Dear Friends

You and I make choices every day that affect our lives.

Some of those choices are about small things . . . What am I going to wear today? What should I have for lunch? What movie am I going to watch when I get home? But there are other choices we make that are much bigger and have a much more significant impact on our lives.

And I want to tell you about one of the biggest choices you can make:

You can choose what mindset you’re going to have each and every day.

When thoughts of fear, despair, and worry flood your mind, you don’t have to dwell on them. You can make the choice to reset your thoughts and focus on God’s promises.

It’s so important to understand this because many people live as prisoners of their own thoughts. Here’s what I mean . . . If you wake up in the morning and an anxious thought crosses your mind, and you allow yourself to dwell on that thought, you will be anxious all day long. Whatever the thought is about — inadequacy, worry, unforgiveness, fear — it turns into a mindset that imprisons you. The result is a life far less than the life Jesus came to give you.

Ephesians 4:22 (NIV) says: You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. And verse 24 tells us to . . . put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

But how do we do that? How do we put off the old self and put on the new? The Bible tells us that we can do this by being made new in the attitude of your mind (Ephesians 4:23). Instead of letting your thoughts control you, you can reset your mind. You can choose to line up your thinking with God’s Word!

I struggled with my thoughts for many years — I think that’s why I love to teach about it now. And even though God has given me victory in this area, I still have to make the daily decision to reset and choose a right mindset over a wrong mindset . . . we all do.

When I was writing a book a few years ago about having the right mindset, my thoughts were telling me the exact opposite of what I was writing. I was working on the first few chapters and dealing with a “mystery illness” at the same time. You know, one of those things the doctor can’t explain, and no medicine seems to help. I was so discouraged, and I kept thinking about everything that was going wrong.

What did I do? I had to do exactly what I’m now encouraging you to do. I had to reset my thoughts and choose to focus on God’s promises rather than my problems.

When a struggle or challenge tries to overtake our thoughts, we can choose to change our thoughts and trust that God is in control.

The apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:2 (NIV), Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. That means . . .

• When you feel unloved or unappreciated, you can set your mind on the truth that God loves you unconditionally (Jeremiah 31:3 ).


• When it looks like there is no way forward, you can set your mind on the promise that God will make a way when there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).


• When you begin to wonder if you’ll ever overcome what you’ve been through in the past, you can set your mind on the truth that God will restore everything you’ve lost (Isaiah 61:7).

Wrong mindsets keep us stuck in life, not moving forward into the good things God has planned for us. But these right mindsets — these godly mindsets — are the key to living the life Jesus came to give us.

As I mentioned before, I lived with the wrong mindset for many years of my life, but as I studied the Word of God, He showed me that I could make a change — I could reset my thoughts. I could choose the right mindset. This was a life-changing revelation for me. As I learned to choose a godly mindset, my relationships improved, my outlook on life and ministry changed, and I was filled with peace and joy.

Now, when I face a challenge or struggle, it doesn’t totally ruin my day, and it doesn’t steal my joy. Having a godly mindset allows me to cast my care on God and trust that He will make a way. It’s really the best way to live!

I want to encourage you to do the same thing. Choosing the right mindset isn’t always easy at first, but God’s Word shows us how we can make that choice every single day. It’s a decision (and an ongoing decision) that only you can make.

You don’t have to live as a victim of your thoughts. The choice is up to you. Learn to reset and choose the right mindset; then there is no limit to what God will do in your life.