Changing the Soundtrack: How to Replace Limiting Beliefs with God’s Truth

Ever had a song stuck in your head? Maybe it’s a catchy tune you don’t mind humming all day. Or maybe it’s that one jingle that drives you nuts.

My wife and I went to the Oasis reunion tour. I can’t stop singing the Get X anthem Wonderwall:

Today is gonna be the day

That they're gonna throw it back to you

By now you should've somehow

Realized what you gotta do

I don't believe that anybody

Feels the way I do about you now

All parents know the ear worms of kids songs blaring in the car you’ll never remove from your brain until death. Perhaps the sitcom theme song you can’t ignore from the 80s still going strong in our heads.

Songs become the soundtracks of our lives.

Jon Acuff, in his book Soundtracks, says our thoughts work the same way. They’re like background music running on repeat. The problem? Most of us have broken soundtracks.

And broken soundtracks sound like this:

• “I’m behind.”

• “I’m a loser.”

• “My circumstances will never change.”

If you’ve ever heard those lines in your own head, you’re not alone. I’ve lived them too. But here’s the good news: you can change the station.

The Soundtrack of “I’m Behind”

Few words weigh us down like: “I’m behind.”

Behind in your career. Behind on retirement savings. You’re behind on your calling, marriage, and health. Behind compared to everyone else scrolling across your feed.

I believe that most marketing campaigns use this soundtrack. Designed to remind us how far behind we are so we’ll invest in whatever they are selling.

I’ve felt it. As a writer and spiritual entrepreneur, I’ve looked at others younger than me who had bigger platforms, more sales, more “success.”

My thoughts said: “By this point, you should have accomplished more.”

But that soundtrack doesn’t motivate. It paralyzes.

Acuff puts it well: “When you think you’re behind, you make panicked, rushed decisions.”

You run a race with no finish line.

The Bible offers a different perspective:

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.” — Hebrews 12:1–2

Notice: it doesn’t say “catch up with everyone else’s race.” It says run your race. God doesn’t grade us against someone else’s timeline.

Try this: Next time you hear “I’m behind,” flip it.

Say:

• “I’m right where God has me.”

• Ask: “What does faithfulness look like today?”

That’s a soundtrack worth looping.

The Soundtrack of “I’m a Loser”

Let’s be honest—this one sounds harsh. But the thought sneaks in after a failure or setback. A job loss. A broken relationship. My creative project fails.

I’ve had moments like that. A book that barely sold. A church event that no one showed up for. Money running out while bills piled up. And in the quiet, the whisper came:

“See? You’re failing. Maybe you’re just not cut out for this.”

But failing at something doesn’t make you a failure.

Acuff gives us a great test for our soundtracks:

1. Is it true?

2. Is it helpful?

3. Is it kind?

“I’m a loser” fails all three.

God offers another voice:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works.” — Ephesians 2:10

God calls us His masterpiece. No masterpiece gets stamped loser.

• Try this: Write down your failures. Next to each one, jot what you learned. Then swap the track:

• “I’m not a loser. I’m a learner.”

• “I’m God’s masterpiece in progress.”

That’s a much better playlist. A playlist of songs we desire to play on repeat in our minds.

The Soundtrack of “My Circumstances Limit Me”

This one might be the toughest. Life feels heavy. Resources are tight. Opportunities are scarce. You think, “Sure, other people can dream, but not me. My reality is too limited.”

I’ve been there. Starting churches with little money. Writing books late at night after long days. Trying to build something while raising kids and paying bills.

It’s easy to believe the soundtrack: “This is as far as you’ll go.”

But Scripture reminds us of Joseph. Betrayed. Imprisoned. Forgotten. If anyone’s circumstances should have killed his future, it was him.

Yet Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20 flip the script:

“You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Jon Acuff says: “You can’t always choose your circumstances, but you can always choose your soundtrack.”

• Try this: Pick one circumstance that feels limiting. Then ask, “What might God be preparing me for here?” Patience? Creativity? Resilience?

• Flip the track: “This is not a limitation. It’s preparation.”

Steps for New Soundtracks

So how do we actually do this? Acuff gives a simple framework:

1. Retire the broken thought. Write it down. Call it what it is: “This soundtrack is broken.”

2. Replace it with something true, helpful, and kind—anchored in Scripture.

3. Repeat it until it sticks.

The Bible calls this renewing your mind:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” — Romans 12:2

It’s not a one time thing. It’s daily work. But the more you play the new track, the louder it gets.

My Own Soundtrack Shift

A few years ago, I hit burnout. My leadership felt ineffective. Finances were thin. My inner soundtrack was brutal: “You’re done. You’ll never recover.”

Then one verse started playing on repeat:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9

That became my new track. Instead of obsessing over my weakness, I started rehearsing God’s strength.

Slowly, the volume of fear turned down. Creativity came back. Opportunities opened. Joy returned.

Not because everything changed overnight. But because my soundtrack did.

What’s Playing in Your Head?

We all have soundtracks. The question is: are they working for you or against you?

• If yours says, “I’m behind,” replace it with, “I’m right where God has me.”*

• If it says, “I’m a loser,” replace it with, “I’m God’s masterpiece, learning and growing.”

• If it says, “My circumstances limit me,” replace it with, “This is preparation, not limitation.”

Jon Acuff reminds us:

“Your thoughts either work for you or against you. Nothing is neutral.”

The Bible agrees:

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7).

So, what soundtrack will you choose today?

-Ryan