Elevating Your Mindset

If Your Mind Can’t Handle It, Your Life Won’t Either

Beloved Friend,

There’s a reason Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” God knows that if He wants to change a person’s life, He must first change their mind. And guess who else knows this? The devil. That’s why he wages war on your thoughts before anything else; because once he defeats you in your mind, he doesn’t need to do much more.

This was exactly what I was discussing with my sister at the beginning of last week. We talked about how the mind shapes reality, how people can be physically free yet mentally imprisoned, and how even the best opportunities won’t help someone whose mindset keeps rejecting them. If you think small, you’ll live small, even if God Himself sets a table before you.

Look at Abraham. God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars (Genesis 15:5), yet the only thing that seemed to be multiplying in his life was sand. No child, no visible sign of this “father of many nations” promise. So what did God do? He took Abraham outside and told him to look at the stars. Why? Because before Abraham could become it, he had to see it. Until his mind could grasp the reality of God’s promise, it would never manifest.

Joseph was another example. God gave him dreams of rulership (Genesis 37:5-10), but instead of stepping into a throne room, he found himself in a pit, then slavery, then prison. Everything around him screamed smallness! yet because his mind had already seen greatness, he acted accordingly even in the lowest places. No wonder Genesis 39:2 says, “The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man,” even while he was a slave. His circumstances didn’t define him; his mindset did.

The Israelites, however, struggled with this. God had promised them a land flowing with milk and honey, but when they saw giants, their minds immediately shrank (Numbers 13:33). “We were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” They lost the battle in their minds first, and as a result, that entire generation never entered the Promised Land.

Does this sound familiar? Many people today struggle with this same mindset battle. You desire a better life, but your environment keeps telling you “be realistic.” You hear sermons on abundance, but your bank account says “please rest.” You want to believe in God’s promises, but Nigeria’s economy keeps testing your faith.

I saw this firsthand during my NYSC. I worked as an accountant in a resort, and my boss started building an even bigger one. He had grand ideas, things that felt unrealistic for our location. I remember thinking, “Sir, this is not Dubai. Let’s be guided.” But my boss insisted that I needed exposure. He was even willing to fund my card so I could visit high-end resorts and see what was possible. His point? If you don’t believe something is achievable, you won’t even attempt to create it.

Did that funding come? No. Not because he changed his mind, but because I was too busy shuffling between both resorts to even have time for those trips. Still, I saw the ideas come to life before I left, and I keep seeing updates on how the project is coming along beautifully. And you know what? The very things I once thought were impossible for that location are now standing as reality.

This used to be an issue for me too. In a previous letter, I shared how I wrestled with what God said about me until one day in service, He rebuked me: “See yourself through My lens.” It wasn’t a one-time fix. It’s a constant battle. That’s why Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” If you don’t reprogram your thinking, your reality won’t change.

The devil knows that once he plants a thought, it can become a stronghold. That’s why he constantly pushes narratives that distort identity and limit potential. If he can convince people to see themselves as weak, unloved, or incapable, they will live that way, even if it’s a lie.

This is why Proverbs 4:23 warns, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the issues of life.” In today’s terms: protect your mind like your life depends on it, because it does. If God says you’re great, you are great. His words don’t return void. But how can they manifest if your mind keeps rejecting them?

Even your associations matter. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Bad company corrupts good morals,” but let’s be real, it also corrupts good thinking. You can’t desire a great career, ministry, or relationship while surrounding yourself with people who think small. Sooner or later, their thinking will become yours.

The mind is a battlefield. That’s why the enemy fights it so aggressively. You might have faith, but if your mind is still conditioned to smallness, you will keep living below what God has for you. It’s not about positive thinking, it’s about aligning your thoughts with divine reality.

So if there’s one thing you should fight for this year, let it be the ability to believe everything God has said about you. If your environment, past experiences, or even your bank account try to argue, remind them: as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.

And honestly, if you can take someone’s word to the bank, believing with all your heart that you’re the only one and fighting tooth and nail to defend it; why is it God you’re second-guessing? You believe that person can give you the whole world, even though God clearly gave all of us the world to dominate and multiply. But when God says He’ll give you nations, you’re suddenly like, “In this my lowly state?” Just kidding. Maybe not. But you get my point. 😂

Okay, bye for now.

With thoughts of kindness,

ABBA’s Shofar