You are what you believe, and your interpretation of past events is one of the most significant sources of those beliefs. Because we live in a sinful world, there are times when your interpretation has led you to believe something that is not true. These values and convictions can have a huge impact on your self identity. A review of your history can bring them to your attention, giving you an opportunity to renew your mind.

The process is not difficult, but the payoff is considerable. Take a walk down memory lane and let God heal you from the inside out.

Interrogate your beliefs

C.S. Lewis said, "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." (The Problem of Pain, 1940, 1996).

There is conflict and pain whenever your beliefs are not consistent with God’s absolute truth. It is one way in which God speaks to us, according to C.S. Lewis. It is not God’s intent that we suffer, but rather that we are aware of our need to change. His vision for us is that we be transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

We are able to identify erroneous beliefs through the conflict expressed spiritually, emotionally and physically.

Spiritually – God speaks to us through conviction from the Holy Spirit, and through our conscience. When we are sensitive and listening, that check or twinge will come through loud and clear. If we become insensitive, our spirit and conscience become callused or seared. The outward manifestation is seen in broken relationships; between us and God, and also between us and fellow man.
• Emotionally – We become aware of inner conflict through our feelings and responses to situations and other people. Feelings of sadness, fear, rejection, shame, anger or guilt can indicate a root problem. Any response that is out of proportion to the stimulus, either too expressive or too muted, is an indication that a conflict has been triggered.
• Physically – Our general health and well being are also a gauge. Persistent issues of hypertension, distress, headaches, digestive problems, and the like can indicate errors in our belief system. Before rushing to mask the symptom it is a good idea to interrogate your convictions.

Sifting through the past

The values and convictions you have picked up may be due to misinformation. A person, generally an authority figure, may have told you something that you continue to believe as true, even though it is not consistent with the character of God. In some cases the person misinformed you intentionally, often because it fit their purposes at the time and they had no regard for you. In many other cases the person misinformed you unintentionally, yet the belief has power over you as if it were true.

The values and convictions can also be due to your own misinterpretation. Perhaps you observed an incident and made some assumptions about it.  Although untrue, this predisposed you to support your original conclusion. Just like misinformation, your conviction from misinterpretation has power over you as if it were true.

Family of origin: There are core values and traditions that get handed down from generation to generation that must be interrogated. It is vital to consider your family of origin to understand the impact this has on your current life. Retrieve this questionnaire from our downloads section on our website to use as a guide to better understand the influence your family has played in your life. It takes a few minutes to answer the questions and the information gleaned is priceless.

Strong opinions: Make a list of your strongest convictions and most firmly established values. These are especially important to hold up to the standard of truth from God. If you wonder about which opinions qualify, pay attention to yourself as you express them. Watch for emotional or physical responses that are associated. It doesn’t mean the opinion is wrong, but it does suggest that it should be verified.

Major events: Catalog your past using a timeline or other tool to help you identify the major events of your life. Some of the items would be a transfer or relocation, a death or sickness of a family member, a significant transition in business or finances, a wedding or divorce, or any traumatic event. The more traumatic the event the deeper the foundation for the beliefs that come from it, either right or wrong.

Emotional snapshot: Get a copy of our emotional snapshot from the download section of our website. It is a helpful tool for identifying things that spark an emotional response from you. You will identify things that make you glad, sad, mad and anxious. As you do, watch for those things that cause a severe reaction and interrogate the beliefs behind them. Otherwise, be aware that having nothing to enter can indicate suppression of emotions and should lead you to consider why that type of response is inhibited.

Processing for mind renewal

When you have discovered strong beliefs and convictions from your past, it is important to compare them to absolute truth which comes from God.

The interrogation and comparison process takes a little quiet time and some honest humility. While in a time of prayer, simply hold your belief up to God and ask for His opinion. It could sound like this:

“Lord, I’ve identified this belief and I believe it to be true. (Describe what you believe to be true.) Now, Lord, would you tell me what You think about it?”

Then listen. You can expect God to bring something to your mind, either to confirm that belief or to replace it with His truth.

Getting help

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

Sometimes people benefit from having an intercessor pray through this step with them. It isn’t strictly required, because each of us is invited to approach the throne of grace with confidence so we can find help in our time of need. However, there are times when it is beneficial to have a witness or encourager to walk with you through the process.

If this is the case for you, please contact us at Master’s Mind Ministry. One of our favorite things to do is pray for truth with those that are seeking to hear from God.