Our Go To Behaviors

For years my husband and I have taught churches how to respond in a biblical manner to those in the community who found themselves living in poverty. During the training we explain about the mindset of someone who has grown-up in this lifestyle and that until their brain is retrained to think differently, their brain will always find the path of least resistance. Our brains are actually very lazy; they can spot patterns very efficiently, and therefore begin running off memories when they see something they are familiar with. This is also known as our “go to behaviors”.

My aha moment came recently when I was reading my Bible. God spoke to me and said, “You know you live with a poverty mindset.”

Hearing those words was so profound that I got out my journal and wrote them down, and then I started praying and asking God to show me what He meant.

This started me on a journey of realizing how many times I live knowing God’s Truths but I don’t actually live a life to the fullest in those truths.

I can quote verses about how amazing God is and all I can do through Him, but it is just that, words that come out of my mouth. Things I can regurgitate because I have memorized a few words.

Just like those we have served in our ministry, until they retrained the pathways in their brain to take a different route, they would find themselves making the same decisions over and over again.

I have a couple of favorite verses that I like to meditate on but the main one is from Ephesians 2. It says that we are God’s masterpiece and that He created us anew in Christ Jesus. Why did He do that?

So we can do the good things He has already planned long ago.

Growing-up I was told I would never amount to anything. I heard that over and over again so I unfortunately lived into those lies. What I felt God was telling me recently is that I have been living a spiritual life of poverty. I read scripture and believe the statements that I am a masterpiece created to do great things, but my go to behaviors usually win out and say something completely different. I am having to retrain my thoughts to believe and live out Ephesians 2:10.

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.