Oh, this little thing called thoughts that’s such a huge thing in all our lives.
When the mind is undisciplined, stuck in fear, worries, anxiety, etc., it creates distorted perceptions. This often leads to a deterioration in the body.
Throughout last year the word perception was my go-to word. I discovered how often we perceive life through our lens of trauma, upbringing, systemic beliefs, and more. We react to those around us through all these perceptions that might not be the truth. While our thoughts are constantly on fear, worry, and anxiety we tend to react to life. However, once we learn to bring the mind and thoughts to rest, we can be an observer of life and then respond through our spirit and not through triggers.
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life so that you and your descendants might live!” Deuteronomy 30:19
How significantly true this scripture verse is. Thoughts determine life or death. Negative or positive, fear and distrust of life and people aren’t from God, but in many ways, we are hard-wired to distrust.
According to a study by Moshe Szyf, molecular biologist and genetics, every thought and word is written on our DNA, back to Adam and Eve. In many ways, we are not only trying to calm our thoughts from our own life experiences, but we also try to rewire and change our DNA from past generations. The only way we can achieve this is if we go into the place of rest or Sabbath of the Lord. Calming the mind to recreate new thoughts and DNA according to the thoughts and DNA of Christ.
Emotions connected to your thoughts
In our previous blog, we looked at emotions, and the importance of Emotions rooted in rest. You can find the article here: Emotions rooted in rest. Each thought is connected to an emotion. Your thoughts can be on autopilot if you don’t remain in a place of self-awareness. Therefore, remaining in control of your thoughts causes you to be in control of your emotions as well. People who are triggered easily and react or jump on a situation have probably been spiraling into a thought pattern connected to their emotions. When faced with a situation they end up reacting and not responding.
Our brains change states when we sleep to clear away the toxic byproducts of neural activity left behind during the day.
In the same manner, entering the peace and rest of God we can reset our thoughts and create a different response.
“We can demolish every deceptive fantasy that opposes God and break through every arrogant attitude that is raised up in defiance of the true knowledge of God. We capture, like prisoners of war, every thought and insist that it bow in obedience to the Anointed One.” 2 Corinthians 10:5 TPT
It’s through rest that we are able to capture the thoughts and bring it under the submission of truth!
Many of you know that I help people who have gone through trauma. I have also gone through trauma and daily I try and renew how I view things, perceive or react to life.
While in prayer recently Holy Spirit said you are living in your past?
What!! I’ve done all this renewing and repenting and forgiving, letting go, etc., and still, I’m living in my past? How can this be?
What an utter shock to someone who works so hard to get out of it. However, what Holy Spirit showed me opened my eyes to see that so many of us live our lives exactly like this. We believe that we have healed from the past or we no longer have any bitterness or unforgiveness. While this can be the truth there might be one aspect we are missing.
Spirit showed me that I’m so afraid of repeating past mistakes that every step I take for my now moments, is from a place of not repeating the past. Therefore, I can’t move forward because I’m fearful of repeating patterns. We’re afraid of being afraid, we’re afraid of making mistakes, we’re afraid of doing something if it’s not going to be perfect the first time.
What are you building?
Dr. Leaf said: “you are constantly building matter out of mind, so you are constantly at a genesis moment” a NEW moment.
If we are building matter out of our mind, then remaining in past failures will create the same matter or pattern of failure in your now moments. That sounds a lot like going around a mountain, doesn’t it?
While entering rest we can allow ourselves to observe thoughts and recognize past thoughts from present thoughts. Change our perception of life, God, and people, then approach each day as if it is your first day of life.
I submit to you to try and understand the REST of God.
