"For as he thinks in his heart,
so is he." (Prov 23:7 NKJV)
If you ever lived in Northern Canada, or even visited
the frozen north lands in the wintertime, you will likely have noticed the cars
and trucks that race over the frozen lakes. In fact, many northern communities
are only accessible via car in the wintertime, when vehicles can cross on ice
roads. This practice is perfectly safe in the middle of the winter, unless, of
course, you are caught up in a winter storm, or perhaps there is an unexpected
thaw!
There are many however, who see this practice as a
sport--even,
as a thrill. And their favourite season for this activity is the early spring,
when lakes and rivers are already starting to thaw. The thinner the ice, the
more thrilling the ride. Or so it seems, as you watch them racing over ice that
is already cracking up, not only under the weight of their vehicles, but also
because temperatures are above the freezing mark! In fact, the more likely the
lake is to swallow them up, the more fun they seem to have!
Sadly, many have met their doom while engaged in this
kind of
sport, for many never reach the other side ... The
problem is, once we begin such adrenaline-filled ventures, we just can't seem to
make ourselves stop! Our unconscious minds take over, filling us with a deep
longing for more and more dangerous excitement.
The subconscious mind has a huge influence on our
actions! The evil one knows about this, too, and he uses it to his advantage.
Only instead of filling our minds with a deep longing for more and more
excitement, he delights in using real, hurtful events and factual feelings
associated with these events to lead innocent victims into a life of misery (See
John 10:10).
He constantly reminds us of these, distorting them
with his own interpretations. "You are worthless! Even your own parents couldn't
love you! It's because you are just a worm. Remember..." or "You can't do
anything right! Even your wife hates you and your boss barely tolerates you.
Remember..."
If we listen to him, which, for some reason, most of
us have the tendency to do, we will accept his suggestions as truth and they, in
turn, will become part of our belief system. "I am worthless!" "I am a
no-gooder." "No one can love me!" "I need to stay away from people..." And so
events from the past will control us for the rest of our lives.
Friends, strongholds are not created by facts. They
are created by what we believe happened to us, and these images created in our
subconscious minds convince us that they are true, even though they actually may
not be.
These untruths become our reality, and we develop
coping mechanisms accordingly. These coping mechanisms can include such things
as relational walls and fake intimacy, with the only purpose to minimize the
pain we feel. In turn, they reinforce the strongholds--to the delight of the
evil one! And so we live with a belief system that usually doesn't fit with
reality.
The bad news is, we can consciously decide to believe
something different, but unless our subconscious belief system agrees, we will
not permanently change. The subconscious doesn't just change because of a
conscious choice we make. The past truly controls our present.
Why? Because every input--every word, sound, image, or
feeling--must first enter our subconscious' minds. Watch a subliminal
commercial, for example. An attractive lady is drinking a cool, desirable and
refreshing drink on a hot summer day. Before we even have the time to
consciously think about it, an opinion is shaped. We become thirsty. We want
some of the advertised drink.
In my younger years I saw a hypnotist make people do
unbelievable things, like sweat profusely in an ice-cold auditorium. How was he
able to do this? He could do this because the subconscious minds of these people
believed what the hypnotist was actually suggesting. What we believe in our
subconscious mind doesn't have to be actual true to control us, it simply has to
be believed.
Remember the daredevil drivers? Their minds have
become conditioned to think that they "need":
the thrill of living dangerously, and so they continue in their dangerous
endeavours. They even condition themselves to believe that nothing bad will ever
happen to them, and nothing can convince them differently.
But there is a solution. As hopeless as it seems, it
is up to us whether these strongholds become constructive or destructive. If we
choose to meditate upon God's Word and spend quality time with our Forever
Friend, these belief systems in our subconscious minds can be reversed. The key
is to allow God access to our subconscious minds over and over again. Only then
can the false beliefs we have stored there become revealed for the lies they
truly are. Only then will we experience utter freedom.
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I
came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 RSV)
If those cars can go zooming by on melting lakes, why
can't I go skating on them? Let's try! It will be a "thrilling" experience!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.