Chapter Eight

Now that you've worked on and are in the process of forgiving yourself you need to change or replace those old negative, harmful, useless and not of God feelings and renew your mind. Keep in the back of your mind always Phillipians 4:8, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is right, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." Despite our circumstances we can think of praiseworthy things everyday. The light turning green when we need it to, the color of the leaves, a stranger smiling at us. All of these are praiseworthy. It's in how we look at events in our lives. It's how we renew our minds.

How else can we renew our minds? When bad thoughts come, take them captive, throw them away. Say aloud, as I do, "Begone Satan". Tell him to go away out loud. There's no more room in your life for him. Satan cannot hear or read our thoughts, but he can certainly hear our voice. Make it clear to him each and every time. Then say a memory verse or as I sometimes do, the Our Father.

One of the exercises in the chapter called for writing out a familiar shame statement then writing a positive confession so that when we thought those old familiar statements of shame we would then automatically think of our positive statement. One of my statements was so deeply ingrained in me I thought I'd never rise above it and it was that I was just not redeemable. I found Paul's words in Romans 7:24-25 so appropriate to me, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death"? And then Paul said, "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord." Paul saw how wretched he was. How without Christ he was a slave to sin. With Christ we have redemption and forgiveness and His perfect love. He knows we are human and that we will sin and fall short, but we must always lay our shortcomings at His feet. If we know we have areas of weaknesses we should ask for help and guidance from our Holy Spirit. And pray to do God's will each day. Renew your mind.

Scripture that may be helpful to meditate on are: 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old is gone, the new has come." I know you've been in Christ, but you've carried this baggage around for so long. Imagine yourself new in Christ, but this time the baggage is gone. It's a new relationship with Christ without all the negative emotions, the past is gone. Your filled with excellent and praiseworthy things, the new has come. The enemy may try to trip you up, but you know what to do. You have a new relationship with Christ and no one, absolutely no one can destroy it. How freeing is that? Pretty darn free!

Psalm 51:10: "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."
Dear Father God,

I pray, Father, that you help me rid myself of all negative emotions.

More than anything I want to be closer to You. Please create

in me a pure heart. Point out those areas that I need to cleanse

for You. I don't want anything to come between us, Father. And

renew in me that steadfast spirit of faith. Help me to see so

clearly that without You in my life I am lost. You are my hope

and I love You. In your Son's precious name I pray. Amen

Isaiah 40:31: "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."