Renewing of the Mind - Part I

The Spirit never wants to cease to give us God's understanding of spiritual matters of Truth.  The Christian life is about receiving and manifesting, not outward flesh producing.  This is so important to know and understand.  We are constantly on the receiving end of our Lord - "I came that they might have life and life more abundantly."  (John 10, Romans 5:17)

Every day we can wake up and have tears of joy as we receive the Lord's light to the mind - to understand Christ, the things freely given to us in His Son - and how He Himself is manifesting His own righteousness through these vessels.

So, have you ever awakened in the middle of the night and thought about the carpet you just ordered?  "Oh no, it's not the right color."  Or how about the "to do" list?  And then there's that problem with so and so?  Or, a major trial going on?  Rehashing in the mind of this and that.  It's like thoughts want to play "ping-pong."

The thought is served.  It comes from anxiety, an incident, false knowledge, the devil, principalities, powers, or whatever.  They or something "taps" into weakness, lies, an unrenewed mind, desires, or desires not harnessed, or how about being human? - however we desire to put it. 

Next it bounces back and forth in the mind, just like a game.  Then we try to scoot it around to do what?  Get some peace, figure it out, resolve it.  Actually, if the thoughts can be arranged just so, maybe there will be a sense of relief.  But does it happen?

I've asked the Lord to show me more deeply concerning this.  All of us have heard many things concerning the mind - whether through things we've read, teachings on it, etc.  Yet the greatest thing in the whole wide world is to really get to know the Holy Spirit in my own heart and how the Spirit of our Lord Jesus gives me His mind on all things.

That's just the plain old bottom line.  If I don't have the mind of the Spirit Himself, well...

Now I can receive this through of course, the living Word of God, a message, a sermon, a teaching, a brother or sister talking with me about a matter, but it is recognizing WHO is giving me His mind.  This is so I can have true life and peace.  But I've learned, and continue to learn to ask the Lord to let His TRUTH STICK!

This is straight out of Romans 8.  "The mind of the Spirit is life and peace."  And then the carnal mind is enmity with God - carnal - therefore cannot experience true life and peace.  The mind without the Lord is definitely OCD! 

This past weekend I experienced a ping pong game in my mind.  I recognized it too.  After years of the Lord working in my heart and mind, I was thankful that I did too.  It was not an evil thought, only something concerning myself that for years was a stronghold of how I sometimes "feel" about myself.  Got any takers on that one?  I also recognize it as the devil just trying to "poke" one on me.  You know, poke at this, at that - sometimes it comes from what we see with our senses.  It triggers other things.

Let's look at David in Psalm 73 - he was pouring his heart out to the Lord about the wicked and the way they prosper, etc.  He was actually envious of the foolish.  Says so.  And then he said this, "UNTIL I went into the sanctuary of the Lord...then I UNDERSTOOD their end..."

Where did he get this understanding, "rearrangement" of his thoughts, etc.?  Oh praise the Lord, when he went into the SANCTUARY of His God and LOOKED at HIM with his heart!

Today, through the Gospel, we are SO blessed to be temples of God - the sanctuary of God is in our hearts, in our minds, in our beings as individuals and as His body.

This is a powerful demonstration of "GETTING THE MIND OF CHRIST," from a saint of long ago - beloved David.  If you have time today, please read Psalm 73 for the whole impact.

Now, we are not exempt from temptations - EVER!  We do live in a physical body with a soul that has senses, emotions, sight - interpretations.  We have memories - some good, some not so good.

Yet praise the Lord, it is HOW and WHERE we get those interpretations that either grant us life and peace or keep us in tailspins.  We are called daily to abide in our Lord, to be strengthened in Him, put on the armor of God.   He calls us to "grow up in Him in all things."  Ephesians 4:15

As we continue to talk about the renewal of our minds, may the Lord truly give us rich, rich insights into His great salvation - especially to the glorious ministry of the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. 

In Him,

Sue Gaither