Winning the War

Recently, when I was watching a video on the topic of church growth in a post-pandemic world, I was introduced to a new book, Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life, by Rev. Craig Groeschel. Prior to this, I had never heard of him. Obviously, I do not keep up with who are the prominent voices in the world of mainstream Christianity.

Rev. Groeschel is the founding and lead minister of Life Church, an Oklahoma-based, multi-city, multi-campus megachurch with thousands of congregants. He is also a New York Times bestselling author with a list of books to his credit. You can learn more about him at craiggroschel.com.

When I heard the title of his latest book, I was intrigued. Keep in mind that this book was first published this year. Yes, 2021! I was curious and eager to get the book so I could learn more about his approach to something that we in Unity have been teaching for more than 100 years.

I wondered what he could have to say that I and presumably most of his readers had not already heard. Or could it be that some of his followers had never heard this before?

In the introduction, Rev. Groschel says,

Our lives are always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts. What we think shapes who we are.

So you might read that and think I’m being an overly dramatic preacher using hyperbole to get your attention. But this is no exaggeration. Our lives do follow the direction of our thoughts. The better we grasp that truth, the better equipped we’ll be to change the trajectory of our lives.

Really?! In 2021, are there still people who have never heard the concept that our way of thinking affects our lives and who think he might be being “an overly dramatic preacher”?!

In keeping with traditional his Christian ideology, Rev. Groschel goes on to say that,

Your mind is a battlefield, and the battle for your life is always won or lost in your mind…Satan is your enemy…his strategy to defeat you is to persuade you to believe his lies.

His premise, as I expected, is that God is the author of Truth and “he” will save us from the lies of Satan.

While he does offer some good exercises to help the reader connect with the limiting thoughts and their sources, as well as practices to help them connect with truth, I found it challenging to continue reading the book. I thumbed through it, stopping here and there to explore some of the exercises. But with each page, I found myself wanting to close the book and throw it across the room.

So I closed the book, held it in my hands, took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and connected within. In the space of quiet contemplation, I recognized that Rev. Groschel’s words were stimulating my own embedded theology and the pain and grief I experienced when I was involved in the traditional Christian church.

In that moment, I chose to give myself empathy and compassion for my feelings and the needs that were not met for me in my association with those churches. As much as anything else, I wanted to belong and to know that I was loved, no matter what. When I did not receive that, I felt sad, lonely, and angry.

From that space of self-connection, I was more willing and available to extend the same to Rev. Groschel and to all those who might be reading his book and discovering, perhaps for the first time, the power of their minds.

While I still do not agree with or support his theology, I am glad to know that he has awakened to the scientific evidence that proves what we in Unity have known for a long time. I am thrilled to hear an influential mainstream Christian minister acknowledge that science and religion can not only coexist, but work in tandem to help people improve their lives.

Still, I would like for everyone to know that we are not doing battle with something external to us that is trying to control our minds, nor is there something outside of us that is seeking to save us. There is no author of lies called Satan. There is no being called God who is going to show up to rescue us. The power lies within each of us.

Each of us is responsible for the choices me make with our thoughts. We can give power to the thoughts of lack and limitation that drain us of our energy, motivation, and creativity. Or we can choose to focus on the thoughts that empower us to live enthusiastic, passionate, and expansive lives that reflect the truth of who we are.

I encourage us to ask, “What lies am I telling myself?” Then ask, “What is the truth of who and what I AM?” Write down your answers. Burn the first list. Tape the second list to your bathroom mirror or somewhere you will see it often. Condition your mind with Truth and save yourself from your self-imposed limitations.

Again, while I am critical of his theology, Rev. Groschel offers some good insight and practices that can assist the reader in reclaiming truth. If you choose to read it, be prepared to do a great deal of “Unityfying” his words to bring it in alignment with that we know to be true.

I shared the following during my Sunday message last week. Please read and hear these words as the voice of Love within your heart that is always calling you to remembrance of who you truly are.

I know it can often be scary to be in the world that judges you, asks you to conform, and fills your mind with ideas of what is right/wrong, good/bad. I know it can be confusing and confounding. I know you simply want to love and to be loved, because love is who and what you are. Please know that you are never alone. Even if you cannot see me, I am here. Even when things seem the darkest, I am here shining the light of love on you. Know that I love you just as you are. You do not need to be or do anything to earn love or deserve love. Please do not lose yourself. Do not conform to the world and its expectations and fears. Claim your joy, your love, your light and trust that others who value and respect you are drawn to you and will reflect your light.