August before last was really HOT in North Alabama.
It makes me recall how hot it was when I was a kid without air conditioning.
Growing up, I lived in various places throughout the South.
In most of those places, it was extremely hot in the summer.
To save money, my mother didn't run the air conditioner during the day.
The heat was almost unbearable.
Before we laugh at my mom, a lot of us are doing the same thing in our personal lives.
If we’re not setting goals, our circumstances may be over heating just like I was on those hot summer days.
By goal setting, we can maintain our thoughts and ultimately change our circumstances just like an air conditioner's thermostat changes the room’s temperature.
First, let me discuss how an air conditioner cools your house down to illustrate how this works.
When you want a cooler temperature in your house, you simply dial the desired temperature into your thermostat.
You are in effect setting a goal for the inside of your home to be different from the temperature on the outside.
You are making a decision by an act of your will to have a more comfortable setting (circumstances).
Although there is a time delay, your air conditioner will eventually do its job, and cool your house (circumstances) down.
However, how do YOU change your thoughts and ultimately alter your circumstances just like a thermostat?
It begins by YOU setting a goal for your life to be different from what you are currently experiencing.
To do this, begin by concisely writing your goals down on an index card.
In John 3:27a, John the Baptist said “A man can get only what God gives him.”(Bible-NCV) Also, in I John 5:14b (NCV), the Apostle John said “If we ask God for anything that agrees with what he wants, he hears us”.
The key to setting a goal is to determine is this goal something God would like for us to have, and do we have God’s peace for asking, seeking, and persisting for it? (See also Matthew 7:7-8)
To receive from God, we must remain single minded when we ask, seek, and persist.
James the brother of Jesus said in James 5:7-8 “…doubters are thinking two different things at the same time, and they cannot decide about anything they do. They should not think that they receive anything from the Lord.”(NCV)
For this reason, we must have a strategy to remain single minded when we make a request to God.
• First, determine if each goal is consistent with God’s will by reviewing pertinent scriptures and checking for the peace of Holy Spirit. (See also Philippians 4:6-7)
• Second, you should write down each goal based upon two or three scriptures. (See 2 Corinthians 13:1)
• Third, make a petition to God for each goal, and then thank him for granting it. (See also Mark 11:24)
• Fourth, record each request with pertinent scriptures on an index card. Include the date of the request on the card.
• Finally, when you find your thoughts being overcome by obstacles, replace those troubled thoughts by empathically reading out loud your index card.
Set your eyes, ears, words,and thoughts off the circumstances that you DON'T want by setting your eyes, ears, words, and thoughts on what you DO want - your index card.
You’re already doing this on the negative side by worrying about circumstances, BUT do it now on the positive side.
Keep reprogramming your subconscious mind with your index card. Remember, your head (or will) is your thermostat, and your goals are its settings.
If you call it just like you see it, you’ll become overwhelmed by circumstances.
You’ll be acting like a thermometer, measuring the temperature but not changing it.
Use your words to change your world not describe it by using your words to reprogram your thoughts.
Don’t say things like I just lost my job, I’m such a loser.
Say something like...
“My God will use his wonderful riches in Christ Jesus to give me everything I need”. Philippians 4:19.
In fact, talk the end result. “I have a successful job.
It’s just around the corner based upon my index card.”
You might feel like you're lying, but look at it this way.
Are you lying to set the thermostat at 70 degrees when it’s actually 100 degrees outside?
Why is this important?
If you’ve failed in the past, your subconscious mind will only justify why.
It’ll say the economy is down, sales are slow, & business is bad.
However, if you say, I can meet my objectives as an act of my will.
Your subconscious mind also will begin to justify why.
It'll say things like God said that it’s mine.
I've got what it takes.
I'm not giving up.
I'm going to figure this out.
Just like you set your thermostat for the air conditioner to produce the power to cool your house,
it takes a while for your heart (or subconscious mind) to catch up with your head (or will), but your heart is where the power comes.
You may be reading your index card for days, weeks, months, or years.
However, at some point, your heart will finally kick in, and believe that it’s going to happen.
Remember your heart (or subconscious mind) is just like an air conditioner.
If you keep your thermostat (or head) on its settings, your heart (or subconscious mind) will ultimately produce change.
M. H. Dennis
