Your thinking is a catalyst for change, and good thinking helps us eliminate the bad part of a common pattern everyone experiences. The pattern repeats itself over and over in life, and the outcome of each occurrence leads either to a life that glorifies God or one that becomes increasingly self-absorbed.
Three Elements
There are three simple statements in the common pattern.
“I was living this way. Then, one day, THIS happened. Now I live my life differently.”
On closer inspection of many life changes, you will see more detail, which sounds like this.
“I was living this way. Then THIS happened… it happened again and again and again… Then it struck me! I got it! Now, I live my life differently.”
That is the standard form of every testimony you hear at church or any program designed to help people change. The typical pattern illustrates how your thinking is a catalyst for change, both good and bad.
There are multiple examples of the pattern in the Bible. One well-known example is King David, as described in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. You will see the story of David and Bathsheba.
A shortened version of the story is that David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Later, she told him she was pregnant. Since her husband, Uriah, was away at war, David arranged a time for Uriah to come home. Uriah could be with Bathsheba and give David a cover story for his sin. But the plan did not work, so David ordered Uriah to the front of the battle, and he was killed. David then took Bathsheba to be his wife to hide the sin.
He did not confess his sin for nearly one year, so God sent Nathan to confront him by telling him a story of a rich man stealing a poor man’s sheep. David became angry, saying, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!” Nathan stated, “You are the man!” and David's response was, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
David's Common Pattern
If David used the common pattern, he would say, “I was living a life that displeased God – adultery, murder, and unconfessed sin. I made bad choices, allowing my sinful thoughts to lead me rather than obeying God and doing what was right.
It was wrong, but I did not want to admit it, and made it worse by trying to cover up my adultery with murder. One day, Nathan confronted me with a story that showed me how real my sin was. That led me to confess my sin to the Lord and experience the consequences of my son's death. Now I focus on walking with the Lord, and confess my sin as soon as I am aware of it.”
God called David “…a man after His own heart.” How could that be when God knew that David would commit such horrible sins? It may be because David did not harden his heart against God or His Word. He was still open to Godly values, and when he sinned, he confessed it. That demonstrates a desire to please God – a man after God’s heart.
Options for Change
Since the pattern is so real, the middle part, “THIS happened,” is the critical element. The THIS in David’s story was when Nathan confronted him, but that is just one way to see THIS. Learn more about how your thinking is a catalyst for change by listening to the podcast "The Critical Element for Change."
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accept and act on truth and reality, bad thinking, common pattern for change, good thinking, people change when their thinking changes, people changing, testimony, TV0034