Getting Off The Well-Worn Path

Many years ago, a friend shared with me that she’d rarely heard a word of praise from either of her parents. They weren’t overtly critical, yet they made it clear that she missed the mark for their standard of good.

They would say things like, “Too bad you got that one bad grade on your report card; otherwise you would have been on the dean’s list.” What might seem like a minor comment from her parents turned into the well-worn path of I’m not good enough in her mind.

My friend was forty years old when she told me this, so that soundtrack had been playing in her head for a long time. And that not-good-enough story was holding her back from the hopes and dreams she had for her life—and the plans God still has for her life.

Maybe you can relate. Or maybe your soundtrack sounds more like this:

• I fail at everything I do.
• If it’s not perfect, it’s not good at all.
• I’m too much!
• I’m such an inconvenience.
• I can’t count on anyone else to help me or protect me.

2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us what to do with thoughts that hinder us from moving forward in God’s purpose.

First, we demolish them. Notice how forceful those words are. When I picture a building being demolished, I picture something blowing up until it’s completely gone. We need to do the same thing with lies. Remember, the Enemy wants us to forget what Jesus says about us and prevent us from glorifying Him. We have to call on the God of Angel Armies to do battle and use His strength to destroy lies.

Second, we take thoughts captive.  We are thinking something at all times, so let’s make sure those thoughts reflect what God thinks. If you’ve believed the same lie for a long time, like my friend, that lie likely created a well-worn path in your mind too. Our brains naturally take the path of least resistance, but if we replace those lies with truth from God’s Word, we can create some Jesus-powered resistance that will help us get off the old path and onto the new path God has for us. 

Yes, we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We can create new paths of thinking. What hope for our hearts today. 

Lysa is president and chief visionary officer of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of eight New York Times bestsellers, including Come Close to Jesus. She enjoys life with her husband Chaz and her kids and grandkids. Connect with her at www.LysaTerKeurst.com or on social media @LysaTerKeurst.