“For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8
The mind is so fascinating to me. My thoughts drive me. Scary huh! What is even scarier is, my mind drives my emotions. So if that is true of most of us, what should we be filling our mind with? Good question! Ahhh, but even another good question is: What should we be protecting our mind from? Especially in a culture of uninterrupted messages, images, opinions, etc…… It is so important to decide what you will allow in your mind, and make sure you filter out that what is not necessary, or possibly even wrong.
I am going to wrestle the mind down for a few days. Bare with me as I unpack a plan for renewing our minds. I think it is biblical to do this!!! ”Do not think like the world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and then you will be able to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God.” Romans 12:2
First if you are going to understand why you think the way you do? If you are going to understand why you are happy, or why you are continuously sad? If you are going to understand why some people are highly volatile, and some are tranquil? I think we have to tackle the mind first. Why? From the mind flows everything else in your life.
I do not offer solutions today, just a glimpse into what has created or developed my thinking (mind) over the years.
1. Verbal Communication. I had encouraging parents. It helped my thinking. I was a chunky kid up to the 8th grade, and was picked on. So I still at some level struggle with insecurity physically. Verbal communication has shaped my thinking over the years. Take a moment and reflect on whether words, past, present, or future, are influencing your mind for good or bad to this day?
2. Written Communication. I have grown to love reading, but that wasn’t always the case. Letters from friends have either hurt me or helped my thinking. Books I read, have produced world views that have even stuck with me to this day. I have a biblical world-view because I was inundated as a child and teen with the Bible. I do thank God for allowing me that. So many have never cracked open the Bible, hence their world-view is so skewed from what their heavenly Father really thinks of them. What material in written form has been put in your hands over the years that has, or still does impact you?
3. Visual Communication. I have fear today because of movies I have watched. I struggle to keep my mind pure, because I opened my mind to porn at 8 years old. I also became a student of reading peoples body language. That can be good or bad, and can influence the mind tremendously. Visual communication is probably the #1 thing that influences our minds today, because we are in a technological day like no other. Are you highly visual? What visually has affected your thinking (mind) over the years? Has it been for good or bad?
There are other factors that influence the mind, but those above 3 have been the biggest influencers of what drives my internal world (Mind) to this day. I have grown to be very cognoscente of what I am letting my mind become exposed to. Why? What you allow into your mind, will ultimately drive your life. You have good thoughts? There is reason! You have bad thoughts? There is a reason! What is driving your mind?
