Mothering Unshakable Kids: Harnessing Thoughts to Reflect God’s Love by Lauren Gaines

by Rachael Adams | Nov 2, 2023 | The Love Offering Guest Blog Series

I love it when research complements the truth of Scripture. Science is finally catching up to what God wrote thousands of years ago. The Bible clearly tells us our words directly affect our health.

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,

Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones. (Prov. 16:24)

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. (Prov. 23:7)

Our thoughts dictate who we become. I believe God knew the true power of our thoughts because why else would He tell us to hold every thought captive (2 Cor. 10:5)? The mind is where everything starts. Seeds of doubt, lies, and fear are first established in the mind. Then they exalt themselves against the knowledge of God.

Oftentimes when we feel stuck or need a change in our life, a stronghold (lie, doubt, or fear) first needs to be removed. A stronghold is a fortress or tower that cannot be penetrated. We may not be able to remove mental towers with our own strength, but thankfully, God tells us that when we use His mighty weapons, we can remove strongholds and align our minds with Christ.

Taking every thought captive and transforming our thoughts isn’t easy. However, I’ve seen tremendous breakthroughs in children and adults when they take thought inventories through metacognition and intentionally nurture their minds. Do you want to teach your children about the magnitude of their thoughts? Try the brain builder below!

Brain Builder:

Take five minutes today to practice metacognition with your children. Start by explaining the power of your words. Say something like, “How did God create the world? Did He do it with His hands? Tools?” Pause for a moment and let your child answer.

Then, say, “He did it by speaking a word. In Genesis 1:3, we read, ‘And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light (NIV).’ That’s it. God created our world with His words. Isn’t that amazing? That’s why we often tell you to speak kindly to others. Our words matter.

“Here’s another fascinating fact. Did you know the universe is continually expanding? It’s been growing ever since God spoke it into existence. Every minute of space is stretching, and it’s all because of the words God spoke in the beginning. Words carry power. But before we ever speak a word, it starts as a thought in our mind.

“Today, we’re going to practice thinking about what we’re thinking about so we can make sure our words bring life to our lives. We think thousands of thoughts every day. We may not always be aware of what our thoughts tell us, but we can learn to listen to our minds. Practicing this skill is important because our thoughts and words make a lasting difference. Right now, let’s take three minutes away from all distractions to think about what we are thinking about.”

As we learn how the mind works, we can build a strong foundation in our children’s brains. If we want to raise emotionally healthy children, they must understand the power of their thoughts and how their mind influences their everyday lives.

About the Author:

Lauren Gaines is an author, teacher, mother, and creator of Inspired Motherhood, a thriving online community for moms to find practical tools to raise spiritually and emotionally healthy kids. Lauren has a unique take on parenting as a busy mom of three kids, who also happens to hold a master’s degree in School Psychology. Lauren’s first book, Unshakable Kids: Three Keys to Raising Spiritually Strong and Emotionally Healthy Children, launches September 2023!