YOU ARE WHAT YOU THINK!

    Let me share a personal and very relatable experience with you.

    About three years ago, when I was still a secondary school student, I was constantly the bully of the class. Pretty much everyone made a joke of my existence, including close friends. Despite the fact that I was quite and reserved, they still thought of creative ways to insult me.

    My ‘best friend’ never said a word to defend me. Rather, she stayed mute and laughed along. Afterwards, she pretends like nothing ever happened. There were two major scenarios that almost moved me to tears.

    The first happened when a fellow class mate of mine told me my face looks like sandpaper (an instrument used for smoothening wood). Typically, a sandpaper is usually rough and hard. He called me that because my face had a bazillion of raging pimples adorning every corner if it. They left a trace of their existence behind, a black spot.

    Thus my face had multiple colors. Some parts had dominantly black spots(my cheeks). My forehead is the headquarters of pimples. It housed pimples of all shapes and sizes. My chin was purely black. My parents aren’t the most interested in skin care. Even my dad who was concerned doesn’t know how to go about it. So, my face remained like that.

    The second happened during the period when we were preparing for our WASSCE(West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination). Arts and commercial students converged in one class to take government lessons. There was this new commercial student who loved to pitch his tent beside me. I was fairly good at government and he needed someone to sharpen him up.

    Usually, no one liked to sit beside me like that except it was his last resort. The only exception was this new student and a commercial student i took to liking, Abigail. Seeing this new development, the big boys in the class wouldn’t let it slide. They went on and on about how I have been loveless(had no boyfriend) all my life and how I have now found love.

    That was the most embarrassing moment of my existence! All eyes were on me. Everyone was laughing at me. I couldn’t leave, it would be obvious it had hurt. I had to stay and keep hearing it.

    All these experiences and more led me down a path of low self esteem and I-am-not-enough syndrome. I battled with that most my life. May be because I never learnt to appreciate myself, who knows. The bottom line was that I let my thoughts control me.

    They might have been innocently teasing me but because of this already established thoughts in my mind, I took them personal. I allowed their merciless criticism get to me. My mentor will always say; In life you have to deal with two things, praise and criticism.

    Your thoughts are like seeds. When planted, weather wheat or corn, must produce a fruit. You don’t expect to plant wheat and reap corn, it’s not done. When planting, you already have a picture of what the result will be like, mentally. With that picture in mind, you work religiously to attain it.

    The same goes for the human mind. Do not plant low self-esteem and dream of reaping confidence and expertise. It’s not possible. Do not real irresponsibility and dream of reaping success. It’s a big, fat, lie! Just as the seed is the foundation of every plant, so is your thoughts the foundation of your future.

    Proverbs 4:23 says; “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.”(NLT)

    The heart is just a container without thoughts; just like a church is just a building without you and me. You thoughts is what rules over your life and actions. This is why the bible admonished us to guard it seriously. If you let anyone’s criticism or appraisal penetrate your mind and it begins to rule over you, it’ll be your fault, not theirs.

    A guard has no respect for reason. A guard has no pity. A no is a no! When he has a policy, he sticks to it. Get up and be that guard to your mind! Everyone has the right to speak but you have the right to choose your beliefs. You mind is the anvil and the hammer that God uses to forge you into whatever He wishes. Take control!

    Faith first flows from the mind. {Romans 10:10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.(AMP)}

    The basis of your growth in Christ starts from the mind. Remember ; Philippians 4:8 says; “For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].”(AMP)

    For all these reasons and more, our slogan for the year will be; ‘THINK, SEE AND BELIEVE POSITIVITY’

    Happy Sunday!
    #GrowingInGrace