How Many Times Must You Hear Something Before You are Changed by It?

How Many Times Must You Hear Something Before You are Changed by It?

Truth can change you There is some truth so important that it changes you powerfully the first moment you hear it. For example, if Publishers Clearing House rang your doorbell and said, “Congratulations! You have just won $5,000 a week for the rest of your life,” you would not have any trouble remembering what they said and being deeply changed by it. But there is other truth that must be repeated until it changes us. How many times have you heard a sermon, or read an article, or had a conversation about something that was extremely important, but a year later, you were unchanged by it?
  • 100?
  • 1,000?
  • 10,000?
  Why? Because, most often, if something is important, it must be repeated until it changes us. If we hear it once and it changes us, we’re good. But if not, we must hear it over and over again before we’re changed by it. That is why the Bible tells us to meditate on Scripture (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3) – because some truth only sinks in through repetition. I’ve written about this here and here. If something is important, you must repeat it until it changes you That’s why I create videos that I call “Simple Truths” that contain information that I think is important and I want to be changed by it. I watch those videos over and over until the truth begins to sink in. Then, I may watch them again six months or a year later, if I want to touch up my awareness of the truth in them. In this uncertain and unnerving time, I have created a video with Scripture passages that can help nurture an eternal perspective and foster a greater sense of peace. I created it for personal reasons, but I invite you to download this free 3-minute video and watch it every day (twice a day would be better – once in the morning and once before bed) for at least 30 days. That’s approximately how long it takes for the brain to rewire itself and change you with the truth. Just save it to your desktop and view it every day for 30 days. The video is entitled, simply, “Peace Passages,” and can be downloaded in 3 versions:
  • NIV (New International Version)
  • NLT (New Living Translation)
  • NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Instructions for using the video Since the brain takes at least 30 days to rewire itself, watch the video at least once a day, twice a day would be better – once in the morning and once in the evening, for at least 30 days. If 30 days isn’t enough, keep going. If something is important, repeat it until it changes you. Adjust the music to whatever vloume you prefer, or mute it all together. Read the Scripture passages, either out loud or silently in your mind. Don’t try to read the words as fast as they come up. Just read them at a normal pace, and the picture will change soon after you finish. Enjoy looking at the picture if you finish reading before it changes. These instructions are also included at the end of the video, along with a brief article on the value of repetition, which is a summary of the two blog posts I referenced and linked to above. I've put those at the end of the video, since they are not intended for you to repeat them each time you view the video, and they only stay up for a short time. Once they fully populate the screen, simply pause the video until you've finished reading the article. Then, as you review the video each day for the Scripture passages, you can simply stop the video at "The End" slide. Conclusion I hope you find this video as helpful as I have. I hope as you watch it repeatedly, the truth of these Peace Passages will sink into your heart and help change you from the inside out, with an eternal perspective and a greater sense of peace. Please note, these videos are protected by copyright and are being offered for your own personal use. However, feel free to forward this invitation to anyone else you think might find the video helpful! And, if you'd like more information on a new site we're working on where resources like this and much more will be available, checkout The Change Zone here.
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