CHANGE YOUR THOUGHTS, CHANGE YOUR LIFE
HINDRANCES TO GODLY THINKING
Part 5
At this point in our series, you are beginning to realize how important your thoughts are in every area of your life. As we continue to explore the things that hinder us from walking into the wholeness Jesus desires for us, we will consider an often overlooked source that can result in ungodly thought patterns: word curses.
How many of us have ever even considered word curses as a source that could contaminate our thinking?
Do you remember anyone saying hurtful words to you in your childhood like, “You’re stupid. You’re ugly. Nobody likes you. You’re not good enough for…”? Words like this are curses that have the potential to release life or death, blessings or curses.
Curses are usually expressed in words. When we hear negative, hurtful words about ourselves, we tend to shake them off and try not to let them affect us. The truth is, words hurt. They stick to our inner beings like glue, especially when reinforced by life circumstances. When the negative words spoken shape what we believe to be true about ourselves, they have become a curse that needs to be broken.
A curse is a penalty that is activated when one chooses to disobey God. When I believe what is spoken about me and begin to live my life based on it, I place myself in disagreement with God. Living life apart from God’s perspective is sinful. The remedy for sin is repentance. The fruit of genuine repentance is a new behavior.
The concept of curses is found throughout Scripture. Curses can originate from generational lines, from others, or be self-imposed. Some indicators that a curse is at work can be mental and emotional breakdowns, repeated or chronic illness, marriage breakdown as a pattern in families, continuing financial or material insufficiency, being accident prone and a family history of suicides or unnatural deaths. If some of these indicators are present in your life, it doesn’t automatically mean you have a curse operating in your life. However, it would be a good idea to consider it and ask the Holy Spirit for His wisdom.
If we believe the scriptural truth that words have the power of life and death, we need to take heed of the words we say about others and ourselves. Careless, thoughtless words have power. What does your self-talk sound like? Does it include statements like: “I’m really stupid. I’m worthless. I’ll never get anything right. I’ll never be good enough. I’ll always be poor. I will always be insecure. I will never change.” Those kinds of words, spoken over a period of time shape your belief about yourself and affect your behavior. These words keep us in bondage to lies as we live our lives based on them.
On the other hand, as we recognize them as lies and repent of living our life based on them, we can begin a process of renewing the mind according to God’s truth. Then we begin to walk in the freedom that is ours as children of God. The truth is, as His child, I am loved, I am sealed in Him, I have His mind, I am chosen, I have everything I need, I am curse-free, I am dead to sin, I am alive to God, I am blessed with all spiritual blessings…and so much more!!! Do you know what God’s truth is that will overcome the lie you have believed? Do you know the blessing He wants to give you to replace a curse? You can find it in His Word and hear His voice speak it to you.
Take an assessment.
We might find ourselves stuck or hindered because of an invisible barrier of a curse. Taking an assessment of possible words spoken that we embraced as truth will help us break their power. Recognition, repentance and renewal of the mind are all part of the process. God always has a truth to overcome a lie, a blessing to overcome a curse.
A good place to start with an assessment could be PAL (Pause, Ask, Listen) this question: “Holy Spirit, is there a curse over my life that is working to stop me from being prosperous, healthy and productive? What do I need to know about this in order to break its power and be free?”
“Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit – you choose.” Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
Rev. Dr. Carolyn Allen has partnered in pastoral ministry with her husband, Ron, for 50 years. She has seen and lived a wide spectrum of church life in rural churches, suburban and city parishes. She has experienced several streams of the expressions of the Body of Christ.
Carolyn has a Masters in Christian Counseling and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies. Her own journey into wholeness evolved while raising a family and caring for others. She is an ordained minister on staff at the Heartland Parish, Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Carolyn recently published Journey Into Wholeness, a book that helps you learn foundational biblical principles that will lead you through practical ministry and personal application. Learning to ask key questions will enable the reader to evaluate thoughts that produce feelings that lead to ungodly behavior, if not challenged and changed.
Journey Into Wholeness is available on Amazon.
You can reach Rev. Dr. Allen at carolyn@heartlandfw.org.
