Is your mind always on the right thoughts? Are you always focused on Christ as we should be? For me, my mind can run wild with all kinds of thoughts. If I do not take control of my mind I can find myself thinking an array of thoughts. When trials or tests come into my life I am not always a logical thinker, but I find that my problem can be too much thinking. I can't even read a book without taking it apart peice by peice trying to decipher the meaning behind the words. I cannot even watch a movie or read a book if I cannot find a deep meaning in it, a meaning to teach my heart to desire Christ more, or to walk away with a new knowledge. I find myself daily asking God to take those thoughts from my mind. I can be in church and some random thought will come right out of left field to distract me. And just who do you think is behind that? Your right, its satan trying to distract me from the message and bring my mind to places they shouldn't be. We can often assume things, we can often accumulate so much junk in our minds that its hard to hear what the Lord is whispering, and believe me, He is not always whispering to me, there are those days where He is doing all He can to grab my attention away from all the worldly things, the trials, the hurts, you can just about put any word in there and it would fit. The saying, "Junk in, junk out", is so true. When we allow impure things to come into our lives they are not so easy to remove from your mind. The hauntings of the past, that should be forgotten can creep up and snatch away your mind. When we allow the television, music, videos to enter our minds, is there any room for anything else? When we begin to sink our teeth into a book, is it really one that we should be reading, or is our flesh that is calling out? There are mags all lined up and stocked right there at the counter for you to see at any shopping area check-out. Our eyes can focus on things we should not be looking at. We can begin to come to the point and lie to ourselves thinking just one isn't going to make me go to hell, but ya know what? Just one can keep your mind focused on the things of this world instead of Christ. I am amazed when I sit down to watch television, is there really much worth while to see? To take and hour out of our night to watch a television show that makes fun of the dad, humiliates the mom, and the children rule the home, while they are out partying, drinking it up, and having sex wherever and with whoever begins to destroy our minds at what is really true and think this is the normal life. Television is one reason why the children of today are so confused. Its okay for teens to have sex, its okay to lie, its okay to take off your clothes, and its okay to have an affair and get a divorce. They make getting a divorce sound almost cool just as they do drinking. All the while the parents are trying to teach our children right from wrong, when at school they see more today than ever. Satan is here right in our churches, our living rooms, and out in the world in which we live going from one weak soul to another trying to devour them with little thoughts until they no longer think right is right, but wrong is right. Teaching first starts in the home, we cannot expect our schools to teach our children moral values. Our youth groups should have prayer meeting with each other, be open and honest, sharing the burdens of one another and encouraging each other to think right, to motivate each other to turn to Christ and stand for what is right. Satan just doesn't attack our hearts, he begins with our minds, and once he has a stronghold there, he knows he can find his way in more and more. The computer can be used for good or evil. We can use it to learn with, to spread the gospel, or to keep in touch with friends, but it can also be addictive, taking more of our time day by day and filling our minds with trash. For us to live a life pleasing to God, we must get control of our thoughts, keep our minds fresh with His word and watch what we bring into our sight. Read to this verse with me; "Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." If we want to increase our relationship with Christ, if we want to live holy lives, we must change our thinking, we must come in the habit of checking all that goes into our minds and if it is not praiseworthy to God, then pray, ask for strength and set your mind on the things which are true.If there was a man at the door with a gun would you let him in to hurt your family? Would you feed your children bad food knowing it would make them sick? We have to fight this battle with right thinking. What is out there in this world will make our children sick, it will kill them if their minds are not protected by right thinking. We can't say we are one thing, when our minds and thoughts are another. To be accountable one day in front of my Savior for all that I have done, for every word that has come out of my mouth and for every unholy action brings tears to my eyes to know that I have not brought glory to God throughout my whole life, when I had the potential to do so, but instead I let my mind wander down paths that have taken me in the wrong direction. We can renew our minds with focusing on Christ. We can overcome our unholy habits by asking God to renew our minds, to give us strength to overcome all that trys to rob us of holy living. To have right thinking, we must be in the right place. We can't blame others when we fall, we make our own decisions, but just as we make our own decision, we too must becareful of who we are keeping company with. We let our minds travel to thoughts that can destroy us. We need to tell satan to get behind us, get out of our minds and ask God to fill us with His Spirit and knowledge and all things that are from above. Are you struggling today with letting your mind wander? You are not alone, the Lord knows our struggles and with Him we can overcome anything. Lord, help us to set our minds on what is lovely and pure and keep satan away from us with his evils, help to keep our eyes and ears open so we know when to run from temptation and into your loving protection~
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
right thinking
Is your mind always on the right thoughts? Are you always focused on Christ as we should be? For me, my mind can run wild with all kinds of thoughts. If I do not take control of my mind I can find myself thinking an array of thoughts. When trials or tests come into my life I am not always a logical thinker, but I find that my problem can be too much thinking. I can't even read a book without taking it apart peice by peice trying to decipher the meaning behind the words. I cannot even watch a movie or read a book if I cannot find a deep meaning in it, a meaning to teach my heart to desire Christ more, or to walk away with a new knowledge. I find myself daily asking God to take those thoughts from my mind. I can be in church and some random thought will come right out of left field to distract me. And just who do you think is behind that? Your right, its satan trying to distract me from the message and bring my mind to places they shouldn't be. We can often assume things, we can often accumulate so much junk in our minds that its hard to hear what the Lord is whispering, and believe me, He is not always whispering to me, there are those days where He is doing all He can to grab my attention away from all the worldly things, the trials, the hurts, you can just about put any word in there and it would fit. The saying, "Junk in, junk out", is so true. When we allow impure things to come into our lives they are not so easy to remove from your mind. The hauntings of the past, that should be forgotten can creep up and snatch away your mind. When we allow the television, music, videos to enter our minds, is there any room for anything else? When we begin to sink our teeth into a book, is it really one that we should be reading, or is our flesh that is calling out? There are mags all lined up and stocked right there at the counter for you to see at any shopping area check-out. Our eyes can focus on things we should not be looking at. We can begin to come to the point and lie to ourselves thinking just one isn't going to make me go to hell, but ya know what? Just one can keep your mind focused on the things of this world instead of Christ. I am amazed when I sit down to watch television, is there really much worth while to see? To take and hour out of our night to watch a television show that makes fun of the dad, humiliates the mom, and the children rule the home, while they are out partying, drinking it up, and having sex wherever and with whoever begins to destroy our minds at what is really true and think this is the normal life. Television is one reason why the children of today are so confused. Its okay for teens to have sex, its okay to lie, its okay to take off your clothes, and its okay to have an affair and get a divorce. They make getting a divorce sound almost cool just as they do drinking. All the while the parents are trying to teach our children right from wrong, when at school they see more today than ever. Satan is here right in our churches, our living rooms, and out in the world in which we live going from one weak soul to another trying to devour them with little thoughts until they no longer think right is right, but wrong is right. Teaching first starts in the home, we cannot expect our schools to teach our children moral values. Our youth groups should have prayer meeting with each other, be open and honest, sharing the burdens of one another and encouraging each other to think right, to motivate each other to turn to Christ and stand for what is right. Satan just doesn't attack our hearts, he begins with our minds, and once he has a stronghold there, he knows he can find his way in more and more. The computer can be used for good or evil. We can use it to learn with, to spread the gospel, or to keep in touch with friends, but it can also be addictive, taking more of our time day by day and filling our minds with trash. For us to live a life pleasing to God, we must get control of our thoughts, keep our minds fresh with His word and watch what we bring into our sight. Read to this verse with me; "Philippians 4:8-9 "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you." If we want to increase our relationship with Christ, if we want to live holy lives, we must change our thinking, we must come in the habit of checking all that goes into our minds and if it is not praiseworthy to God, then pray, ask for strength and set your mind on the things which are true.If there was a man at the door with a gun would you let him in to hurt your family? Would you feed your children bad food knowing it would make them sick? We have to fight this battle with right thinking. What is out there in this world will make our children sick, it will kill them if their minds are not protected by right thinking. We can't say we are one thing, when our minds and thoughts are another. To be accountable one day in front of my Savior for all that I have done, for every word that has come out of my mouth and for every unholy action brings tears to my eyes to know that I have not brought glory to God throughout my whole life, when I had the potential to do so, but instead I let my mind wander down paths that have taken me in the wrong direction. We can renew our minds with focusing on Christ. We can overcome our unholy habits by asking God to renew our minds, to give us strength to overcome all that trys to rob us of holy living. To have right thinking, we must be in the right place. We can't blame others when we fall, we make our own decisions, but just as we make our own decision, we too must becareful of who we are keeping company with. We let our minds travel to thoughts that can destroy us. We need to tell satan to get behind us, get out of our minds and ask God to fill us with His Spirit and knowledge and all things that are from above. Are you struggling today with letting your mind wander? You are not alone, the Lord knows our struggles and with Him we can overcome anything. Lord, help us to set our minds on what is lovely and pure and keep satan away from us with his evils, help to keep our eyes and ears open so we know when to run from temptation and into your loving protection~
