Changing Our Mindset From Wilderness Thinking to Faith Thinking

I’ve been reading in the book of Numbers recently. There is so much to learn from the Israelites in this book.

They continued to gripe and complain, no matter how many times the Lord came through for them. Their hearts were fickle. They allowed fear to keep them from entering the Promised Land. And there were several who were prideful and jealous of Moses and his calling.

When we read it, especially with the perspective of knowing the whole story, it’s easy to shake our heads at their behavior. Yet I wonder how many times we fall into some of these same traps?

The enemy will plant seeds of doubt in our minds, and these seeds can easily grow when we feed them. A small negative thought can develop into something crippling if we continue to focus on it.

The Israelites were full of discontent, worry, fear, and criticism. And in some of the stories we read about them, they allowed other people’s negativity to impact them.

How can we put a stop to this kind of attitude?

The key is to take our thoughts captive, as the apostle Paul encouraged:

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV

If we simply tell ourselves not to think about something, that method will likely fall short. Instead we need to choose different thoughts. We need to feed our minds with truth.

It’s especially helpful to find Bible verses that speak to the concern in our hearts. For example, if we struggle with anger, we can memorize Proverbs 15:1 which says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

If the issue is temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:13 can bring encouragement: “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Scripture is powerful in aiding us to fill our minds with the right thoughts. And we can also focus on prayer, gratitude, and praise. When we are consistent with these practices, we will find the goodness of God in our lives.

This won’t be a one-time thing. This is something we need to work on, but over time we will see our hearts change for the better. And thankfully we have the Holy Spirit to help us. When we call on Him and ask for His help, He will gladly provide.

When we spend too much time focusing on our hardships, as the Israelites did, this will bring us down. But God calls us to a higher level of thinking. He asks us to step out in faith, and focus on Him and His power in our lives.

He is greater than anything we are facing. He can turn our setbacks around and work them out for good. He can make a way where there is no way. We have to make the choice to trust Him, and He will guide us.

Whatever you are struggling with today, turn to the Lord in prayer and seek His guidance and comfort. He is the only One strong enough to handle all the challenges life will bring our way. And there is no safer place to be than in His arms.

---

Before you go, I also wanted to share that two of my friends have each recently published a book. You can find them both on Amazon.

Out of the Shadows and Into His Light: A Memoir of Adversity, Redemption Through Christ, & Lessons Learned Along the Way Light by Alicia M. Witt. This is an incredible journey through Alicia’s life and the challenges she faced. And she shares how the light and love of Jesus turned her life around and brought beauty from ashes. Alicia also has a blog, For His Purpose, where she shares faith-filled encouragement through life’s lessons.

Jonah: The Relentless Grace of God by Manu Susan David. This is a study on the book of Jonah and highlights God’s incredible love, grace, and mercy toward us all. The book also reflects on Jonah’s character and aids us in our own heart checks. I haven’t read through it yet, but I am looking forward to digging into this insightful book. Manu also has a blog, The Faithfood Blog, where she shares inspiring posts that reflect on faith and Scripture.

---

Thank you for stopping by and reading. I know time is precious, and I don’t take it lightly that you have taken the time to read my post. You all are in my prayers.

© 2018-2026 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.