Free the mind!!

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he... (Proverbs 23:7)


One of the most life-changing books that I have been reading this year besides the Bible is Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer. I have read quite a few books this year, but few have made such a profound impact as this one. How many of you have spent time worrying, stressing, and dreading things that as you have looked back on events; you had no control over the outcomes?  That is what this book is about, changing your thinking so that you can live a positive, happy, Godly life.

The mind is one place where the enemy makes his seat. While we find in scripture that God remembers our sins no more, the enemy seeks to kill, rob, and destroy. What does he seek to destroy?

Joy.

Love.

Compassion.

Without these feelings to compel us through our daily lives - what do we have?  We have an absence of God.  A living definition of hell on earth.  A place without God is a place with no love, no joy, no compassion, no praise, no support.

Think about it. When your friends get promotions, raises, a house, kids, etc., are you truly joyful or do you hear a little voice that says "I should have that"? What may start as a small insignificant doubt about how you measure success ends up as full blown jealousy and thus steals your joy.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he...  What does this say to you? 

To me is says if you think good thoughts, you will be good. 

If you think rotten thoughts, you will be rotten. 

If you only think of material items, you will only push yourself to acquire those material items.

If you think of Godly things, you will pursue God.

David is described as a man after God's heart.  Here is a key to David - he was a man after God's heart - when he set his mind to God.  When his mind strayed, he strayed.

When you seek the kingdom of God, you shall find it.  How do you seek the kingdom of God?  You must discipline yourself to do some basic things.

1. Read God's word - it is there to provide a guide for you and to be a rock in times of trouble.
2. Pray openly - communicate your wants, needs, desires, happiness, sorrows - all of it to God.  There is a song that we often sing with the line "I'm giving everything to God, I'm giving everything to God, I'm giving everything to God...Who's given everything to me".  We may feel that we have to protect those around us by not telling them certain things, God is not the same way.  He desires that relationship with us.
3. Surround yourself with love - whether this is the people you hang with, the job you work, or just your attitude, surround yourself with love.

En Vogue put out a song in 1992 called "Free your mind".  While the song was about prejudice in today's society, the line "Free your mind and the rest will follow" is the line that I think God uses to get to us to change our ways. 

It is not the sins of the flesh that get us.  It is the sins that swim in our mind that lead us down the path that says whatever we do is ok.  That is why we communicate with God.  To cleanse and to thank God for his understanding in our lives.

Free the mind.  Sweep out the clutter of life that entangles you.  Let God come in and fill that space.  Watch how when you let him in, He can change your life!!!

Blessings to each of you this day.  God loves each and every one of you and so do I.

Pastor Jim