Mind Matters

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

What are you thinking about? What do you allow your mind to dwell on? Is it healthy? How do you determine what is best for you?

The dark alleys of my mind can be dangerous for me. It’s where insecurity and doubt act as bullies to my confidence and faith. These intimidators only have as much power as I am willing to give them and sadly, I grant them far too much authority. I don’t intend to make it sound easier than it is (because it certainly is a difficult task) but I need to learn to shift my mental focus to things that are more positive instead of dwelling on the negative. I've learned that I’m incapable of doing this consistently through my own power. I've got to lean heavily on the strength I gain from Christ if I am to stand a chance of lasting change.

Learning to stop playing mind games with yourself is never easy, but it's essential to focus our mental energies in the right place if we want to thrive.

Clearly in Control

I am still meditating on 1 Peter 4:7 which God really highlighted for me this past Saturday morning. The need for clear-mindedness and self-control has been constantly impressed on me and I am still meditating on the depth of what that means. 

As I was re-reading it, I began to wonder why we were told to be clear minded before we exhibited self-control. I believe it's because we can't assert self-control if we are not focused on who we are working to become. That works out differently for each of us, but can share some common characteristics.

• Monitoring what you eat & how you exercise when you have a picture of the physical improvements you want to make
• Refraining from gossiping about other people's lives when you understand the damage it causes & how it doesn't reflect the character you are working to develop
• Being patient & understanding in your marriage because your goal is strengthening your relationship and not winning an argument
• Refusing to miss conversation opportunities with your children about real life situations because we realize our time of day-to-day influence is limited
• Being content with what we own and using our financial resources to be generous instead of buying what we feel we need
• Investing in community as part of church for the greater benefit of spiritual growth instead of choosing to fill our schedule with social engagements that don't challenge us
• Choosing to relate with people outside our church (even when it's difficult) because we grasp the greater vision of transforming our community by working alongside them.

Clear vision is essential to consistent discipline.