This chapter ministered to me greatly, but there were several things that convicted me, reminded me of God’s love for me, and cautioned me against maintaining faulty thinking. I will list each item one by one.

Labels

Jennifer points out that the labels we assign ourselves can be detrimental, if they bear negative rather than positive nuances. There are some things that we cannot change about our circumstances, but we should not see those things as punishment from God. We can see them as a means to trust in God in a greater way. Jennifer used Naomi as an example of one whose label bore a negative nuance rather than a positive one. Naomi labeled herself as “bitter” and “empty” because she had lost her husband and two sons. However, what she did not know was that God had not forgotten her—He was very much aware of her circumstance. He had made plans for Boaz to be her redeemer. In the end, Naomi became the great-great-grandmother of David and was in the lineage of Jesus (cf. Ruth 4:17; Matt 1:5). She died full, rather than empty. How often I viewed my challenging situations as debilitative, rather than restorative. God is a Restorer and He gets no delight in taking things away from us, unless those things have become hindrances in our life. Whatever He takes away, He replaces with something better.

Mind Choice

Jennifer states, “Choosing to believe just one stinky thought will pollute our thought closets.” I could not agree more. I had to stop and ponder this truth. I felt like running to my chair and start typing away, but the problem was that I did not have enough time to do so. Our thoughts do determine what we become as we go through each day. How often have I programmed a wrong thought into my mind? Too often. In the past, I allowed unbelief and doubt to nest in my thoughts, leaving me faithless and downcast. That is not what God wants me to do. I am to take every thought captive (cf. 2 Cor 10:4-6)) and use Phil 4:8 (Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.) to assess my thinking. Meditating on Scripture has helped me to renew my mind and tidy up my thought closet. While I am continuing to grow in this area, I am more aware of the active part I need to play in providing effective thought oversight. I am no longer passively letting thoughts swim through my thought-pond; now, I have a sifter to grab hold of untrue thoughts and haul them out of mind before they have a chance to pollute.

Phony Bologna

Jennifer cautions us not to become like the Pharisees who are known for their double talk. Jesus called them hypocrites. He said they were like whitewashed tombs (cf. Matt 23:27-28). Tombs housed dead bodies, hence, He was likening them to graves. They looked good and clean on the outside, but were rotten and stink on the inside. They were not real at all. They were prejudiced, self-righteous, self-centered, harsh, judgmental, and unloving. They did not have the Father’s heart of compassion and mercy. As I read about the Pharisees, I am once again reminded of how imperative it is to be authentic. I am to be Christ-like at home, at the gym, when I am shopping, and while I tutor the students I so dearly love. I have to strive to be holy. I thank God for the Holy Spirit’s help as I live each day. Some days, I do better than others, but I strive to be like Christ.

Me, Myself, & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild

Chapter 1: Day 5

“Truth is always authoritative and gracious. Authoritative words should never be harsh, and gracious words should never be without power.”

When I read the above I was speechless. I was left without words because I needed to read it again and again. Indeed, truth is always authoritative because it is the truth embodied in Jesus Christ. The Truth sets the standard for what is to be and what is. It does not need to push or shove its way forward. It can simply stand back and be. On the other hand, falsehood tends to be pushy and controlling. It is afraid to allow you freedom of assessment and expression, lest you should see behind its facade. Truth is loaded with grace, the grace and freedom to question its content.

We do not need to shove Christ’s teachings down anybody’s throat. All we need to do is share His truth and live out His precepts. Our lives should be our testimony. We should speak with grace and truth. Sandwiched between the two is love, God’s love. His love will give us grace for every trial, His grace will maintain the peace He offers us, and His peace will help us maintain trust when everything around us tells us to worry. Worry is not an option for me or for you. We are women of God and we are moving forward with our eyes focused on Christ.

Me, Myself, & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild

Chapter 1: Day 3

Jennifer states that, “Our meditations reflect whatever we focus our minds on.” That is true. Whatever packs our closet is what we meditate on and what we meditate on will become the contents of our thought closet. So, I am ever aware that having a Spirit-filled thought closet packed with truth is of utmost importance. I cannot be lax about my thoughts and neither can you. I cannot wonder or worry or ponder. I must live in the present, plan light for the future and continually dump the baggage from yesterday. I believe this is what it means to “travel light.”

Me, Myself, & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild

Chapter 1: Day 2

Is it possible to gain control over my thoughts and my words? Absolutely! Is it easy to do? No. But God is able to help me gain control over my thought life. Jennifer points out that I do have control over my thought closet. My thoughts are embodied in a container if you will, and Jennifer likens the container to a closet. We have clothes/shoes/handbags closets and we have thought closets as well. The thought provoking question for today was, “What does your thought closet look like?” I have to admit that my thought closet had gobs of worry in it. I was oblivious to just how much I worried over things until I began to shift my thought hangers. As I evaluated what was in my closet, I realized that financial thoughts took up an entire side. Then, there were health concerns, family concerns, and concerns for my future. I felt bad because most of the worry was nonsensical. There was no real merit to my worry and nothing to substantiate such concerns—if I were to align my concerns with Scripture. The promises of God nullify all my worry. It does not pay to worry. It is unproductive and futile to worry about anything.

Don’t misunderstand me, I do not sit around looking downcast, pondering over matters. I don’t abandon my work; I am very intent on doing whatever needs to be done. Actually, I smile a lot; I laugh a lot. My affect boasts happiness and joy, so no one would think I worry, but I do. What I do, instead, is harbor thoughts that begin with “what if…” and I manage to sequester them in between other thoughts throughout the day. I consider what if’s as I do my work out, drive to appointments, cook dinner, and even as I take my shower before bedtime. Those what if’s would find a way just to appear uninvited and I would engage in mental dialogue almost subconsciously. I am sure I am not the only one who can attest to this.

This is the predicament in which Satan wants us to remain—unaware. Ignorance is not bliss and when we allow uninvited thoughts to remain unrestrained, we become “passive existers” rather than “active livers.” We are called to live the Christian life with eyes wide open, alert, aware, and on the offensive against our archenemy. That is why the apostle Paul cautions us against drunkenness because if we are under the influence of alcohol we are not able to take authority over our decisions. The substance becomes the authority for however long we are under the influence. When we live without harnessing our thoughts Satan is able to sneak unwanted stuff into our closet. If you walked into your closet and noticed blouses or pants that you did not purchase, you would wonder who placed them there. You would inquire from family members if they had anything to do with the garments getting into your closet. You would toss them out if you did not know how they arrived there. You would be watchful and cautious from then on. We need to do that with our thoughts as well. When worrisome thoughts parade as truth, we must kick them out by thanking God, praising Him, and repeating Scripture. It’s time for a thought-closet make over. By God’s grace, I have begun to become more aware of thoughts that begin with “what if,” and I immediately replace them. This is a new practice and I have already begun to experience a deeper sense of peace in my deepest thoughts. It is God’s peace and the only way to maintain it, is to submit my thoughts to the Spirit’s control. Whatever happens in my life, God already knows and has already provided for that need.

Me, Myself, & Lies by Jennifer Rothschild

Chapter 1: Day 1

Finally, and I mean finally—someone articulates what I have been trying to say regarding the power of our speech. Jennifer says the following:

“God used His words to create. He spoke things into being. Our words have influence but only God’s words have power. Our words don’t create or destroy, but they do promote life as they build up or death as they tear down our emotions and disturb our spiritual growth.”

Often, I hear preachers and good Christians say that we can “speak things into being” or “call forth that which is not as though they were (cf. Rom 4:17).” Humans do not have the power (by themselves) to do that. However, God can (and often does) use our prayers to bring about instantaneous and miraculous results as we make our requests known. When people experience healing, it is God’s doing, not a person’s words that brings about the miracle. When we pray for a need and God provides it, it is according to His will and divine purpose that the need is supplied, not because that person spoke the need into being.

I believe that cultivating positive thoughts and using positive/optimistic words are intrinsic to becoming a positive, uplifting, and energetic person. However, I do not believe my words can cause you to become wealthy, healthy, or deathly sick. I have had Christians say that they have to avoid a particular person because that person might speak “death” to them. That is absolute nonsense! A mere human cannot cause you to become sick simply by saying that you are sick. You have to believe and absorb and meditate upon that spoken word to have it affect you in any way. My words cannot bring money into my pocket. My words cannot miraculously make me well if I am sick. My words, in and of themselves, cannot change someone’s physiological state. Only God has that power. With that said, my words can encourage or discourage. They can promote wellness and wholeness to myself and those around me, or they can bring negativity and discouragement.

Our words have the power to heal when the hearer listens to what we say, think about what we have said, and meditate on our words. Words have to be absorbed in order to have any effect. So, if I speak negative words to myself and begin to meditate on them, they will undoubtedly affect my emotional wellbeing. The same would occur if I did the opposite. What we say we often believe and what we believe affects how we think and behave. Therefore, words are powerful because they can affect how we think and behave.

What we should do is focus on Christ, say what He says, think on what He says, and strive to do what He does. That is my goal.