Transforming Your Thought Life: Q and A with Author Sarah Geringer
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photo by Paje victoria on unsplash
If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook (if you don’t but you’d like to, you can find me at IG here or FB here!) you may have noticed that over the last month I’ve been sharing about Sarah Geringer’s new book Transforming Your Thought Life: Christian Meditation in Focus.
As a member of Sarah’s book launch team, I’ve been helping her get the word out about her book, and I also had the privilege of reading a preview copy. I’ve been so blessed by her words of wisdom and encouragement. Our thought life is truly a vital part of living a life of purpose and faith!
Sarah makes Christian meditation simple. She explains that meditation is simply shifting our focus from the negative to what God says. It’s intentionally fixing our minds on God’s truth—reading it, speaking it, and mulling it over until it becomes part of us. In the first couple chapters of her book she shares some really practical, easy-to-use tools for how to meditate on God’s word.
The remaining chapters each focus on different types of thoughts—painful thoughts, fearful thoughts, guilty thoughts, critical thoughts, etc. I especially loved the chapter on fearful thoughts. Sarah’s book has helped me be more intentional about really soaking in God’s word. Instead of just reading a verse and moving on to the next, I’m slowing down and really letting each individual verse sink deeper into my heart.
Sarah has also shared some answers to some common questions about Christian meditation, her book, and some of her favorite authors, and I want to share her wisdom with you!
So, here we go:
How can Christian meditation help someone conquer thought life problems?
Christian meditation is simply focusing on a scripture and thinking about it with intent. The more you focus on God’s Word through meditation, the more you learn about God’s will for your life. You can apply scriptural truths directly to specific thought life problems and experience freedom. For example, if you struggle with painful thoughts, you can meditate on verses about God’s comfort. By repeating these verses every time you experience a painful memory, you can begin to reroute the neural pathways in your brain. When you do this over and over, you begin to think differently because God’s truth replaces the lies planted by your enemy Satan.
Why do we struggle so much in our thought lives?
Our thought lives form the structure for our words and actions. Every problem we have begins in our thoughts. Since no one else knows our thoughts except God, we think we can hide them. However, what you think in your inward life inevitably spills out onto your outward life. You can either be defeated in your thought life before you ever take action, or you can transform your thought life with the power of God’s Word. You can have victory in your thought life struggles by meditating on the truths in Scripture.
How do our past experiences relate to current thought life problems?
Many of us experienced hurt and difficulties in our past that influence our lives now. For example, my parents divorced when I was four years old. The fallout from their divorce has affected nearly every area of my thinking. As a little girl, I began dealing with negative, anxious, fearful, and critical thoughts in response to the wounds the divorce caused. These thoughts carved paths in my conscious and subconscious mind that still tempt me today. I have used the power of Scripture to reroute those thought life paths. You can reroute your own thought pathways by using key scriptures in specific problems.
How does a transformed thought life help someone develop a closer relationship with God?
When you meditate on God’s Word, you are hiding it in your heart and mind. As you learn God’s language of truth and love in Scripture, you will learn more about his character and his ways. Christian meditation helps you worship God and cultivate a closer walk with him. When you experience the freedom that comes with thought life transformation, you will realize that God deserves credit for setting you free. Scripture meditation will inspire your adoration, praise and thanksgiving to God. It has the potential to take your faith to new heights in only a few minutes every day.
What book have you read that has most influenced your life?
In 2007 I found the book Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend on the shelf at my local Barnes and Noble store. I took it home and drank it in like water. I now have an entire Cloud/Townsend personal library.
Their words set me free from bondage I didn’t even realize I was experiencing. What I appreciated most about this book is that it showed me how Jesus himself set boundaries. Knowing this gave me the courage and power to set much-needed boundaries in my relationships.
Aside from the Bible, no other book has had as much impact on my life. I frequently turn back to it to strengthen my resolve.
Who are your favorite authors?
This is a difficult question since I read over 100 books per year! I will read anything published in the Christian counseling realm by Dr. David Clarke, Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. John Townsend, or Leslie Vernick.
I also love Christian nonfiction by Francis Chan, John Eldredge, Bob Goff, Tim Keller, and Philip Yancey.
My favorite Christian women nonfiction authors are Suzanne Eller, Holley Gerth, Mary DeMuth, Tracie Miles, and Ruth Chou Simons.
It’s rare for me to read fiction because I get hooked in and stay up until 3:00 a.m. to finish a novel. But I will occasionally splurge my time on fiction by Francine Rivers, Anthony Doerr, Elizabeth Berg, and Marilynne Robinson.
I also enjoy reading YA library books for quick entertainment, especially historical fiction by Laurie Halse Anderson. Some of my favorite self-published authors are my friends Misty Phillip, Michelle Rabon and Meghan Weyerbacher.
Where can we find you online?
I write about finding peace in God’s Word at sarahgeringer.com. I also write weekly for Woman 2 Woman Ministries and monthly for A Wife Like Me and Devotable. You will find my devotions in the quarterly publication called Hope-Full Living for senior citizens. Several times per year, my devotions are published on Encouragement for Today.
You can follow me on social media here:
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Goodreads
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Ready to transform your thought life? You can find Sarah’s book here!
With love,
I want to hear from you!
What areas of your thought life do you struggle in the most? In what areas have you overcome negative thinking? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below!
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P.S.
I wrote this post because I’m on a mission to encourage and equip women to live the life of faith, passion, and purpose that we were made for. You can help make a difference by sharing this post with a friend (or friends!) who you think would be encouraged or inspired by it. Thanks!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, with no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services I believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
