Renewing our Minds – the Power of Pictures
Dear Ones,
We’ve looked previously at the concept of gardening, seeing everything in seed form and planting wisely in our minds, lives and relationships. And we’ve considered our mental pipeline, how one thing leads to another. Here’s another related concept – the language of the heart and mind — pictures.
Advertising & the Power of Pictures
As a starting point and frame of reference, consider advertising for a moment. They would not, for example, show us this word – CHEESEBURGER – in black print on a white background. Instead, they show us a full color picture of a big, fresh, juicy burger in a bun with all the trimmings. Why? Because there’s power in pictures. They speak the same language as our brains so that picture has much more potential to tempt and convince us that we must get a burger (that burger, not another brand!) than the word alone ever would have.
So a very important part of disciple boot camp is the training of our brains to be very aware of what sort of pictures are contained in what we say in our innermost self talk as well as in our spoken words to others. And we mustn’t forget that these pictures are seeds which will reproduce after their own kind, bearing fruit that we and those around us will have to live with.
Memories: In a Video Format
It may help to go back and revisit the amazing way in which our Creator fashioned our brains to function. Have you noticed that we are born ‘video cameras’ and we tape everything? Every single bit of every experience, including the words, thoughts and emotions attached to them, is stored away in our brains for future reference. We video tape what happens to us as well as how others treat us and how they treat one another. We can be certain of this… whatever is videotaped a lot will come out a lot. Repetition plays a big part in cementing certain memories and beliefs into the fabric of our souls.
In Christ Life, we refer to all that mental tape storage as ‘wiring’ – and often use this word picture as we describe it: If someone rings your doorbell and the porch light comes on instead of the doorbell ringing, it’s obvious that the wiring is connected incorrectly. Wiring does exactly what it’s designed to do — it connects one thing to another. So when we see the fruit of faulty wiring in our actions, reactions, emotions or choices, it’s time to look at that wiring and rewire where needed.
As children, we don’t yet have the critical skill of editing our inner tapes. That requires good experience, a strong sense of ultimate purpose, and the ability to reason clearly and accurately. Nor do we have the ability to accurately assess and interpret what we’re taping and storing. We do the best we can, but because of our youth and inexperience, and because many of our stored childhood tapes contain interpretations that are immature, naïve, incomplete, incorrect and childish, our mental wiring can get really messed up.
Truth & Reality vs. Perception
This is why it is so critically important for disciples to become aware of, and then deal with, Truth and Reality the way it truly is, not as we think or believe it is or should be. So once we grasp the concept of our automatic mental videotaping process, we can begin to apply God’s perfect provision to it. He’s created us with certain abilities to accurately assess and interpret what’s happening, as well as the ability to discern boundaries related to whose ‘issue’ anything is (and to not embrace it as ours if it isn’t).
This is where our gardening skills come into play. As the Holy Spirit brings old tapes up from the subconscious/unconscious part of our brain into His Light and our conscious mind becomes aware of it, we have opportunity to ‘reseed’ that part of our soul. And this time, we do it in God’s Light and Truth. We see that wiring with new, awakened eyes and we recognize that God’s perceptions of what got taped are completely and wonderfully different than what we had previously thought and believed. And because we are now adults and now have editing ability, we get to work applying new ‘voice overs’ to the stored tapes, effectively installing new wiring to replace the old, outdated material. It doesn’t change what happened, but it certainly changes how we perceive and respond to it.
Redeeming Our Minds… and Memories
The good news is that we do not have to stay stuck with false and destructive wiring. We can videotape new things, better things, and God given things just the way we first taped the old things — with massive amounts of repetition. Hence our reminder in Philippians 4:8 — “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” When we do that with consistency, we gradually modify and outgrow the old wiring. It gets replaced with the new and the Promised Land of our freedom in Christ is expanded in our souls and lives.
Our stored childhood memories often contain damaging material that needs to be faced and reframed according to God’s Truth and Faithfulness. But rather than set your course to dwell in the past and deal with those things right now, you’d be better served to focus on your here and now taping, and then deal with the historical stuff when and as the Holy Spirit brings it up. And trust me, He will bring it up whenever He knows it’s time to deal with it. But that’s a good thing because when it comes into the Light of His Truth is when it can be dealt with in His Perfect timing and Perfect ways.
Can you see God’s beautiful and comprehensive provision here? We don’t have to toil and strive to uproot all the mental ‘weeds’ or do battle with unhealthy wiring that gets exposed. All we have to do is rest in the perfect finished work of our blessed Yeshua and as we do that, we simply outgrow the stuff. What freedom!
What Do Pictures Communicate
So as we continue our discipleship journey, it is imperative that we pay attention to the pictures contained in current exposures and life experiences What exactly are they actually communicating and planting into our souls? Be sure it accurately reflects God’s perfect Truth and Ways, and if it doesn’t, then we must do what wise gardeners do — it gets rejected and replaced with His Truth instead. So if this rewiring process is new to you, here are a few ‘starter’ Truth pictures for you. I encourage you to add as many as you can find, and add to your repertoire. It’s a journey that’s well worth however much time it takes because that’s the stuff of our future.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in thee.
Genesis 17:1
Yahweh* appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
*The Name (HaShem) consists of the Hebrew letters yud-hey-vav-hey (יּהּוּהּ) and Yahweh is the closest we get to an English pronunciation. You’ll often see it translated as Jehovah in English Bibles but there is no letter “J” in Hebrew.
Isaiah 66:13
As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.
In His unfailing love,