Change Your Thoughts, Control Your Actions, and Stop Making Excuses to Experience Life Change
Christian woman leader renewing her mind with Scripture, focusing on changing her thoughts to change her actions. Faith-based leadership, confidence, clarity, and personal growth through God’s Word.
Leadership is really just influence. We are all influencing others in ways we don’t even realize. Today, I want to encourage you to open your eyes and notice the people around you who look to you. They are there, watching and being influenced.
We fail to notice the way our family pays more attention to what we do than what we say. We don’t even realize the people in our community that know who we are and are watching how we live out our life. We put our head down at work and do our best to complete our tasks, never realizing the people who are being affected by the way we show up to work.
Influence = leadership and today you have a great opportunity to choose to become the leader you were created to become. What will you do?
It starts in your mind.
Before you take action…
Before you influence anyone…
Before you step boldly into God’s calling…
Your thoughts either fuel your leadership or sabotage it.
And most often?
It’s not lack of skill, credentials, or opportunity that holds us back. It’s the quiet narratives we allow to run on autopilot in our minds.
1. Your Thoughts Shape Your Leadership Capacity
Scripture tells us to take every thought captive because God knows—if we don’t discipline our minds, our lives will drift in the wrong direction. We will listen to the lies of the enemy, start to feel discouraged and then – shrink back. I hear the story over and over and over again from my clients. They have this thought, accept it as their reality, it makes them feel defeated, so they pull back. And in full disclosure, I have done this as well.
Can we all say – No MORE!
You see our thoughts ultimately determine:
How we show up
How we speak
How we react
How we lead
How we influence the world around us
Faulty thoughts—like “I’m not enough,” “I’m not ready,” “I can’t do this,” or “What if I fail?”—don’t just stay thoughts. They determine our feelings. And we allow our feelings to determine our actions.
My beloved mentor, Andy Horner, used to say you cannot feel your way into acting. You have to act your way into feeling. For instance, maybe you don’t feel like a leader or a person who influences others. So do it anyway – over and over again - and you will begin to feel like you are making a difference… influencing… leading.
This is why building a “Truth Bank” matters.
When you intentionally stockpile 3–5 Scriptures that directly confront your most common lies, you create a way to stop the thought spiral, interrupt the emotion, and align your actions with God’s Word. (Check out the resource I have for you. Gain Access HERE.)
2. If we Don’t Name and Tame our Thoughts, We Make Excuses
What excuses do you make when it comes to rising up and leading? What have you claimed and therefore limited yourself? Which ones do you use to make you feel better about your disobedience?
Excuses like:
I don’t feel like it.
I fear I will fail.
I don’t have the personality.
It’s out of my comfort zone.
I am not qualified
But here’s the truth:
Excuses are simply fear dressed up as logic.
Excuses help us to avoid discomfort, but it also robs us of growth. They feel safer in the moment but cost us influence in the long run. Therefore, we shrink back.
Let’s all say – No MORE!
The enemy wants to keep you stuck.
God wants to lead you forward.
And the battlefield between those two voices is always in your MIND.
God reminds us that transformation doesn’t start with action — it starts with renewing our thinking.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2
When your thoughts align with truth, excuses lose their power.
3. Leaders Act Out of Truth — Not Fear
When God called Joshua to lead Israel into the promised land, He didn’t give him a strategy first.
He gave him a thought command:
“Be strong and of good courage… for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
God knew Joshua’s courage wouldn’t come from:
His résumé
His personality
His past experiences
It would come from what he believed.
So, here is an important question for you to ask yourself…
If your actions feel small, inconsistent, hesitant, insecure, or delayed… it’s not a behavior problem. It’s a belief problem.
That hurst, doesn’t it. But there is a way to change that. You can decide today
· to believe what God says in His word
· to claim it as your reality
· to live it out every day for the rest of your life
It just might change everything!
So, take your thoughts captive and change them so they align with the truth of God’s word. Stop making excuses. Decide today that you will believe the truth of God’s word so you can think truth, write truth, speak truth, and live truth.
And all God’s people said, “Amen!”
I am praying for you!
Learn More About Pam
Pam is a Leadership and Personal Growth Coach, Speaker, Author and Podcaster inspiring others to rise up and lead and make an impact in the lives of others. Connect with her at pampegram.com.
Ready for More?
Listen to the Confident Christian Influence Podcast
🎧 Catch Episode 199: “Control Your Thoughts to Transform Your Actions: Learn to Lead Yourself Well”
— How your thought life directly impacts your future.
🎧 Catch Episode 200: “5 Excuses that Stop You from Rising Up, Leading, and Impacting Others”
— Identifying, confronting, and eliminating the excuses that limit you.
Both episodes will help you grow in clarity, confidence, and Christ-centered leadership.
NOTE FROM PAM:
Thank you so much for reading this blog post. I appreciate you taking time to do that and my prayer is that it has influenced you to take a step closer to Jesus, surrender every area of your life to Him, and become the leader He created you to be and to do what He is calling you to do. I can testify that life is better with Him than trying to go it alone.
Take the Leadership Quiz - HERE
In addition to this blog, I have a podcast called Confident Christian Influence and I offer Coaching to help you move forward. I also love to speak to groups - large and small - about Leadership, Inteionality, Clarity, God’s Plan, and even Time Management / Productivity. Feel free to connect with me about ways I can serve you and your group and help you experience personal growth, make meaningful impact, and apply Biblically sound truth.
Visit pampegram.com to learn more about Pam and the resources she offers.
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