by Jennifer Martin
What do we as women believe about ourselves? Do I have to listen to the negative thoughts in my head? Can I really choose who I am? Does my destiny depend on my actions? Could who I want to be and God’s desires for me be one in the same?Does culture define who I am? Do my experiences create who I become or do they merely join me on my excursion in life? Must we as women become the product of circumstances that happened to us or can we choose who we want to be? Many of us have given in to the pressure and lie of imminent failure, like we are doomed to tread on a continual negative hamster wheel. We can deceive ourselves into believing that if we have failed time and time again, then imminent failure must be at hand always.
Yet, why put so much faith in our ability to fail rather than faith in out potentiality to succeed? Whichever one we choose takes much preparation mentally. On the one hand we can habitually think negative thoughts about ourself and put all our energy and focus into giving up. On the other hand, we can habitually choose positive thoughts and move forward towards success and freedom. Either way, I am living the same amount of hours, and breathing the same number of breaths. So how do I want to live them? I make a decision. I choose to think positively! I choose to believe! I choose to succeed!
Scientific evidence has proven the link between negative thoughts with failure as well as positive thoughts with success. The Bible says, As he thinks in his heart, so is he. -Proverbs 23:7. Or you could say, As she thinks in her heart, so is she. So are you one who places yourself in the category of desiring success? If so, then let’s begin by eliminating the root of failure, and instead planting the seeds of success.
What is the root of negative thoughts? Some may agree our present circumstances, childhood upbringing or how our parents raised us. Some may say the devil is the root of all negative thoughts. Now, what about God? Is He negative? No. The Bible declares that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 14:17KJV). Therefore, the sources of negative thoughts can come from our life circumstances, the carnal mind or the devil.
Our life’s experiences and our upbringing definitely have a lot of influence over the way we think, but they do not have to define us. If we experience a lot of hurtful things, then we can easily become hopeless and pessimistic over the years if we don’t find our victory in the word of God. We can allow hurts we have endured to cause anger, bitterness, and unbelief. We begin to believe since life has always dealt us a bad hand then it will continue to.
Maybe we learned negative thinking from others that spoke negatively to us. What we hear and see, we can easily learn to copy and allow it to become a habit over time. Maybe it’s true, but can it be changed?
Let’s talk about the carnal nature… The Bible says, the carnal mind is at enmity (opposition) with God (Romans 8:7). The carnal mind is against God and thinks only of itself. It is only concerned with the flesh and the body. But we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinth. 2:16 KJV), after we have received Jesus and have been baptized in the Holy Spirit. Now we have the mind of the Spirit. We become thoughtful of spiritual things because we now have a spiritual mind. So now we have two choices of which mind we will take on; either one for the flesh or one for the spirit. Paul said, “For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:22-25 KJV). Who shall deliver us from the body of this death? Jesus Christ! He is our victory!
We don’t have to think the old ways anymore. We can choose to be free by believing, who the Son set free is free indeed. “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:31-32, 36 KJV). As you believe, so be it done unto you, Jesus said (Matthew 8:13KJV). The devil has no power to control my mind anymore. I choose to be who I want to be.
Jesus said, And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. (Matthew 3:10 KJV). Jesus laid the ax to the root of sin when He died on that tree. He cut down the power of sin over us! And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:18-19 KJV). For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2 KJV) Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1 KJV)
Let us choose to believe that the blood of Jesus Christ and God’s Word has made us free today. Let us begin to move forward in the thinking that we are not bound by the chains of our past. We are not bound by the chains of our life circumstances. We are not bound by the pattern of negative thinking. No matter how many times we have failed, we can start again. Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40 NKJV) Could it be that simple? Yes! From now on, I choose to believe what the Word of God says about me. I choose to think positive thoughts about myself starting right now!
Say this prayer and confession to help jumpstart you into a life of victory.
“Father, thank you for the freedom through Jesus Christ, your Son. I ask you to help me think the way you want me to think about myself. I am valuable. I am important. I was planned by you. I am loved. I have purpose. No matter how many times I’ve failed in the past I can get back up and start again. I ask for the strength to never ever ever ever give up. I choose to think right thoughts, positive thoughts, and lovely thoughts starting right now. I love you Lord. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.”
A little more about Jenn:
“If Jennifer Martin were to express her desire, it would be the following: To experience Jesus face to face, to know his heart, and love others like he does. Jennifer Martin is a rising voice in this generation of women leaders in the body of Christ who imparts incredible encouragement wherever she ministers. Jennifer is the cofounder of and has faithfully served alongside Contagious Love International since 2001. She was ordained by Jeff and Jan Jansen of Global Fire Ministires in 2009. She has spoken in conferences with James Goll, Bonnie Jones, Jeff and Jan Jansen, and many more leaders in the body of Christ. She has a strong love for teaching true worship, and she ministers in the Glory realm of God, imparting miracles, healings, and incredible demonstrations of the Supernatural realm of Heaven wherever she goes. She homeschools our two children, graciously lays her life down for the call of God, while at the same time, is hungry for the greatest awakening the world has ever seen. She longs to see the lost know the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Her ability to help others cross over from passive Christianity into experiential Christianity is astounding! She has an incredible gift of compassion, ability to interpret dreams, and has an amazing partnership with the angelic realm. She is a Glory carrier! She is a true woman of God and I love her with all my heart.” ~Munday Martin (hubs to Jenn)
chroniclesofgraceandglory.com 