Romans 13:14 Instead, clothe yourself with the Presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge in your evil desires.
The second part of that verse came to life for me a few days ago. It flashed neon as it passed by my eyes and went into my mind. It seems so simple all of a sudden. Why do I walk around angry at work, grumpy and lashing out? Because I am thinking about the unfairness, what others do or don't do, the inefficiency or erroneous ways things are done or not done. "Why are they doing it this way? "Why did they not...." "Why are they asking us to do that, we have so much else to do?" On and on, thoughts (and yes, those thoughts lead to words of complaint) like these plague my mind, stirring up anger and frustration. And what are the evil desires these thoughts lead to? Angry outbursts, less than stellar attitude, showing annoyance, impatience, hurtful words. A very poor witness for Jesus.
How about we go down another area that invades my thinking quite often...unhealthy food. "Oh, I didn't eat much today, it's just a package of cupcakes." "I'm so aggravated, I need this junk food." Or a personal favorite lately, "I really need this extra coffee, coffee gives me comfort." And so gluttony and addiction reign. And what do these thoughts lead to? Unhealthy lifestyle, feeling sick and tired, irritability, sleeplessness. I can't live for the Lord 100% if I struggle to get through the day because I don't feel great.
These are my areas where I dwell on thoughts to indulge my evil desires. What are yours? If we go back to the first part of that verse we see the solution. Instead of thinking about all the things that lead us astray and put us on the wrong path, we are to be reminding ourselves we are clothed with the very Presence of Jesus Christ. We are clothed in His righteousness, filled with His Holy Spirit. The way Paul wrote this verse tells us it is a choice. Our choice to clothe or not to clothe ourselves with the Presence of the Lord. We can walk clothed in His Presence or walk according to un-renewed thoughts that claim our attention. The Bible tells us to renew our minds. Ephesians 4:23-24 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
I can keep this simple. When I start to go down the angry, hungry, rabbit hole, I remind myself that I am clothed in Jesus. Simple, because I know that the thoughts that go in that direction are not what Jesus would be thinking. I may not have a hundred Bible verses memorized, but I can remember that I am with Jesus. That's enough to get the thoughts going back in the right direction.
Romans 12:21 Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Another way to change the channel of our negative thoughts...do something good. Be a blessing. Stop those thoughts right in their tracks by saying something kind, stopping to help, giving a prayer of thanksgiving...What would Jesus do was a big saying some years back. Ask ourselves that question and then do it!
Lord, our struggle starts in our minds. We mull over the wrong around us, the wrong done to us, maybe even the wrong that we do, instead of focusing on the love You have for us and others. We forget that we are in Your Presence and act like we are the only ones that matter. We let negative thoughts dictate our actions because we let them dwell in our hearts and minds, feeding them, making them stronger and stronger until they explode and send our witness crashing down. Help us! I know I cannot do this alone and I cannot do this in my own strength. I submit my mind to You Lord and ask You to renew it right now. I pray for all of us...We are Your children and we want to act like it! Teach us to bring every thought to You, rejecting those that don't line up with Your ways and Your heart. Father, I think most of us a desperate for this change and we cry out to You. Help us to walk in newness of life, putting on Christ for all the world to see. In His holy and precious Name, amen.
Check your thinking.
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