Transcript
A (0:00)
Hey, what's going on, guys? Welcome back to another episode of Preaching in the Choir. Appreciate you guys supporting the channel, picking up the hat. It's linked in the description down below. You guys didn't know my mom a couple dozen orders. But like I said, I always appreciate you. If you're watching me on YouTube, we're available on Spotify as well. It's a Sunday edition of the Mike Force podcast. When I think about the outline of Preaching the Choir, it usually starts right after the episode is filmed on Sunday afternoon. And this week I was thinking a lot about the idea that we often hear you are what you eat. Science proves that if you put trash feeding your body with garbage, you will get a return on that investment and it won't be great. It causes a bunch of issues, cancers, sickness. I also thought about this idea, you are what you think and framing this conversation because oftentimes, especially in chaos, in my life, in reflection, in real time while I'm going through the chaos, I thought to myself, I knew this was going to happen. I thought about it. I'm not surprised. In fact, quite the opposite. There was an expectation based on thoughts that ran through my head. In Proverbs 23:7, it says, As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. That verse isn't about positive thinking. This isn't a Tony Robbins lecture. It's not about manifesting positive outcomes. It's more about formation. In Scripture, the heart isn't emotion. It tends to be the control center. Belief, your motive, your direction. So in that scripture, in Proverbs, God isn't saying, think and it will happen. He's saying, what you rehearse inside will eventually define who you become. And that's very true. I've had those lingering thoughts where I've thought to myself, this isn't going to work out. What you're doing is wrong. And then God sends us on that journey. And then before you know it, it's happening to us in real time. Now, you could say it's strong will, but whatever it is, you have the ability to affect or impact the outcome. You don't become what you say out loud. You become what you quietly agree with in those moments where your head hits the pillow, where you're isolated on your own. And most men don't fail from the lack of strength or fortitude. They often fail from undisciplined thinking. If a man tells himself, this is over, this isn't going to work out, he quits very early and it doesn't work out if he Said God has left me. Well, then he's going to move alone. If he says nothing will change, then he stops trying. Has that been you quietly agreeing? Over time, his behavior aligns with that belief. The psychological definition of this is confirmation bias, but I think it's more deeply rooted in our core, in God's curriculum. Not because God willed it, but because the man did. You see, you have been given that free will and that control. And Scripture is clear. In Romans 12:2, it says, Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Man, do I have a renewing of my mind? Those difficult times that we go through, those challenges we face and that we overcome changes the perspective of our mind. It's like eating all the junk food, turning off the discipline, and then you wake up and you're obese, you're sick, and you realize you have to make change. Your thoughts don't control the outcome, but they obviously shape the man who walks through it. And this obviously applies to women as well. Here's the balance that God keeps. The world says, think and it will happen. Fatalism says, thinking doesn't matter. The Word says, you don't control the future, but you are responsible for who you become while waiting for it. Directly From Scripture, Proverbs 4:23 says, above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Guarding your heart isn't emotional, it's strategic. So hear this. If you let fear set up a base camp in your mind, in your heart. If bitterness becomes realism, if despair disguises itself as wisdom, that's who you will eventually become. Quietly, slowly, faithfully, in the wrong direction. I remember thinking to myself, the things that you're doing aren't aligned. I hope you don't pay for this later. And then I did. I remember thinking to myself, this anger inside of you isn't right and you were affecting everybody around you. And I did. I remember thinking resentful thoughts about the people I loved. And likely this won't last. And it didn't. The man you are becoming being built in your thoughts right now. Right now. So turn it around. This week, some actionable advice from me is stop with the negative thinking. Stop predicting the future of failures, of falling apart. You are good enough. And stay off social media. Put down your cell phone. Invest in tangible, non material things that are going to help facilitate the outcome. God loves you. I love you. Your family loves you. You got this. Appreciate you guys, thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next week.