n this issue, we will focus on loving the Lord with all our minds. When it comes to our thoughts, we’ve heard a lot over the years about pulling down strongholds:

A stronghold is a place that has been fortified—think fortress—to protect it from attack. In the scripture above, Paul is talking about the enemy’s strongholds. But have you ever thought about the fact that we can set up these fortified places in our minds to defend Godly beliefs?

The brain is an incredible thing. It’s often likened to a computer. It is programmed based on how we receive and embrace information. The more that we think about something, the more fortified or prominent it becomes. So our brains do not judge the information; they categorize thoughts based on the importance we place on them, like how many times we think about something and how it makes us feel.

For instance, when you think about an area of your life and a powerful emotion is tied to that area, it will carry with it weight in your brain. This could be something completely untrue, but your brain won’t know the difference; it only knows how important it is to you.

Now it becomes clearer why Paul urges us to cast down anything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Because our brains will just keep adding weight to a worry, and if we meditate on it repeatedly, it can grow into a stronghold. In which case, your brain will actually work to defend that belief. Even if you consciously don’t want to believe it. What we put our focus on, we give life to whether it is good or bad.

This leaves me with an important conclusion. What I allow myself to think about truly matters, and I need to be intentional about developing the beliefs I want to have.

We can’t just let our brains steer themselves. This is why the Bible says things like:

The world’s way of thinking can be hard to separate from our own thoughts at times. Just because the culture says something is normal, does not mean it is. We operate under a different set of rules. And thus, must continually point our thoughts upward.

In light of this, what strongholds might need to be torn down? For us homeschoolers, it could be “I don’t know if I can do this.” Or, “My kids would be better off with someone else as their teacher.”

We can’t afford to think thoughts that God is not thinking about us. Would He say either of those things to you? Of course not! He’d tell you that you are the parent of your children for a reason and with His help, nothing is impossible!

Tearing down a stronghold with powerful emotions attached, such as fear or shame, takes time and effort. It takes intentionality. If you wanted to be free of the stronghold “someone else could do this better,” you’d need to force your brain to have a new thought and then attach emotion to it. Here’s one to try out: “God made me for this role and He is helping me with it every day.” When thinking this thought, you need to feel something about it so your brain gives weight to it. Have you ever experienced an event or a time when you felt safe because of the Lord’s intervention? Or maybe there was a time you could clearly feel the warmth of His love or His presence? You can tie these two things together. The safety and security of a God who never leaves us nor forsakes us and His assurance that He made you the parent of your children for a reason. Then you’d have to actually think this thought on a regular basis for a while until it really means something to you and feels true, especially when that old thought or feeling of insecurity tries to pop up.

If this belief were true to you, you would have confidence about homeschooling because you know He’s with you. That’s when you’d know your mind has been renewed.

In my own mind, the fortress or refuge of the Lord talked about in Psalm 91 has become such a real place to me. I have given it a lot of weight in my brain over the years, and it’s something I can rely on when needed. It’s a stronghold of safety and connection to the Father built intentionally over time. Through times of difficulty or moments of fear, this stronghold has anchored me.

Ask the Holy Spirit if there is a stronghold you need to begin to construct. Or maybe as you’re reading this, you realize that there are already some you’ve built over time. Take a moment to recognize how powerful those beliefs are and ask the Lord if any new areas need to be built. Then write down some ways you can give that stronghold more weight in your brain.