Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.–Romans 12:2
Elephants are some of the biggest, most powerful, and intelligent animals on the planet. And in certain parts of Asia, farmers still use elephants to do much of the heavy labor. Some countries even hold elephant festivals to
celebrate their strength and intelligence. These festivals always end with a tug-of-war between one elephant and
one hundred men—and you guessed it, the elephant always wins!
But amazingly, the only thing that elephant owners in Asia have to do to control an elephant is tie a rope to its right hind leg and a small wooden post in the ground. That’s it! The elephant won’t move, even though the wooden post and rope is like a toothpick and dental floss to you and me.
We can be a lot like elephants! We have great strength inside, but we struggle to remove the invisible barriers and limitations in our minds. We let doubts or fears and negative, destructive thinking keep us from reaching our full potential both on the field and off. Real transformation comes through the renewing of our mind. We have to change the way we think and refocus on godly things!
Isn’t it time to break free from destructive thinking? Don’t be like the elephant controlled by imaginary limitations!
1. In what ways do you think negatively or let doubts and fears hurt your performance?
2. List three things you can do to change your thought patterns.
Extra Reading: Genesis 6:4-6; 2 Corinthians 10:4-6; Philippians 4:7-9
Lord, You are my strength and salvation. Please teach me to break free of my fears and doubts and focus only on You. Amen.
About the Author:
Jimmy serves as the Mid-Atlantic Vice President of Field Ministry for FCA. As a twenty-year medical fitness leader and former National Director of FCA Health & Fitness, he hosts Fit Fridays on 95.1 SHINE FM. Jimmy is an author of four best-selling books – WisdomWalks, WisdomWalks Sports, PrayFit, and One Word That Will Change Your Life. He is a coach, cyclist and triathlete. He and his wife, Ivelisse, started a cancer foundation called believebig.org [1] following her victory over cancer. They reside in Maryland with their four children. You can e-mail Jimmy at jpage@fca.org [2].