One of the things that I have discovered... not only about my own life... but about the lives of all of us as Children of God... is that whenever we face days of conflict or days of adversity, our frame of mind (our mental attitude) (our thoughts) usually determine how we come out of these situations... and how long it takes for us to get beyond it and get back on our feet again.
No matter what we may be facing, our minds are often quick to tell us, "You'll never get through this."... "What's the use? It's too late for you now."... "There's no way out of this. Stop trying to find one."... "You might as well give up. It's not going to happen."... "You can't do that. It's too hard. You don't know how."... "This is the last straw. This one's going to break you down."... "Stop what you're doing. It really doesn't accomplish anything."... "Your money's not coming. You don't have any resources. Stop looking for it."..."You're going to die. You can't live with this sickness."... "Look at what other people have. What have you got?"... "Your opportunities are gone. All the doors are closed. Stop trying to be something you're not."... "It's time for you to quit. Look at how long you've been trying this. Where has it gotten you?"... "Your prayers aren't being answered. How long have you been asking God? And so far you've received nothing."..."God's never going to bless you. Look at your mistakes. Look at your failures. Look at your shortcomings. You're not acceptable in God's eyes."... "You don't need to be around anyone. You don't need to talk with anyone. You're better off by yourself. You're better off shut away. You're better off isolated."
If we don't actively challenge these kinds of thoughts:
* Our mind will take us to some very depressing places.
* Our mind will cause us to make choices that are not in our best interest.
* Our mind will cause us to worry over things that have yet to happen.
* Our mind will make us suspicious of people that only mean us good.
* Our mind will steer us away from what God has said and cause us to act solely upon what we're feeling.
* Our mind will cause us to walk away from the very thing that's intended to bless us.
* Our mind will paint a false picture of our lives, causing us to live in disappointment and regret.
Our minds are most capable of doing these things to us... and a lot more.
Amazingly, we don't deal with this issue as much as we should because it's..."OUR MIND"... and we hesitate to admit that it's..."US"... that's dragging us down. That it's..."US"... that actually defeating us. We listen to many negative thoughts and consider what they say because they're..."OUR"... thoughts. And because they're ours, we feel as if we have to give them a certain priority over other things. I've discovered that sometimes we act immediately upon what we think because we believe the thoughts personally belong to us.
We want to believe...
* That our thoughts are always true.
We want to believe...
* That our thoughts are always correct.
We want to believe...
* That our thoughts are always good for us.
We want our self-esteem to always be at its highest. We want our self-image to always be as positive as possible. So we often avoid any honest examination of ourselves, or any possible determination that something in our lives, or in our thinking may need to change. But truthfully speaking, just because the thoughts are "OURS"... does not necessarily assure us that they're always the right thoughts. As born-again Children of God, we are already battling so many other outside forces - wickedness, cruelty, sickness, disease, corruption, hatred, meanness, jealousy, envy, greed, lying, persecution, demonic spirits, spiritual warfare, and much more.
Yet, the greatest battle that we will ever fight... and the greatest battle that we must always win... is the battle that we face with our own mind. But it's hard, and difficult, and embarrassing, and uncomfortable because we're struggling with something that's within ourselves and about ourselves. We've become so used to ourselves - the way we've always known ourselves to be - that the idea of changing something about us is not easily accepted. We feel so strongly that our thoughts belong to us, that we can't seem to believe that anything about us would set out to hurt us or mislead us.
But I firmly believe today that the Word of God is very clear concerning what the condition of our mind should be. God created us and fashioned us to be spiritual beings - living in a physical body - and existing in a physical world. God knew which part of us should take the lead - which part of us should remain a priority - which part of us would protect us. bless us. and sustain us. But God also knew which part of us could not be trusted or depended upon without his direct influence. God knew which part of us would work against us as His spiritual children.
In Psalm 94:11, it teaches us..."The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man... that they are vanity." Vanity comes from the Hebrew word which means, "unreal" - or - "worthless." And so in essence, the Psalmist is saying God knows that our human thoughts will remain unreal and are actually worthless. Therefore, every born-again believer must rely heavily upon God's Holy Word, to guide and direct us to victory in our everyday Christian living. It is the Word of God that will work upon us to mend our minds, if we commit to following God's leadership.
In Romans 8:6-7. the Apostle Paul teaches us..."For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace... because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be." ... Now, "carnally" comes from the Greek word which means fleshly... or of human nature. And "death" in this instance, comes from the Greek word meaning to be separated as if one were dead. So in this scripture, Paul is actually saying..."To be fleshly minded or thought controlled by human nature, separates us from the things of God. But to have our mind focused upon spiritual things will bring us life and peace.
But Paul continues by saying... the carnal mind, (the mind of our human nature), is "enmity" or (in opposition) to God... or even strongly put...the opposite of God. He declares to us that the human mind is not subject to God, (or will not submit to God or obey God), because it is incapable of doing so.
Then in Job 34:33, the piercing question is asked. "Should it be according to "THY" mind?... Can your mind tell you why you're suffering or how long you may suffer?... "Can your mind determine the outcome of your situation?... Can your mind be the instrument of your deliverance?... Should everything always be according to your own mind? Of course the lesson here is that our mind is incapable of sustaining us or explaining to us the reason for our circumstances, or giving us hope in any moment of despair. Our human mind just can't do it!
I particularly like the passage of Scripture in Proverbs 29:11, where it reveals to us, "A fool uttereth "ALL" his mind but a wise man keepeth it in til afterwards." In other words, it's foolish to speak everything that may immediately fill our mind... and it's much wiser to keep it all in for the moment, until afterwards. Now what can this "afterwards" be? It means until the time that we've had a chance to examine which of our thoughts are true and spiritual... and which are not.
In James 1:5-8, he teaches us, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. Here, James first speaks of "asking"... and..."receiving." He teaches us that our asking must be done without wavering (doubting)... and doubting is a product of the mind. James says that the mind that doubts will drive and toss that person first one way, and then another. And he says... when your mind does this, don't think you're going to receive anything from God. (You can't!)... Then James finishes by telling us that being double-minded or (split between what God says and what your mind says)... creates within us a serious instability.
In Isaiah 55:8-9, God tells us directly, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts your thoughts." God is revealing to us that the human thoughts emanating from our minds are far from being anything close to the thoughts of our Almighty God.
And so, from these scriptures and from our own experiences, we can readily see that our mind stays in need of constant upgrading to a more spiritual way of thinking. And we also know that there is a supernatural power in the Word of God to bring our mind in line with God's Holy Spirit.
In Isaiah 26:3 we are taught, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Here is both our explanation and our direction. We must first trust God, unconditionally, and above everything else. Then, because of our trust, our mind must be made to stay upon God... and not be allowed to continuously wander into our personal feelings. Our peace and our best life result because we are trusting God and keeping our thoughts upon him only.
In Proverbs 3:5, we are literally taught the same thing. For it says, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Again we are told to trust God wholly and completely. It advises us that we cannot lean (depend)... (trust)... our own understanding, because the understanding of our human mind is not sufficient to interpret the spiritual things of God.
In Romans 12:2, the Apostle Paul teaches us, "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect Will of God."
Here is our direction from this scripture:
* Be determined, NOT to be conformed to this world... NOT to be like this world... NOT to think like this world.
* Know that we can become transformed (changed) into someone that operates differently from the world.
* Know that our mind can be renewed (made new again) by the power of the Word of God
* Know that a renewed mind can bring peace, hope, and comfort in any challenging situation.
We're talking about getting out of that deep hole we're in.
We're talking about moving beyond that circle of depression.
We're talking about being able to climb out of that valley of despair.
We're talking about coming out of isolation and separation.
We're talking about..."MENDING OUR MINDS"
In Phillipians 2:5, the Apostle Paul instructs us, "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." Now, what was the mindset of Jesus? What about the mind of Jesus should we be incorporating into our own mind? Verse 8 in this same chapter explains it to us. For it says, "Jesus humbled himself and became obedient." Our mind, in addition to being stayed upon God, must also be humbled before God and obedient to God.
A humble and obedient mind...
* will not entertain thoughts that are not like God
A humble and obedient mind...
* will not entertain thoughts that go against God's Word.
A humble and obedient mind...
*will not entertain thoughts that we see are weakening our faith and hindering our trust in God.
Now in Phillipians 4:6-7... the Apostle Paul further instructs us, "Be careful (anxious, worried, overly concerned) for nothing. But in "EVERYTHING", by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds, through Christ Jesus."
Here again is our direction from God's Word...
* Don't let anything totally engulf you in fear, anxiety, or worry.
* No matter what it is... take everything to God in prayer, whether you feel like it or not.
* The fear, anxiety, and worry may come, but it doesn't have to stay. Push it away, shut away with God, and
obtain a peace that even you won't fully understand.
Then in 2nd Timothy 1:7, again the Apostle Paul continues to teach us, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" - . Paul says that fear is a "spirit." A spirit that can invade the mind, preoccupy all of our thinking, and take control of our actions. But it does not, however, come from God and is therefore to be rejected at all costs. We must know and understand how God has made us. When we are born-again, we are endowed with the ability to think truth and righteousness. But we must first know we have it, and then be determined to use what God has given us.
Now, in Colossians 3:2, the Apostle Paul instructs us, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on earth." Here, affection comes from the Greek word meaning, "thoughts of the mind." So in essence Paul is saying, "Set the thoughts of your mind on things above and not on things upon this earth." Realistically, our thoughts may start out in the earthly realm. But our battle is to change our thoughts, fixing them on the things pertaining to God and not on the things that are centered upon this world.
Listen! - Our minds can be easily broken - being mixed with both carnal thoughts and spiritual thoughts at the same time, when neither has been given the true priority. As I've said before, we can't always keep the wrong thoughts from coming. But we can always keep the wrong thoughts from staying. And even the most broken mind can be mended by God's Word.
Then in 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5, the Apostle Paul gives us this revelation. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. But mighty through god, to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity, every thought to the obedience of Christ." There is so much about the mind that is tied into this scripture.
Listen to this explanation...
* Although we live humanly in this world, we cannot fight our battles using worldly weapons... worldly tactics...
worldly ideas... worldly thoughts.
* The weapons at our disposal, that we must use to fight our battles, are mighty, spiritual, and come from God.
* With weapons from God, we can "PULL DOWN" strongholds (things that have a firm grasp upon our lives) and
we can "CAST DOWN" imaginations (things that our mind has envisioned that are untrue, and we can "CAST
DOWN" those high things that exalt themselves above the true knowledge of God, and we can "BRING EVERY
THOUGHT" to the obedience of Christ.
These are not human abilities. They are God-given spiritual abilities that every one of us now possesses.
I want to go back to Phillipians, the 4th Chapter. But I now want to focus on verse 8. For it says, "Finally bretheren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever tings are of good report, if there be any virtue (excellence and power), if there be any praise...THINK ON THESE THINGS."
In other words...
* Give your mind a break
* Stop allowing your mind to be exposed to the nasty, ugly, evil, lustful, frightening, ungodly, unholy things that
the world tries to cram down your throat.
* Guard your mind. Watch over it. Protect it.
* Ungodly things may enter through your eyes, but they will take up residency in your mind.
* Find - seek after - things that re true, and honest, and just, and pure, and lovely, and are about good things....
AND THINK UPON NOTHING BUT THIS! Focus on these things. - Dwell upon these things.
Listen to the Apostle Paul's own testimony. For in Romans 7:25 he says, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ, so then with the mind, I serve the law of God... but with the flesh, the law of sin." Paul is sincerely saying to us, "If you learn in your mind to serve and obey the law of God, your earthly flesh can't force you to engage in sin."
* It's all about our mind.
* It's about what we feed our mind.
* It's about what we allow to stay in our mind.
* It's about challenging and removing the wrong thoughts that may come to our mind.
In Matthew 22:35-38 it is written, "Then one of them which was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying - Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law? - Jesus said unto him, Thou shall love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."
I'm putting specific emphasis upon the words - "ALL THY MIND."
Jesus says that every part of our mind should be filled with a special love for God.
Because...
* That love for God - in our mind... will reject any thought that's not like God.
* That love for God - in our mind... will recognize and expel any thought that goes against what God has said.
* That love for God - in our mind... is so tuned in to God... that the thoughts that would once defeat us, now
have no power over us.
* That love for God - in our mind... is so full and so complete... that we leave no room for anything less than God.
Yes, it is a fierce battle. - Yes, it may become somewhat awkward at first, to change the way we think. - Yes, we may look back and see what some of our negative thoughts have done to us, or where some of our negative thoughts have taken us.
But...
* Renewing our mind... is doable!
* Mending our mind... is possible.
* Renewing our mind... will make a big difference.
* Mending our mind... will wholly and completely bless our lives.
I'd like to close with this little story.
A wife came into her bedroom one morning fully dressed. As she looks toward the bed, she sees her husband, still lying in bed in his pajamas, tucked totally under the covers. She finally walks over to the bed and questions her husband. "Why are you still in bed? Aren't you going to church this morning?" Her husband peeks out from underneath the covers and in a depressed tone of voice answers her. "No, I don't think I'm going today." The wife continues to question him. "I there something terrible bothering you?" Her husband frowns at her and answers. "I just think I'm real tired this morning. I don't think those people at the church really like me. And I don't think I like them either. In fact, I don't think that this church is for me anymore." His wife smiles and sits down on the bed next to him, saying, "Sweetheart, you just need to stop thinking like that. You're the pastor and you have to start acting like it, no matter what you may be thinking."
My brothers and sister, I've been in that place before. We've all been there at some point in our lives. The thoughts of our mind, when they're not of God, can push us into some very dark and depressing places.
But I'm glad we can say... like 1st Corinthians 15:57...
* But thanks be unto God, which giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord.
I'm glad we can say... like 1st John 4:4...
* We are of God, and have overcome them... because greater is he that is in us... than he that is in the world.
I'm glad we can say... like Phillipians 4:13...
*I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
We can never afford to let our human nature completely control our mind.
Our mind is greater than we could ever imagine.... and needs to be guarded against any negative influences.
Our mind can receive God's Word and be empowered to overcome the thoughts meant to cripple us.
Our mind can put us in a perfect place of peace... no matter what may come against us.
Let us never be afraid or ashamed to honestly examine ourselves and seek to mend any brokenness within our God-given mind.
God's blessings forever be yours.
