Stories are powerful. There’s a certain psychology behind them. They shape our minds. There have been studies on our brains that show different chemicals being released while listening to stories. For example cortisol, that focuses us or oxytocin, that causes us to feel empathetic and connected. I think there’s a reason that Jesus used parallels to teach us. We were created to relate to stories. 

A few years ago I lost my best friend of 15 years to suicide. This was the “story” that shaped my mind for a long time. I began to believe that I wasn’t good enough for her to turn too or for her to stay for. My narrative became “I’m not good enough”. 

But I want to visit a story that’s found in the Bible. Because scripture is what I want to shape my mind. I want it to permeate me so that truth is what rules over my thoughts. 

In exodus we read the story of the Israelites being rescued from slavery by the Lord. Miracle after miracle God performs, leading them away from captivity at the hand of the Egyptians. He set them free. Free from oppression, captivity, and bondage.

The people of Israel spent 40 years in the wilderness. 40 years of wandering. 40 years of journeying towards the land God promised to them. That is such a long time. I'm sure it wasn’t easy and they grew weary. But God met them where they were, He walked along side them and provided for them. They learned through every hard moment just how much they needed to rely on Him.

Sometimes I feel like I’m walking in the wilderness, freed from slavery but not quite at the promise land yet. But I know healing is coming. I choose to rejoice in the fact that God is so good. I pray that any “wilderness wondering” will be another part of my story that I can use to proclaim Gods glory.

I used to pray for God to instantly just take any bad feeling away because I didn’t want to deal with it. Now I view it differently. Sure I don’t want to go through hard times but I do want to be cultivated into a more powerful tool for the kingdom. That means being willing to be pruned and allowing God to cut things out of our lives that don’t have any place in His plans. 

So what’s the story that’s shaping your mind and ruling over your thoughts?Maybe it’s something your parents have said to you, or something someone you love dearly has said to you or even something you’ve been telling yourself. Lies have been spoken over you that you’ve accepted for years. We have to compare them to truth through Gods word. We have to let Gods word permeate, readjust, and correct us. It has to be the narrative that shapes our mind. 

Is there anything keeping you from walking in freedom and fully stepping into your identity spoken over you by the Lord?