What is the point of resetting our Life Patterns? It is so we can better process life events that trigger stress inside of us. These stress events cause us to act according to our flesh and not according to the Spirit. This means that these flesh responses hinder us from listening to and obeying God and accomplishing His will.
When we encounter stress, our physical body often responds in such a way that it drastically reduces our ability to think through the situation and devise an appropriate and efficient solution to whatever is causing the stress. If the body shuts down the mind, then the body responds automatically with whatever is stored in our mental, emotional and muscle memory. That automatic response has only one goal – to make the feelings of stress go away as quickly as possible. The problem with that type of reaction is that it probably will not be suitable or helpful to the issue at hand.
The goal of Life Patterns RESET is to eliminate, one by one, our negative or unhealthy automatic responses. As we work through them individually, we find increasingly fewer things shake us and appear to force us to respond involuntarily. Our lives become calmer and much more productive, because our responses to stressful situations are no longer aimed solely toward the immediate elimination of stress (which rarely positively affects the situation). Instead, our goal each time is to be able to surrender to God’s Holy Spirit and create godly, well thought out and efficient solutions to the actual problems we face.
The more times we successfully encounter and respond to stress inducing events in our life, the more unafraid we will be about encountering unknowns in our life. We develop a well-earned confidence in our problem-solving abilities, because we truly are solving the problems at hand in a manner that glorifies God. We also remove those subtle subterranean fears and anxieties that are always floating somewhere below the surface of our calm exterior. They are actually distracting us unconsciously by their presence, and our knowledge of the related memories we have been desperately trying to avoid by not thinking about them.
It is like doing spring cleaning in your soul, evaluating everything you have stored there, getting rid of things that you now realize you have outgrown as an adult, and putting in shiny new items that will actually help you become who God intended for you to be. For Christians, this gradual elimination of hindering thoughts and actions allows us to fulfill God’s calling on our lives, because we no longer encounter events that blindside us and drag us in the opposite direction of the leading of the Holy Spirit. Basically, you are laying aside every weight that has been tangling up your thoughts and actions, hindering you from obeying God.
When your eyes aren’t always fixed on yourself and your problems, you are able to fix your eyes on the finisher and perfecter of your faith. (Hebrews 11:1) When you keep your eyes on Him, you can accomplish anything through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)
Let’s return to my initial story about how I have reacted to angry women in authority in my past. One day, I finally hit my limit when she screamed at me in her office, “I don’t pay you to think. I pay you to do what I tell you.” I went to my desk and got my things, I went to the director of the department and told him what happened and said that I needed to leave before I responded in an inappropriate way to her yelling.
I had decided that I was a grown elephant, and that this little string attached to my ankle was only holding me in that current circular pattern because I believed it would. I snapped the string. I walked away from mistreatment in a calm and respectful way. I determined that I was worth protecting, and if no one else would rescue me, I would have to do it for myself.
I hope that you now have a better understanding about Life Patterns and how resetting them will completely transform your thoughts, emotions and actions. Resetting them will allow you to diminish your flesh responses and surrender to the Holy Spirit’s leading and power. I pray that you are feeling renewed hope about areas of your life that have so far been out of your ability to change. I now invite you to allow me to walk with you through your challenges as you “clean house”.
Whether you need one on one ministry with me personally, or need a supportive group who can journey with you through your Life Pattern RESET, or simply want to learn the process on your own, you are welcome to join our forums, take our classes and use our tools. The next week long series you will receive will be Introduction to the RESET method.
To learn more about your options for the next phase of your healing, click here.
RESET ASSIGNMENT:
- Imagine yourself as you wish you could be. How would you respond to stressful situations as that person?
- List certain situations where you feel like you lose control over your emotions and your actions. Which of those situations do you want to deal with first?