Changing Our Thinking

by Chris Cree

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.
–Romans 12:2

I have a confession to make. I struggle with destructive thought patterns.

Thinking There are times when I fool myself by rationalizing away behavior I know is wrong. My natural tendency is to be a “glass half empty” sort of guy. I instinctively see first the reasons why something won’t work before even looking for ways it might work. If something gets challenging or I run into obstacles it is not unusual for me to start questioning whether the idea is really “of God”. My track record is littered with things that I quit when things got a little difficult.

Don’t get me wrong. My reality is not all doom and gloom. But according to Paul, the author of the Book of Romans, it would appear that I often copy the behavior and patterns of this world with my thoughts. It is something he tells us we shouldn’t do. At least we shouldn’t if we want to know what it is that God wants for us.

There was a time when I really didn’t believe that it was really possible for me to have any sort of control over my thoughts. To me it seemed that my thoughts just happened. How was I going to control something that just happened all on its own?

I don’t buy into that anymore. I mean why would Paul tell us that we should change something if there was no possibility for us to have any control over it in the first place? Paul was a really smart guy. If it was impossible for us to have any control over our thoughts he wouldn’t have told us that we need to get a grip on them.

In another place, the same guy tells us some of the things that we should think about.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

Paul tells us the kinds of things we should be thinking about that have the ability to change our behavior for the better and ultimately put us into the very presence of God.

A Question

So here’s my question for you: How do you personally go about the process of changing your thoughts, or what other translations call “the renewing of your mind”?

I said at the beginning that this is an area where I struggle. I haven’t rolled over and given up here. This is one battle I want to win. I figure learning to conquer my destructive thought patterns is one of the keys that will unlock success in much of the rest of my life.

So go ahead and share some of the practical things you do that help you in this area.

6 comments

1 Liz Strauss { 09.15.06 at 12:18 am }: I sit back with a beautiful picture on my computer, with beautiful music in my headphones and I listen until I feel right and centered, back where I’m supposed to be.

When I can I go outside and look at the sky or at a tree. I find I can’t be stressed or negative when I look at parts of creation, particularly the sky and trees. Somehow they fill me up with all I need to have the room to be generous.

Everyone gets nicer and everything seems less stressful and more doable.

Boxes, buildings, hotel rooms, offices, white walls, things made by people seem to take these things from me.
2 Markus { 09.15.06 at 6:33 am }: Chris,

My #1 tool is to notice when I do that, but at the same time not bash myself for doing anything wrong (by thinking those thoughts), because self-discounting is just another version of the same, saying that I’m wrong and can’t do it right.

Instead noticing and allowing usually creates an openness for other versions. And if possible (which is not always the case) I try to remember events where things went my way, where I accomplished and succeeded because this also breaks the pattern. But any form of distraction, as Liz points out, will do (like recently on your “bad day” post).

Another interesting observation, although I’m not sure if you can (or want to) replicate that. Thought is a secondary function, it follows attention. Attention and thought are in my view not the same. So, changing thought usually means changing attention first. A subtle but powerful difference.

And something else. Problems mostly arise when attention is moved outside what is now. In many cases it’s an anticipation of something in the future or a replay of something which occrred in the past (and then probably projected into the future). In most cases, there are much much less problem in the very specific now. Turning my attention to what IS, not what I expect or what may be or thinking about “what if” cures these odd thoughts every single time (if I’m able to hold my attention in the now, which is not always the true).

Markus
3 Chris Cree { 09.15.06 at 7:41 am }: You guys seem to be saying similar things, that changing our focus will cause our thoughts to change. Makes good sense. Yours are practical ways to do what Paul says in the Bible.

I like your idea, Marcus, that thought and attention are not necessarily the same thing. I have to drive up to Charleston for a job today. I’m going to ponder that one because I think it is worthy of more attention!
4 Amanda { 09.15.06 at 1:27 pm }: I definitely agree that changing your focus will change your thought patterns. It’s like when you pray for someone who you really don’t like. If you pray for them long enough, your heart is going to change towards that person.

I think it works the same way with our thought patterns. If we continually make the effort to change our thinking, it will eventually just come.
5 Manny { 09.18.06 at 5:43 am }: I think that since the mind, body and soul are separate parts of the whole being, changing one aspect affects the whole. If you want to have a charitable spirit, for example, your mind will figure out how to help someone and your hand will be stretched out to pick up someone who is down.
6 Chris Cree { 09.18.06 at 9:36 am }: Yeah, Manny. I think you make a good point. When we try to compartmentalize our lives we cause problems and make things more difficult for ourselves than we would if we to a more holistic approach.