HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND?
American gospel singer Ron Kenoly has a very popular song that goes like this:
Whose report
Will you believe
We shall believe
The report of the Lord
His report says
I am healed
His report says
I am filled
His report says
I am free
His report says victory
The world is filled with so much chaos, evil, pain, sickness, suffering and death. The news reports are so gloomy, filled with so many traumatic events. It could be discouraging, disheartening, depressing, daunting, intimidating, frightening. We can become paranoid and fearful.
Not only is the news depressing, but it is often false and or manipulated to suit the news carrier or sender. We see this in the international political news as well as the local news. At least three (3) times over the past few years, and up to last week, it has been reported and widespread via social media that Trinidadian calypsonian, the Mighty Sparrow, has died, only to be corrected later on by the singer himself that he is very much alive.
Whose report will you believe? I will believe the report of the Lord. God says:
I do not listen to the news. I read the headlines and am very selective about which articles I read in their entirety. Some of us keep our eyes on the news. We ensure we hear every news report and keep abreast of every social media notification which never stops. Our minds can be filled and overwhelmed with bad reports of which there is, no doubt, an abundance.
There is an amazing story in the bible about a king of Judah called Jehosaphat, which I absolutely love. The enemies of Judah had united and formed an alliance, and their massive combined armies were marching up against Judah. Jehoshaphat and his people knew they were hopelessly outnumbered and that there was no way they would be able to defeat those armies. So, burdened by fear and the tremendous weight of responsibility for his nation, what did King Jehosaphat do? He led his people in prayer. He concluded his prayer with:
“Oh our God… we have no power against this huge army that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but we’re looking to you to help us.” (2 Chronicles 20:12)
God answered him through a prophet and said:
"Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. … You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, … Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)
They believed what God said and immediately praised and worshipped God. Then they did as God instructed them, and God caused the enemy armies to fight against each other and annihilate themselves:
“When they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people … who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. … they helped to destroy one another. … they looked toward the multitude; and there were their dead bodies, fallen on the earth. No one had escaped. (2 Chronicles 20:22-24)
I refuse to let my mind be overshadowed by the bad reports. I choose to focus on the good. Jehosaphat had heard the reports of the armies advancing on Judah. They were true reports. He could have surrendered. He could have fled. He and the people of Judah could have cowered in fear and been distraught and overcome with panic and despair. But instead, they believed the report of God’s prophet and chose to rejoice in their God-given victory before the battle was even fought.
I choose to be hopeful, not optimistic. My hope is in God. God’s report is that:
“When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” (James 1:2-4)
When you get bad news, as you surely will, whose report will you believe? Will you believe the Word of God which says that
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all" (Psalm 34:19)?
The Weekend Reset Tip:
No matter what you are facing this weekend - bad news, bad situations, bad circumstances, bad mind, bad behaviour, you can change your mind about who or what to focus on and to believe:
(1) Put our faith in God and pray to Him for help.
(2) Believe what He says to you (in His Word), and obey his instructions.
(3) Be joyful. Praise and worship Him in advance…even when you cannot yet see how he will fight your battle and how it will end.
If this has been helpful to you, please share it. I would love to hear your thoughts on this, so comment by clicking on the button below, and do feel free to connect with me HERE for a FREE coaching session about how you can recharge and reset your life, even in the midst of and despite all the bad reports and the hard realities of life.
Sharon Carruthers is a child of God, wife, and mother of three adult children. She is a Human Resource Management and Development Consultant, and the owner and CEO of the firm, ‘Bold Consulting’. Her passions include leading small group bible study, and supporting women, family, and marriages by sharing lessons learned from her own life experiences.
'The Weekend Reset' is for women who are holding back, or living on auto pilot - going through the motion. Women who believe their identities are in others, and/or in what they do. Women who live for others, don't value themselves and instead seek validation from others. Women who take care of others but neglect themselves. Women who feel hopeless and stuck in a rut, like a hamster on a never-ceasing hamster wheel. Women who are ashamed of and trapped in their past. Women who live in fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, and regret. If any of this describes you, it does not have to be so any longer. 'The Weekend Reset' can help you embrace your future with the hope of transformation.