Have you ever walked into a room and your whole mood changed? Maybe you felt unsafe or had sexual thoughts running through your mind? Then you get hit with guilt and condemnation over those thoughts. Guess what? If it isn’t your normal thinking pattern, then it may not be you thinking those thoughts. You may be picking up what someone else is feeling!
Does this mean you are a psychic or crazy? Nope! Many times, it is a God given gift allowing you to know how someone else is feeling so you can pray for them. God created people to have gifts, but many remained unopened. Isn’t this dangerous territory to know if it a God given gift or a *familiar spirit? It could be dangerous but if you are a Christian, you have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts to discern what is happening in our surroundings.
Ungodly mindsets creep into our thoughts process by living in this world’s environment. As you remove unhealthy thoughts and receive God’s view of you, then you will discover what thoughts are yours or unhealthy worldly plantings. This allows you to discern the atmosphere or culture around you! Then Holy Spirit can reveal God’s truth to counteract wrong influences in your thought processes.
Our normal thinking process are internal truths that govern our lives. They are thought patterns that we may not be conscience of that dictate how we see events. We renew our minds with God’s word which is above what we see, think or have experienced. As these truths shift from our head to our heart, which is our belief system, it will ground us firmly in God’s love. Our spirit, soul, and body will then be in alignment that causes us to be unshakeable. We now have a firm foundation (Matthew 7:24-27).
I was raised in a good family that didn’t know God. They believed there was a God, but he was only involved in their lives when it was a holiday. They did the best they could with the wounds they had from their childhoods. In our family values, the men were more important than women. I was an unhappy surprise born at a time when no more children were wanted. Here are some of the lies I believed and overcame.
| My Thoughts | God’s Thoughts |
| I have no voice because I was treated as insignificant. | I have a voice with God that can shift atmospheres. I have the influence with the people God has placed in my life. With Holy Spirit, I can build a legacy for future generations. |
| I was a burden and not a joy. | I am a joy be to around. Even when I have needs people will love to help and invest in God’s plan for me. |
| I was unwanted and an accident. | God has no accidents but plans and purposes. |
| I was bossy. | People recognize my organizational gifts and skills. These gifts open doors for God’s to use me to bring His Kingdom on earth. |
| I was cranky and hard to please as a baby. Unpleasant to be around. | I have God’s favor. People love to be around me because of His rest and favor on me. |
| I am fat. This was during the Twiggy era in the 1960s when people weighed 90 pounds and were 5’6” tall. | I am healthy and at the perfect weight that God has determined. |
| I will never lose weight. | I lose weight easily as God changes my desires to eat the right food and enjoy activities that build strength and flexibility. |
| I am unlovable. | I am loveable and people are attracted to God’s light in me. |
Wrong and Right Mindsets!
Here are some thought patterns that run through our minds. As you read these, write down what thoughts you might need to change. This is a short list of tainted thinking, but Holy Spirit will reveal other thoughts that may dominate your thinking.
God’s View
| TAINTED THINKING | GOD’S VIEW |
| Fearful: I might fail if I try to do this. This is way beyond my ability. I can’t step out because no one has my back. | Fearless: If you are walking with Jesus, you can step out of the boat (Matt. 14:22-33, Heb. 13:5). I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). Jesus will never leave me alone and provided Holy Spirit to help me (Heb.13:5, John 14:26). |
| No one Cares: People see right through me like I am not even there. I have no voice.God has forgotten me. | Accepted and Loves: God knows every hair on my head (Luke 12:7). God hears me (Psalms 34:17)! God will never leave me or forget about me (Hebrews 13:5). |
| Pressure/Anxious: Help! I feel like I am drowning in problems. I am afraid to make a decision. | God’s Rest: Jesus lifts your burdens when you come to him (Matthew 11:28-30). Forget the past and move forward in God (Philippians 3:13 & Proverbs 24:16). |
| Self-Focused: Those people are not worth my time. What do I get in return for helping you? I got the last two pieces of meatloaf because I worked hard. | God’s Love: He goes after the lost or misplaced people (Matthew 18:12-14). We are to lend not knowing if we will receive back what was given (Luke 6:34-38). Share what you have. (1 Corinthians 11:20-22). |
| Bad Mindset & Self Preservation: I can take care of myself, so I don’t need anyone’s help. I think I will have that extra piece of cake because he treated me badly. | Choosing God’s will over your feeling: Helping others helps us and keeps us from being isolated (Hebrews 10:24-26). Maybe that person is having a bad day, so I will just forgive them and move on (1 Thessalonians 5:11). |
| Not Good Enough: It doesn’t matter what I do, they always find something wrong with my work. Why was I born? My parents didn’t want me. | Approved: Peter denied Christ three times, yet Jesus appeared to him and restored him to wholeness (John 18:15-26 & 21:15-17). God knew the appointed season you were born. You are not an accident! (Jeremiah 1:5 & Proverbs 19:21). |
| Never Enough: I never seem able to get ahead. This job doesn’t pay me enough. I work hard but my boss just overlooks me. | Overflowing Abundance: God has resources that supersede our income (2 Kings 4:1-7 & Matthew 17:24-27). God rewards all who look to him for provision (Colossians 3:23-24 & Luke 12:30-34). |
| Lack of Direction: What on earth am I here for? What if I step out and miss the right path? | Created for a Purpose: We go through different season of life so we can fulfill God’s destiny (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Even during dark times in our life, God has a way to victory (Psalms 23). |
| Despondency: Why try? I will just fail. I always seem to get leftovers. | Dream/Possibility: All things are possible with God (Mark 10:27 & Philippians 4:13). Leftovers still provide access to God’s provision (Matthew 15:27-29 & 14:13-21) |
| Depression: I am tired of trying to change, etc. No one wants to help me. | Optimistic: The Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26-28). Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as a Helper, so we don’t have to do it alone (John 14:26). |
I was complaining to God about having God given insights and words of knowledge (1 Corinthians 12) but no place to share these revelations. I said to God, “It is like having a party dress with no party to go to!” He said to me, “If you would wear the dress for me, you would have a party.” Talk about attitude adjustment! This made me realize that my identity was not tied to my gifts. My identity is tied to being God’s kid. This shifted my whole mindset to “I am God’s kid.”
Discovering I had a Father who loved me and invested in me set me on path of victory. Jesus’s death and resurrection caused me to be God’s kid. This mindset started me on a path of unraveling the wrong mindsets. I learned how to put on what I call “My God Glasses.” This means instead of seeing through my tainted vision of my life experiences, I could see how God was looking at the situation! When I would be hit with thoughts like they think you are insignificant, I would ask God how he was looking at the event. I would hear things like, “They have a lot of pressure, pray for them or You have a voice of influence with me.”
Help is Available!
The Holy Spirit became my trusted Friend. The Word of God says he is our Advocate who teaches you and points to Jesus (John 14:26, 15:26). He provides God’s peace and joy (Romans 14:17). He provides gifts that are needed to have a victorious life on earth (Hebrews 2:4).
Jesus is our Advocate and defeated God’s enemies (1 John 2, Colossians 2:15). He provided the way for us to be able to approach God without condemnation or fear (Romans 8:22-26, 4:24). He is our Lord and leads us to victory through Holy Spirit.
Prayer
Father God,
Help! Forgive me for all the wrong thoughts and mindsets I have developed over my lifetime. I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Your truth and remove the webs of deception that have caused me to stumble into defeat. I want to live a victorious life that sets the captives free and that includes me! I will break ties of unhealthy lies that Holy Spirit reveals. I ask for Your truth to replace these lies. Thank You for not giving up on me and that You are my Father who watches out for me. Thank You Jesus for paying a price to remove the guilt and condemnation by restoring me to the family of God. Thank You Holy Spirit for helping me and preparing me for victory in this life.
References
Dawna De Silva a wonderful book called SOZO and many YouTube videos that on healing and Shifting Atmospheres. Her teachings have helped me write this blog in my own teaching style.
Shifting Atmospheres by Dawna De Silva, @ Copyright 2017—Dawna De Silva, Destiny Image® Publishers, Inc.
SOZO Saved Healed Delivered © Copyright 2006 by Teresa Liebscher, Dawna De Silva by Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.
(*) A familiar spirit is a demonic entity that has hung around you or your family and knows how to get you to agree with its input. You may feel comfortable and familiar with a thought pattern, but the fruit of this connection brings fear, torment, and control.
Outhouse Ministries 
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