Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church believes that the things that go around the minds of Christians ultimately shape their lives, and this is why it is important for them to change their thoughts for the better.
Warren reminds people that they cannot become all God created them to be until they fully understand the factors that influence their identity. These are chemistry (how people are made), connections (relationships), circumstances, and consciousness.
"Your circumstances may be out of your control, but God is in control of everything. Your thoughts shape who you are, but you can change the way you think. Your circumstances and consciousness have shaped who you are, but the way you respond to your circumstances and the thoughts you choose to believe will shape the rest of your life," Warren writes on his website.
Warren suspects that if people only talk to their friends the way they talk to themselves, then they'd probably lose all of their friends.
"Because our thoughts are filled with the lies we've heard from other people that we've let simmer and fester. When we repeat other people's thoughts in our head, they go deeper and deeper in our consciousness, and they begin to shape our identity," he explains.
Warren then shared the Bible verse Proverbs 4:23 which reminds people how they should manage their thoughts. It says, "Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life."
People's thoughts don't even have to be true to hurt them. It only hurts when people believe their thoughts, despite any question regarding its veracity.
"If you tell yourself your marriage won't last, then it won't. If you're afraid you can't do something, then you won't. Your thoughts run your life!" he adds.
