From the day that you were born, whether you know it or not, you have been building a box, and in this box, is a collection of all your experiences. These experiences have guided your thinking, and as a result, your behavior. For some, the experiences of life have been great.
For others, however, hardship and difficulty have been with them their entire lives. While one’s box is full of positive experiences, the other’s box is full of negative experiences. The Box full of positive experiences Serves as a source of encouragement. The Box full of negative experiences serves as a source of discouragement. Both boxes serve as the foundation for how one thinks, laying the foundation for what one believes is possible.
Experience guides your thinking, which it turn, determines your behavior. But what if your box is full of negative experiences, or mostly negative experiences? How do you think differently so as to change the course of your life?
Rudy
In 1993, a movie by the name of “Rudy” was released, and to this day, is known as one of the best sports movies of all time. It tells of a true story of a boy who grew up in Joliet, Illinois where he dreamed of playing college football at the University of Notre Dame.
It was as though life was doing its best to prevent him from accomplishing his dream. His own family didn’t believe in him and expressed disappointment that he was wasting time chasing this ridiculous dream. Rudy had Dyslexia, was a poor student, and even lost his fiancée . . . . to one of his brothers!
Because Notre Dame would not admit him as a student, he decided to apply to Holy Cross College, a nearby junior college, in the hope of boosting his GPA to qualify for a transfer. After two years and three rejections, Rudy was finally accepted into Notre Dame during his final semester of transfer eligibility.
If It Were Possible, What Would It Look Like?
The one thing that I love most about Rudy’s story is that he demanded an answer to the question, “If it were possible, what would it look like?”
This one question reveals possibilities that were always there, but have been kept out of site due to either arrogance or ignorance. The arrogant one believes that he has all the answers, but his own pride prevents him from seeing what is there right before him. To the ignorant, if it cannot be seen, it does not exist.
If you want to be able to see what lies in plain sight, you need to think outside the box of your experiences.
God Thinks Outside of Your Box
As a believer, the Lord lives in your heart, but he thinks way outside of the box that you think within. Our objective should be to think as he does, beyond the natural limitations that we have set for ourselves.
With God, all things are possible. So why not use that as the starting point? Why not begin every thought outside of the box that you have been thinking within all these years?
That is where God thinks. There are no walls or limitations to what is possible beyond the walls and perceived limitations that you have created in your mind.
This is not a “new-age” concept. It’s taking the verse, “With God, all things are possible” to heart (see Matthew 19:26). There is freedom outside the walls of your thinking.
Why is it important to think where God thinks? Because when your thoughts venture to where his thinking resides, believing him for what appears to be impossible becomes possible in your mind. This is why you should regularly start asking yourself, “If it were possible, what would it look like?”
In just asking the question, you pave the 18-inch highway from your mind to your heart and belief takes root. Don’t allow your negative experiences to determine your thinking. Instead, let your thinking influence your circumstances . . . and remember, with God, all things are possible.