Renewing Your Mind

I am sure that each of us has areas in our life that we would like to improve, and if you are like me…you have several areas that need improving!

One of the areas that I struggle with is what runs through my mind at times!  My thoughts!

If I am not careful… my overactive imagination…can turn a simple thought into a full-blown situation within minutes!

That’s how quickly I allow the enemy to come in and distort that single thought into something ridiculous...something that is not even true or accurate!

For example:

Someone doesn’t say “hi” to me, and I immediately think…is he/she mad at me?

Did I do something to offend this person?

Does he/she not like me anymore?

Do they not want to hang around me?

Or worse…do they no longer want to be my friend?

And it quickly goes downhill from there!!

And before I know it…I have imagined the worst case scenario…which is completely unfounded…and before I know it…I’m upset…hurt…angry…thinking that I have lost a dear, dear friend, when in reality…this person didn’t even see me…so of course, they didn’t say “hi”!

Can anyone relate to this?

Or am I the only one with an extremely over-active imagination that dreams up these scenarios so quickly?

So, I have been praying and asking God to help me in this area!

I am trying to be mindful that when these thoughts begin…that I need to immediately turn them over to the Lord…asking Him to fill my mind with His thoughts and to focus on HIM!

God’s word states…”We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”…2 Corinthians 10:5.

It’s not easy, but that is exactly what I am trying to do…bring every thought under his authority…and focusing only on things which are pleasing to Him.

A few days ago, the topic of my morning devotional was Renewing Your Mind!  This devotional was found in Jesus Lives…Seeing His Love in Your Life by Sarah Young.

My devotional began with the following words:

“People often consider thoughts to be fleeting and worthless, but yours are so precious to Me that I read each one.  My ability to read your every thought may be disconcerting to you.  You’re able to interact with other people while keeping your secret thoughts to yourself, but not so with Me!  However, since secretiveness breeds loneliness, isn’t it a relief that there is Someone from whom you cannot hide?  Moreoever, the fact that I care about every aspect of you...even all of you thoughts…demonstrates how important you are to Me.”

God’s word states… O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.  You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar…Psalm 139:1-2.

Knowing that God can read my every thought is the reason I have been encouraged to bring all of them under his authority!

And even thought I knew this…those words jumped out to me this morning!

God has the ability to read my every thought!

Seeing this in print hit me hard!

Because if I am completely honest…my thoughts are not always nice!

They can be downright ugly at times!

I cringe just sharing this!

No one else knows what I am thinking…but God does!

My desire is…to have thoughts…use words…and actions…that always, always bring glory and honor to God!

The morning devotional continued with the following words:

“I know how difficult it is for you to control what courses through your brain.  Your mind is a battleground, and evil spirits work tirelessly to influence your thinking.  Your own sinfulness also finds ample expression in your thought life.  You need to stay alert and fight against evil!  I fought and died for you, so remember who you are and Whose you are – putting on the helmet of salvation with confidence.  This helmet not only protects your mind, it also reminds you of the victory I secured for you on the cross.”

God knows…and understands…how difficult it is for us to control the thoughts that run through our minds!

He knows our mind is a battleground, and that evil spirits continuously try to influence our thinking…filling our mind with lies from the enemy!

And it is so easy for us (or at least me) to listen to those lies!

To believe those lies!

So, it is imperative that we stay alert and fight against evil!

It is imperative that we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!

It is imperative that we defeat the enemy right then and there!

Each morning, we need to put on the helmet of salvation, which protects our mind and reminds of us the victory Christ secured for us on the cross! 

And we need to remember not only who we are…but Whose we are!

We are a child of God! 

The devotional that morning ended with these words:

“Because you are My treasure, I notice and rejoice as soon as your thinking turns My way.  The more thoughts you bring to Me, the more you can share in My Joy.  I disarm evil thoughts and render them powerless.  Then I help you think about things that true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable – excellent and praiseworthy things.  Ponder these things while resting in the Peace of My Presence.”

God rejoices with us as we bring out thoughts under His authority…and our thinking turns to His way!

And I love this…the more we bring our thoughts to Him…the more we can share in His Joy!

I’m sure you are like me…and want to share that Joy with my Heavenly Father!

And our Heavenly Father helps by disarming those evil thoughts and rendering them powerless!

Allowing us to rest in His Peace and His Presence!

And we can be encouraged to do what God has instructed us to do…

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”…Philippians 4:8.

I’m a work in progress!

And so are you!

But God isn't finished with us yet!

But each morning…hour by hour…minute-by-minute…I desire to bring my thoughts to My Heavenly Father…asking and praying for my thoughts to be His thoughts…so that I may share in His Joy!

Dear Heavenly Father…each of us faces struggles…areas where we are weak.  Thank you that we can turn to you…asking you to step into those situations…and help us to be more like you!