Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken (part 3) Your Mental Self
And Doggone It, My Thoughts Lie to Me!
“Positive Thinking” evokes deep, sarcastic eye rolling from a lot of people. I understand that response, actually. Personally, I always think of the Saturday Night Live skit with Stuart Smalley (motivational speaker), especially when he would look in the mirror and say, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me!”
So I have to wonder, as I sit down to write this 3rd installment of the Nothing Missing, Nothing Broken blog about our minds and mental self, if I’m addressing an audience already skeptical and perhaps even cynical.
However, one of the key differences in the Christian perspective as opposed to the secular, is that thinking positively about oneself is not the goal nor is it as impactful as reminding oneself of the truths in the Word of God and the identity Christ has given you by grace and faith alone.
Stop Smiling at the Mirror. Start Renewing Your Mind.
What does that even mean? It means instead of looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m good enough”, we look toward the Lord and say, “You have saved me, and I am not longer a slave to sin, but I am free and redeemed, I am now righteous in the eyes of God because of Jesus. I am loved, I have a purpose, and I have a mission for the Kingdom of God.”
Both science and Scripture agree: what you think changes who you are. Romans says, ‘Be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ (Romans 12:2). Centuries later, neuroscience confirmed it with the study of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to literally rewire itself when thought patterns shift.
Put very bluntly: what you think shapes who you are. God gave us a blueprint for transformation within the Christian life: renew your mind.
Scripture repeats this truth over and over again:
Colossians 3:2 – “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.”
2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.”
Philippians 4:8 – A whole list of what to set our minds on: whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable.
2 Timothy 1:7 – God hasn’t given us fear, but “a sound mind.”
Ephesians 4:22–23 – “Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.”
Your Brain, But Make It Dysfunctional
I like to fall asleep to a show called Air Disasters. Strange, I know—but for some reason it’s just interesting and calming enough to knock me out. What always surprises me is how something so small, so seemingly insignificant—a loose bolt, a faulty sensor—can bring down an entire airplane and cause so much destruction.
Your thoughts work the same way. Your mind is like the cockpit of an airplane. The things you allow yourself to think are constantly influencing your life emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. And just like in those crash investigations, if a few knobs or gears in your thinking are off, devastation can be looming.
That’s where cognitive distortions come in. A cognitive distortion is simply a wrong or twisted way of thinking about something. And most people fall into these habits without even realizing it.
Here are a few of the big ones:
Catastrophizing – seeing only the worst possible outcomes. Example: “This job interview went badly. I’ll never get hired. My whole future is ruined.”
Overgeneralization – making sweeping conclusions from one event. Example: “I felt awkward once in a conversation… I’m always awkward.”
Emotional reasoning – assuming feelings = truth. Example: “I feel like a bad friend, therefore I must actually be a bad friend.”
Do any of those sound familiar? If not, I’d bet money you know a friend or family member who lives in one of them.
As a counselor, part of my role is to gently point these distortions out and help course-correct them with truth. And truth is powerful. Every time you stop, notice, and replace a distorted thought, you’re taking it captive and giving the Spirit space to renew your mind (2 Corinthians 10:5). This is why worship music, scripture memorization, and constant exposure to God’s Word matter so much, they’re not just “spiritual extras,” they’re weapons against distorted thinking.
So…What Do I Do About It?
This week, I challenge you to take one negative thought you’ve been replaying today. Write it down. Then, right next to it, write the truth from God’s Word that counters it. When that thought pops back up (and it will), pause and speak the truth out loud.
Example:
Lie: “I’m always going to fail at this.”
Truth: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13)
Do this once today, and then repeat it tomorrow. Little by little, you are training your mind to believe truth instead of distortion. That’s neuroplasticity + discipleship working hand in hand.
(At the end of this blog you’ll see a longer list of lies/cognitive distortions and truths from God’s word to counter them.)
I truly believe the mind is where I do the majority of my work as a counselor. Satan is called the “father of lies” for a reason; he wants to confuse and distort the truth to ruin you. You CAN control what you think, it takes work and discipline and it also takes the power of the Holy Spirit, but it is possible and necessary for you to be wholly healed.
I hope you come back to read the last leg of this series where we’ll focus on your spiritual self. Because, what good is it to train your mind, strengthen your body, and stabilize your emotions—but lose your soul? That’s like a table with an entire leg missing: useless, fit only for the trash.
In the meantime, may you be fully whole and healed within your mind; shalom, nothing missing, nothing broken.
Lie vs. Truth Examples
Lie (Catastrophizing): “This situation is hopeless. Nothing will ever change. ” Truth: “With God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
Lie (Overgeneralization): “I messed up once, I’ll always be a failure.” Truth: “ The righteous man falls seven times and rises again.” (Proverbs 24:16)
Lie (Emotional Reasoning): “I feel unloved, so I must not matter to anyone.” Truth: “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)
Lie (All-or-Nothing Thinking): “If I’m not perfect, I’m worthless.” Truth: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
Lie (Mind Reading): “They didn’t respond… they must not like me.” Truth: “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them?” (1 Corinthians 2:11)
Lie (Fear-based Thinking): “I can’t handle this. I’m too weak.” Truth: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)
