that you hit what you aim at! Don’t dwell on the negative. Rather, focus on the positive. Realize that training and disciplining the mind to think victoriously and to reject even the possibility of failure is critical to winning in both the Olympics and in developing godly character. Set your thoughts high on God’s character-building truths, then with Christ’s strength, you can hit the target every time. 60
“ Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things ”
(P HILIPPIANS 4:8).
Missing the Target
Check out your thoughts and self-talk to see if they are causing you to miss the target:
“I must quit smoking!”
“I’ll never pick up a cigarette again.”
“Christians look down on smokers.”
“I will stop thinking about cigarettes.”
“God is ashamed of me for smoking.”
“God will punish me for smoking.”
Living under the “law” never changes you. If you focus only on what you shouldn’t do, you will be pulled more powerfully to do it.
“The power of sin is the law”
(1 C ORINTHIANS 15:56).
Hitting the Target with Positive Truth
• Target #1 : God’s purpose for me is to display Christ’s character.
– “Christ lives in me to conform my character into His character.”
– “I will glorify Christ by accurately representing Him to everyone I encounter.”
– “I will yield to His control and do what is best for my body and my spirit.”
• Target #2 : God’s priority for me is to change my thinking.
– “Christ lives in me to give me the strength to change my thought patterns.”
– “I will release my guilt to God and gain control over my thinking to line it up with God’s thinking.”
– “I will replace my defeated thinking with positive promises of victory from God’s Word.”
• Target #3 : God’s plan for me is to rely on Christ’s power to change me.
– “Christ lives in me to change me.”
– “I will give Christ increasing control of my life and my habit in order to taper off gradually.”
– “I will give Christ total control of my life and my habit in order to quit cold turkey.”
E XAMPLE OF H ITTING T ARGET #3
B REAKING THE H ABIT OF S MOKING
Those who break the habit of smoking either taper off or go cold turkey.
Tapering Off
“I will give Christ increasing control of my life and my smoking habit in order to taper off gradually.”
• By carrying a limited number of cigarettes for each day along with a gradual cutback schedule
• By limiting buying cigarettes to only certain days of the month
• By buying only one pack at a time
• By entrusting my cigarettes to a friend so that I have to ask for one or by keeping them in an inconvenient place
• By setting restrictions on when, where, and around whom I will smoke (outside, when I take a walk around the block, not around loved ones, etc.)
• By breaking patterns of when I would normally smoke (not smoking while on the phone, immediately after a meal, in the car, before going to sleep)
• By making myself accountable to someone who is willing to help
• By memorizing and personalizing 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and dwelling on it when I want a cigarette
“Do you not know that your [my] body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you [me], whom you [I] have received from God? You are [I am] not your [my] own; you were [I was] bought at a price. Therefore [I will] honor God with your [my] body”
(1 C ORINTHIANS 6:19-20).
Quitting Cold Turkey
“I will give Christ total control of my life and my smoking habit in order to quit cold turkey.”
• By refusing to purchase cigarettes
• By not looking at cigarette ads
• By choosing not to dwell on the “comfort” of smoking
• By doing another preplanned activity when I desire a cigarette (especially doing something with my hands)
• By finding a substitute
“ Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things ”
(P HILIPPIANS 4:8).
Missing the Target
Check out your thoughts and self-talk to see if they are causing you to miss the target:
“I must quit smoking!”
“I’ll never pick up a cigarette again.”
“Christians look down on smokers.”
“I will stop thinking about cigarettes.”
“God is ashamed of me for smoking.”
“God will punish me for smoking.”
Living under the “law” never changes you. If you focus only on what you shouldn’t do, you will be pulled more powerfully to do it.
“The power of sin is the law”
(1 C ORINTHIANS 15:56).
Hitting the Target with Positive Truth
• Target #1 : God’s purpose for me is to display Christ’s character.
– “Christ lives in me to conform my character into His character.”
– “I will glorify Christ by accurately representing Him to everyone I encounter.”
– “I will yield to His control and do what is best for my body and my spirit.”
• Target #2 : God’s priority for me is to change my thinking.
– “Christ lives in me to give me the strength to change my thought patterns.”
– “I will release my guilt to God and gain control over my thinking to line it up with God’s thinking.”
– “I will replace my defeated thinking with positive promises of victory from God’s Word.”
• Target #3 : God’s plan for me is to rely on Christ’s power to change me.
– “Christ lives in me to change me.”
– “I will give Christ increasing control of my life and my habit in order to taper off gradually.”
– “I will give Christ total control of my life and my habit in order to quit cold turkey.”
E XAMPLE OF H ITTING T ARGET #3
B REAKING THE H ABIT OF S MOKING
Those who break the habit of smoking either taper off or go cold turkey.
Tapering Off
“I will give Christ increasing control of my life and my smoking habit in order to taper off gradually.”
• By carrying a limited number of cigarettes for each day along with a gradual cutback schedule
• By limiting buying cigarettes to only certain days of the month
• By buying only one pack at a time
• By entrusting my cigarettes to a friend so that I have to ask for one or by keeping them in an inconvenient place
• By setting restrictions on when, where, and around whom I will smoke (outside, when I take a walk around the block, not around loved ones, etc.)
• By breaking patterns of when I would normally smoke (not smoking while on the phone, immediately after a meal, in the car, before going to sleep)
• By making myself accountable to someone who is willing to help
• By memorizing and personalizing 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and dwelling on it when I want a cigarette
“Do you not know that your [my] body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you [me], whom you [I] have received from God? You are [I am] not your [my] own; you were [I was] bought at a price. Therefore [I will] honor God with your [my] body”
(1 C ORINTHIANS 6:19-20).
Quitting Cold Turkey
“I will give Christ total control of my life and my smoking habit in order to quit cold turkey.”
• By refusing to purchase cigarettes
• By not looking at cigarette ads
• By choosing not to dwell on the “comfort” of smoking
• By doing another preplanned activity when I desire a cigarette (especially doing something with my hands)
• By finding a substitute
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