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Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 2:16 AM
You Need to Think About What You Think About

Current Teaching Series

Rethinking Your Life

You Need to Think About What You Think About

By Rick Warren — 01/12/2024

"Fools will believe anything, but the wise think about what they do."

Proverbs 14:15 (NCV)

Every behavior is based on a belief.

If you act scared, it's because you believe scary thoughts at that moment. If you act resentful, it's because you believe you've been devalued, and so you're going to defend yourself. If you're acting prideful, it may be because you believe you're not good enough, so you're trying to compensate by being boastful.

If there is a behavior in your life you don't like, go to the source and change the thought behind it. God says in Haggai 1:5, "Carefully consider your ways!" (GW).

Ask yourself: Why do I act that way with this person? Why do I act this way at work or school? Why do I act this way with certain neighbors? What thought triggered that response? What assumption is behind that action? What belief is beneath that behavior?

Have you ever been in this kind of conflict with your spouse or significant other: It starts off simple enough—but before you know it, something in the argument triggers your emotions, and you go from zero to 100 in emotional intensity in two seconds? Then you're out of control, upset, nervous, or fearful. You may start sweating, or your voice may rise. Maybe tears start coming down your cheeks.

Something in that moment tapped into an unspoken belief. You may believe the other person is going to leave you. You may believe you haven't been heard. You may believe your idea isn't being given validation and you're not being treated with respect. You believe something that suddenly triggered an emotional response.

If you're ever in a situation like that, you need to ask this question: What am I believing right now? You need to examine the beliefs beneath your behavior.

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:15, "Fools will believe anything, but the wise think about what they do" (NCV).

To grow in any area of life, examine what's going on in your mind. Start thinking about what you're thinking about so your thoughts can lead to healthy, purposeful action.

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Talk It Over

Think about a behavior you've tried to change over the years. What are you believing that causes you to act this way?
Why is it important to think about the belief behind a behavior before you act?
When you're in a tough conversation with someone close to you, how is it helpful for you to think about the beliefs behind your emotional responses?

The post You Need to Think About What You Think About appeared first on Pastor Rick's Daily Hope.

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Your brain is the most complex organ in your body, and one of God's greatest gifts to you. So is it any surprise that your thoughts are so powerful . . . and need to be placed under God's influence?

In his brand-new Rethinking Your Life Bible study, Pastor Rick Warren invites you on a journey to take control of your thought life so you can win the battle against temptation, defeat discouragement, and experience peace in the midst of pain.

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Includes 8 full-length message from Pastor Rick's series Rethinking Your Life.

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Series Summary

Message 1: Why You Need to Think About What You Think About
Message 2: Learning to Think Like Jesus
Message 3: Choosing to Manage My Mind
Message 4: Rethinking the Problem of Sin
Message 5: How to Win Over Persistent Temptations
Message 6: Defeating Discouragement
Message 7: Changing How I Think About Pain
Message 8: Recovering from Traumatic Experiences

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Rick Warren is the founding pastor of Saddleback Church, one of America's largest and most influential churches. Pastor Rick is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Purpose Driven Life. His book The Purpose Driven Church was named one of the 100 Christian books that changed the 20th century. Pastor Rick created The PEACE Plan to address the five global giants—spiritual emptiness, self-serving leadership, poverty, disease, and illiteracy—through the power of ordinary people in the local church. His Daily Hope broadcast and daily devotionals are offered around the world. You can listen to the broadcast or sign up for the free devotionals at PastorRick.com.

© 2024 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.