What WE think … WE are.
(
When
God created us, He gave us a body, a soul and a spirit.
When
we confess that Jesus is the Son of God, is Lord in our lives and that He died
for our sins, past, present and future – He gives us a new spirit called Holy
Spirit.
When
we were saved, the Bible says that we became a new person - a new ‘man’ and the
old ‘man’ was put away. (2 Cor
But
we didn’t get a new body did we - although many of us wish we did. Nor did we
get a new soul - even though some us wish we could behave differently and have more talents or stamina.
What
was new that we received?
We
received a new Spirit.
So
what about these old bodies and these old souls?
These
bodies are that ‘tent’ that Paul talks about that houses our physical
makeup –our arms, legs, our head etc.
Our
souls allow those bodies to function, our heart to beat,
our lungs to breathe and it also allow our minds to think.
But what we think …
that is different.
Our
thoughts are influenced by all manner of external things like our past
experiences, our education, our physical health and our mental health.
As
As
Paul wrote “We should have the mind of
Does
that mean we are to be Jesus? No, I believe we are to be LIKE Jesus.
When
the world presses in, squeezes us so-to-speak, what comes out of us?
Does
sweet tasting juice come out of us or does vinegar come out of us?
The
Bible says: “if we are controlled by the Holy Spirit
we will show forth the ‘fruit of the Spirit’”. (Gal 5:22) (NIV)
That
is we will show forth …
Love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. (Gal 5:22)
Is
that what comes out of you and me …
When
someone speaks harshly to us?
Or
when someone doesn’t do what we ask?
Or
when someone has the TV too loud?
Or
when someone doesn’t get out of your way in the hall?
Or
when family and friends don’t come to visit as often as we would like?
A
good test for me is when I am on the highway and someone cuts me off or tries
to pass me when I am already going faster than the speed limit.
Oops
– that shouldn’t have come out!
How
about the next time someone disappoints you or criticizes you or talks down to
you. How do you react?
What
do you think? Because what we think, we are!
Do
you excuse them or say: “I’m sorry for being in your way”.
Do
you ask them: “Can I help you in some way to get to where you are going in such
a hurry”?
The
battles of life or the ‘battlefield of life’ is truly a battlefield of the
mind.
Someone
out there, named Satan or the deceiver or the Serpent, doesn’t want us to think
good thoughts or think about how to be more loving, more joyful, more patient,
better, more faithful or have more self control.
He
wants us to be angry and negative and unhappy in your situation.
God
wants you to be a light salt to those around us and it all starts in our mind –
in our thinking.
We
are what we think!
Let
us pray.
Jesus,
we ask you to renew our minds, to renew our thinking processes so that when we
are squeezed by this world, we will produce the sweet nectar so those around us
can drink of it … YOUR love, through us.
Bless
us today with a new heart and mind.
In
Jesus name,
Amen