God's View:
l Pet. 1:13
; Col. 3:1-3
- Gird your mind is to control, guard,
select what you are to put into it. Thus, be selective about what
you read, hear and think about. All your thoughts are to please
God , not self . Consciously thinking to please God allows the
Spirit of God to be revealed in your spirit. We precondition ourselves
by what we think, by what we believe, and by what we confess.
Hope:
Eph. 4:23
; Phil. 2:12-13
- The spirit of the mind refers
to the 'will' of the mind. By an act of my will, I will my mind
to think thoughts pleasing to God, to disregard feelings, but
to think on God's word only, an attitude change. Ask God to make
you willing to will to do the will of God, to be strengthened
by His presence.
l Pet. 4:1 : Lu. 9:23-24 -By suffering, I learn to die to self-pity, self-defensiveness, self-concern and self-interests. From that point on I am in the spirit responding to life from God's perspective, looking for opportunities to be a blessing, putting on the cross and allowing Jesus to live through me being a blessing to others. Arm self is to arm the mind, to set it do what God wants regardless of the pain-then healing comes, the Presence of God in the situation.
Heb. 7:26 ; 9:14-15 ; 10:19-23-Once and forever our sins are paid for. No need to try to pay for our sins by self-pity, by promising to do better, going to church more often, giving more time and money, Jesus paid the penalty. We are free now to allow Christ to live through us, and in Him to do those things that are pleasing in His sight because our conscience is cleansed from guilt by His blood.
Change:
2 Cor. 10:4-5
-All things begin with a thought. A thought becomes
an idea, an idea becomes an action, an action becomes a habit,
and a habit becomes a character trait-good or evil. All thoughts
develop into imaginations, these lead to strongholds-godly or
ungodly.
Phil. 4:6 -When anxious moments come, let them come, just fix your mind on Jesus, replace negative thoughts with godly thoughts. Then, in time, confusion ceases, peace comes. What you sow, you will reap.
Key: The word 'FIX':
As Jesus set His mind to go to Jerusalem, to die on the Cross,
do likewise, die to the old self thoughts, so that the new self
in Christ can now live in your mind.
Example of a think-list:
NOTE: Read "Love is" which provides practical suggestions on how to be a blessing. |