Mom did a short entry on the mind. The mind is where everything starts for us. What we think eventually becomes what we do. It's the place where choices are made. We can choose to follow Christ, or we can choose to follow the world. We can get lost through our own thinking, shaped by what others and even ourselves have told us, what Satan throws into the mix and worldly values that bombard us daily, or we can stay in the Word of God, renewing our minds with God's truth, choosing to believe and follow what is in the Bible as the Holy Spirit leads us. The mind is a powerful place! Mom's Bible had "Word Wealth" sections that expounded on certain words in the Bible, she jotted these in her journal along with the verses they were coupled with. I pray they help clarify our thinking and shed light on the Bible's deeper meanings.
Mark 5:15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
Word Wealth - to be of sound mind, sane, self-controlled, serious, moderate, sober-minded, restrained, disciplined, able to reason. The word describes our behavior and attitude.
Mark 12:30 And you shall love the Lord God with all your heart, soul and mind and strength.
Word Wealth - literally a thinking through, understanding, insight, meditation, reflection, perception, the gift of apprehension, the faculty of thought. The Holy Spirit renews our fearful negativism of the carnal mind to the positive thinking of the spiritual mind.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Word Wealth - safe thinking, good judgment, disciplined thought patterns and the ability to understand and make right decisions, self- control and self-discipline.
Mind - the creative imagination, is the seat of plans and ideas, when firmly founded on the eternal Lord will enjoy perfect peace in all.
Sophroneo, dianoia, sophronismos. Three different Greek words to describe the concept of the mind. I think one of my favorite in the world wealth descriptions is ""disciplined thought patterns." How much of our thinking is by rote, by habit...I immediately go to the negative because that's what I've always done. My thoughts run towards food when I need comfort or stress relief because that is my ingrained habit.
But the Word of God tells us to renew our minds. Romans 12:2 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. Change the way we think so that it lines up with God's way. That takes a lot of work and a lot of practice! But....the Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 For, “Who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. We have the mind of Christ. We have the Holy Spirit within us, therefore we can know God's way of thinking and we can learn to think and see the way He does. Wow. Very cool concept!!
But it's up to us to put it into practice. Ephesians 4:23-24 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Let God take over, give Him the negative, the angry, the lustful, the doubts, the selfishness....all the stuff that clouds our thinking and makes us so unhappy. The joy stealers and peace takers...God has so much more for us when we have yielded minds which choose to think in line with the Word God has so lovingly given to us! By God's grace we can do this! I am thankful that I've grown in this area...God has done a lot of work in me. I still have plenty to do though and that's okay, because this life isn't a sprint, and the Lord is never in a hurry.
Lord, help us to see our minds in a new way, and to practice self-discipline. Let us have sober minds, minds that line up with Yours. It's a lot of hard work, I know...but You are the chain breaker! And through Your power we can break those entrenched thought patterns that keep us imprisoned and miserable. Help us. Let us take Your Word to heart and start walking in the freedom a renewed mind brings. Thank You. In Jesus' Name. Amen
Find one or two Bible verses that correspond to a negative thought pattern and write them out to carry with you. Read them to your self and out loud any time that pattern starts it's roll through your mind.
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