Negative thinking  entraps us in unhealthy mental and emotional patterns. Vulnerable emotions such as anger, shame, anxiety, or resentment alert us to what we are thinking and believing in the moment. This week I’m thrilled to chat with Sarah Geringer about her book, Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus.   Enter to win a copy of Sarah’s book by leaving a comment at the end of this post! Drawing will be on Friday, June 14th.

Watchman Nee once wrote that “no life can be truly changed without a change of mind.” So true, isn’t it?

 

Every change in our life begins with a thought. I believe this is one reason why our thoughts are so important and powerful. But changing our thought patterns takes intentional effort and often hard work.

Enjoy some highlights from my Q & A with Sarah on this practical and important topic that we all struggle with on some level.

In addition to this post, you’re invited to join us on Facebook on Friday, June 5 at 12:00 pm for a live discussion with Sarah focusing on dealing with anger.

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Why do we struggle so much in our thought lives?

 

Our thought lives form the structure for our words and actions. Every problem we have begins in our thoughts. Since no one else knows our thoughts except God, we think we can hide them. However, what you think in your inward life inevitably spills out onto your outward life.

 

You can either be defeated in your thought life before you ever take action, or you can transform your thought life with the power of God’s Word. You can have victory in your thought life struggles by meditating on the truths in Scripture.

 

How do our past experiences relate to current thought-life problems?

 

Many of us experienced hurt and difficulties in our past that influence our lives now. For example, my parents divorced when I was four years old. The fallout from their divorce has affected nearly every area of my thinking.

 

As a little girl, I began dealing with negative, anxious, fearful, and critical thoughts in response to the wounds the divorce caused. These thoughts carved paths in my conscious and subconscious mind that still tempt me today.

 

I have used the power of Scripture to reroute those thought life paths. [tweetthis hidden_hashtags=”#negativethinking #transformyourthoughts”]You can reroute your own thought pathways by using key scriptures in specific problems.[/tweetthis]

 

What does spiritual warfare have to do with thought life struggles?

 

Satan wants to distract, discourage, and defeat us on the battlefields of our minds. If he can do this, our words and actions will automatically follow his will instead of God’s will.

 

He sets up strongholds, or power centers, in the pain points of our past, then capitalizes on them in our current thought life struggles.

 

[tweetthis]When we fight back with the truth of Scripture, we can dismantle those spiritual strongholds.[/tweetthis]

 

By repeating key verses over and over to yourself, you can break the power Satan may have held over you for decades in your thought life struggles.

 

How can Christian meditation help someone conquer thought life problems?

 

Christian meditation is simply focusing on a scripture and thinking about it with intent. The more you focus on God’s Word through meditation, the more you learn about God’s will for your life.

You can apply scriptural truths directly to specific thought life problems and experience freedom. For example, if you struggle with painful thoughts, you can meditate on verses about God’s comfort.

 

By repeating these verses every time you experience a painful memory, you can begin to reroute the neural pathways in your brain. When you do this over and over, you begin to think differently because God’s truth replaces the lies planted by your enemy Satan.

 

How does a transformed thought life help someone develop a closer relationship to God?

 

When you meditate on God’s Word, you are hiding it in your heart and mind. As you learn God’s language of truth and love in Scripture, you will learn more about his character and his ways.

 

Christian meditation helps you worship God and cultivate a closer walk with him. When you experience the freedom that comes with thought life transformation, you will realize that God deserves credit for setting you free.

 

Scripture meditation will inspire your adoration, praise and thanksgiving to God. It has the potential to take your faith to new heights in only a few minutes every day.

 

How has Christian meditation helped you be victorious in spiritual warfare?

I chose 17 areas of thought life struggles to focus on in my book, because I have experienced all of them at different points in my faith journey. In each chapter, I tell stories about how God set me free from a certain thought-life struggle such as guilt, impurity, idolatry, and regret.

 

When I was struggling in these areas, I did not experience victory until I began meditating upon scriptures that directly counteracted those problems. As I meditated, I recognized how Satan tempted me with the same unproductive thought paths again and again. By replacing his falsehoods with the truth of God’s Word, I experienced freedom for the first time.

 

Now, I know to fight back immediately with Scripture, just like Jesus did when he was tempted. Through Christian meditation, I have key scriptures in my spiritual arsenal to fight back the moment I’m attacked.

 

What do you want readers to learn most from Transforming Your Thought Life?

I want readers to learn about the power God’s Word gives us to break free from spiritual strongholds. Many of us have Bibles in our possession, but do not understand how God’s Word literally holds the solution to all our problems.

By internalizing God’s Word in our hearts through Christian meditation, our thought lives can truly be transformed for good.

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You can see why I wanted to share Sarah’s book with you! Hope you can join us for the live broadcast or the replay of my interview with Sarah as we talk about dealing with anger in healthy ways. This topic is highly relevant to the challenges our nation faces today.

My Thoughts on Sarah’s Impactful Book

In Holy in the Moment, I devote a chapter to the importance of making healthy and whole choices with our thoughts.  In this key area of struggle for each of us, Transforming Your Thought Life is a valuable and in-depth resource.

I loved the way Sarah dived head first into harnessing our thoughts with the life-giving practice of meditating on God’s Word. Sharing many of her own struggles, she tackles challenges from her life with authenticity and courage.

Her candid stories draw us in, helping us to see our own struggles as we recognize our need to filter our thoughts through the lens of Scripture. Sarah guides us closer to God, demonstrating how Christian meditation can transform our thoughts and heal our wounds.

About Sarah Geringer

Sarah Geringer writes and speaks about finding peace in God’s Word. You can follow my blog at sarahgeringer.com or find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Goodreads. Enjoy Sarah’s 14 Day Guided Meditation and Scripture Writing Plan for Overcoming Anxiety.

Win a Copy of Sarah’s Book

What area of your thought life challenges you the most? Leave a comment to enter to win a copy of Sarah’s book.

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