Renewing the Mind
Philippians 4:8;
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Romans 12:2
All too often Christians suffer from debilitating fear, depression and anxiety. To break out of despair and begin walking in Victory, we must take up the transformational work of renewing our minds (Romans 12:2).
Why is the mind so important?
Consider this definition from the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible by AMG Publishers (1990): Mind, the organ of mental perception and apprehension, the organ of conscious life, the organ of the consciousness preceding actions or recognizing and judging them, the understanding of word concept, sense.
From this definition we see that the mind is what controls our perceptions (views, thoughts) and apprehensions (anxiety, fears). It is our consciousness-the thoughts we think before we act, as well as our judgments or opinions about our actions. The mind is our intellect, the part that enables us to reason and make sense of ourselves, others, and the world around us.
The mind can be a challenging organ to maintain, because it is constantly influenced by what we see and hear, whether good or evil, by what we experience, whether positive or negative, and by what we feel, whether joy or sadness. When we don't regulate our thoughts, we allow the enemy to influence how we think, what we believe, what we feel, and how we act. The Word of God is our best defense against such attacks, so we must continuously feast on the life producing Word of God.
Here are some of my favorite scriptures pertaining to the mind:
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ."
We don't have to be enslaved by our thoughts. On the contrary, we can command our thoughts to line up with the knowledge of Christ and the truth of His Word. We are who God says we are, and we can do what He says we can do!
Isaiah 26:3, "The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in Thee."
When we meditate on God and His goodness, we are full of peace rather than anxiety.
Nehemiah 4:6, "So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work."
If we purpose in our minds to do the work, we can overcome even the most impossible tasks by God's grace and power.
Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things."
Don't dwell on the enemy's lies; meditate on the Truth. When thoughts rise up against the knowledge of Christ, we must allow the Word to show us the truth, to give us peace, to renew and strengthen us, and to keep us in the center of God's will. Now that's life for today.
--- Rev. Dr. Zandra L. Jordan
Over time, you'll find your cd collection and what you listen to changing.
