust you, Lord, to uproot and replace every lie. In Jesus Name. Amen."

I'm having so much fun doing this challenge with you! I can't wait to hear about the verses you find this week or the truth you hold onto. Please post it in our community group.

Believe that God is who HE says He is. And believe you are also who HE says you are.

It's life-changing, Sister.

I love you much! I'm praying for you this week!

P.S. For those of you that love God-moments, right after God urged me to focus on words this week instead of habits, an interview of Craig Groschel talking to James Clear the author of Atomic Habits popped up. (More to come!)