Hubby and I spent part of this week after Christmas cleaning out the clutter. Though we've only lived in our home since April, we still had boxes tucked in closets and had already started to see how our original furniture layouts weren't working well. So we put our nose to the grindstone and made some changes. I'm happy to report that we only have one more room to go before we're finished I tackle the storage shed. ;)
As I sorted, organized, and discarded trash, I came to the realization that cleaning out the clutter is a good idea for our spiritual lives as well. It's easy to get in a spiritual rut, to slowly-but-surely compromise our faith walk in little ways. What better time to take a spiritual inventory--to decide what needs to stay, what needs to be improved upon, and what has to go--than the cusp of a new year.
A few years ago, I heard a speaker at a Bible conference talk about doing a regular "heart check," just to make sure her heart was in the right place and that her motivations for everything she did were pure. That idea stuck with me, and I find myself doing a "heart check" on a regular basis. And I've discovered (even though I call it a heart check) that the place I really have to start with is my mind.
Consider these verses that mention our minds and thinking processes, both what they are and what they should be:
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... ~2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB)
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. ~Romans 12:1-2 (NASB)
Do not eat the bread of a selfish man,
Or desire his delicacies;
For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But his heart is not with you. ~Proverbs 23:6-7 (NASB)
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, dwell on these things. ~Philippians 4:8 (NASB)
But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. ~Ephesians 4:20-24 (NASB)
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus... ~Philippians 2:1-5 (NASB)
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. ~Psalm 19:14 (NASB)
“I, the Lord, search the heart,
I test the mind,
Even to give to each man according to his ways,
According to the results of his deeds." ~Jeremiah 17:10 (NASB)
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You." ~Isaiah 26:3 (NASB)
In light of these verses, I think we can conclude the following:
If we have those areas in our life that seem to have a stranglehold on us and keep us in chains, the only way to win the battle is to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ. When wayward thoughts (straight from the enemy) make their way into our brains, we need to take them captive for Him and counteract them with His Truth.
Unfortunately, conforming to the world is all-too-easy and seems like no big deal at first glance. But if we desire for God's will to be done in our lives, we must turn our back on conformity to the world's standards and renew our minds with the things of God.
Like it or not, we become what we think. If we don't maintain control over our thoughts, they maintain control over us.
One of the best ways to get rid of unwanted thoughts is to focus our thoughts on the good and positive: the true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, reputable, excellent and praiseworthy! (And if you "think" about it long enough, you'll realize that only One meets every criteria!)
Renewing our mind is part of clothing ourselves with the new creatures we became when we trusted Christ as Lord and Savior. I am so ashamed of myself at times because of the tendency to walk around in grave clothes, when my heavenly Father wants so much more for me and sacrificed His Son to prove it!
The only way we can be like-minded and of one mind as the body of Christ is to appropriate the same mindset that Christ had when he walked this earth. Humility marked His path through a series of demotions He willingly accepted, culminating in death on a cross. Mind-blowing! I pray I can reach the place where I keep His mindset all the time!
God is pleased when we choose to meditate on godly things.
He tests our minds to make sure we are thinking correctly. His Word and His Spirit will correct us if we allow Him free reign.
The result of keeping our minds on Him is the perfect peace only He can give.
Heavenly Father, how grateful we are for our minds, but we confess, Lord, that our thoughts often turn to things on which we shouldn't be dwelling. Thank You for Your help and strength in training our minds to think godly and God-pleasing thoughts. May we be quick to clean out the clutter and turn our thoughts to You. Amen
