I am currently reading “Winning the War In Your Mind for Teens” by Craig Groeschel, a senior pastor and founder of Life.Church. This book focuses on how we are able to utilize both scripture and brain science to challenge unhelpful thinking and destructive thoughts. Groeschel writes in a way that is not only applicable to teens and adolescents, but also to adults to be able to learn alongside them.
Inside the book, there is a plethora of psychoeducation as well as space to complete exercises that encourage the reader to put to practice what they have learned. Topics covered include: the mechanics of the brain and how to rewire it, how to identify lies from the enemy, the role prayer and praise play in transforming the mind, and practices that invite God’s thoughts to be present in our daily living.
Adolescence is such a delicate time of life as people are beginning, and continuing, to explore who they are. During this developmental stage, low self-esteem and negative self-image/self-talk are often found to be present. This book frames the untrue thoughts that result from negative self-talk/self-esteem as “lies.” Jeremiah 17:9 says “The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and the attitudes of the heart.” If we know that Satan’s primary weapon is lies, then our greatest counter weapon is the truth of God’s word. We can hold the lies captive by practicing a three-step process:
- Identify the problem
- Ask probing questions (when did this start? How does it make me feel? Is fear driving this? Is there a certain trigger that prompts this behavior?)
- Pinpoint the lie
Once you are able to pinpoint the lie, you can replace it with the truth. For example:
Lie: “I’m a victim; nothing good ever happens to me.”
Truth: “If God is for us, who can be against us?… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (Romans 8:31, 37).