“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” (Proverbs 23:7 NJKV)
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23 ESV)
“Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].” (Romans 12:1-2 AMP)
It has been 5 years since first entering into the club. There have been many breakthroughs and many temporary setbacks. From that first day, the Lord has been revealing to me just how powerful the sub-conscious mind truly is. He has shown me how I have programmed myself for “failure” at the deepest levels. This programming goes all the way back to seventh grade basketball try-outs at Napoleon Junior High.
I played little league basketball in 5th and 6th grades. I was blessed with an early growth spurt so I was one of the tallest players in the league. As such, I was a stand out rebounder. I never quite mastered dribbling and shooting, but I could block out and rebound. I was just good enough to catch the eye of the 7th grade coach. I remember him talking to me and encouraging me to try out for the Junior High team.
I can recall the first day of seventh grade tryouts as if it were yesterday. I especially remember having to run up and down the bleacher steps. We didn’t do this in the little league. I remember getting a splitting side ache and not liking it at all. About half way through this first day session I suddenly came down with the flu (the “I don’t want to work this hard and feel this much pain” flu). I told the coach I was “sick to my stomach” and could not continue. I came back the second day just to repeat the pattern. On the third, and last, day of try-outs I conveniently had to stay home from school “sick” (funny how well the body obeys when I want out of something). The end result, I was cut from the team. So much for my promising basketball career.
For a long time I lied to myself, and those around me, about what had happened at those try-outs. I deceived myself to believe that it was sickness that cut my basketball experience short. There were a number of similar experiences in life through the years in which when faced with a difficult challenge I would somehow become ill, or something would conveniently happen, to sabotage my success. The responsibility for my “failures” were never mine. Over the years I grew more and more self deceived. I increasingly suppressed the guilt that resulted from finding ways to back away when things became challenging only to blame something, or someone else. This ongoing cycle brought me to the place where down deep I saw myself as a failure, and expected to fail. As scriptures point out, over time my mind became darkened.
When facing the desire to throw in the towel on ever being able to get my body in shape the Lord opened my eyes to just how warped my self image, and life expectations, had become at the deepest level of my consciousness. I had sub-consciously developed a way to create a “no win” scenario which would force me to move on rather than face and overcome challenges. This took a toll on my educational experience, my ministry, vocational path, and even my family. I am learning to see just how powerful my sub-conscious mind is. I am also learning how to reprogram how I think in order to change how I live.
If you are reading this, I recommend that you take some time to look at your life and see if there are any patterns which you do not desire to be there. Chances are that you have programmed yourself to think and act in certain ways in certain situations. You probably don’t even think about it. Let the Lord shed His light on your innermost being. He will expose whatever needs to be corrected, and together with Him you can be set free from whatever has been holding you back. He truly will renew your mind (conscious and sub-conscious) and set you free. He’s doing it for me!
The truth will set us free as we ponder…
…Eric’s Life Lesson # 304: Built-In Expectations: The Power of the Sub-Conscious Mind – Part 4