Author Craig Groeschel turns his attention to teens as he examines themes he also explored for adults in Winning the War in Your Mind. In an introduction to what makes the teenage brain unique, he asserts that his book isn’t a science book: “I’m writing it because there’s a war going on and your brain is the battlefield. What you think right now will shape who you are and who you will become. That’s not an exaggeration. Our lives follow the direction of our thoughts.”
To win the war in their minds, teens need God’s power, Groeschel explains: “You don’t have what it takes to win the war. Neither do I … What’s the problem? The power you need is a power you don’t possess. Relying on your own power is self-help, and self-help goes only skin deep.”
Peppered with humor, replete with anecdotes about his teenage experiences and mental struggles, and filled with intriguing scientific research and biblical insights, Groeschel’s book offers teens an effective roadmap to understanding and gaining victory over negative and destructive thought patterns and equips them to embrace godly thoughts and attitudes.
Groeschel lays out four principles – the replacement principle (remove Satan’s lies and replace them with God’s truth); the revive principle (rewiring the brain and renewing the mind through God’s strength); the reframe principle (restoring perspective by reframing thoughts); the rejoice principle (praying, praising God, asking God to revive one’s soul, and reclaiming true life.)
Recommended for a wider audience than just teens. Parents, grandparents, teachers, church leaders and anyone else who lives with or works with teens will benefit from this book. (Zonderkidz)
About the Author
Sonya VanderVeen Feddema is a freelance writer and a member of Covenant CRC in St. Catharines, Ontario.