What's On Your Mind?

What's On Your Mind?Dr. Betty R. Price But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.--Romans 12:2Your mind--the way you think--has a lot to do with the quality of your life. Proverbs 23:7 says: For as he thinks in his heart so is he. What you keep your mind on will determine whether you will be at peace or whether you will be full of anxiety in this troubled world.Philippians 4:6-8 tell us:Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God, [If you do what this verse says, then the next verse will come into play.] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. [And the way you keep from being anxious for nothing is by doing what verse 8 says.] Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate [constantly think] on these things.So, what are you thinking about? The word think means "to consider, reflect, reason and ponder." What we think is what we become. Where we have kept our minds is where we are. Our thoughts shape our behavior. In other words, what we do is what we think. William Barkley, a Christian writer, says: "It is a law of life that if a man thinks on something often enough and long enough, he will come to the stage when he cannot stop thinking about it. His thoughts will be quite literally in a groove out of which he cannot jerk them." How many people have gotten into bad situations because they just kept thinking and thinking and thinking about it until they found themselves in a mess. What are you thinking about? Are you thinking righteous or unrighteous thoughts? Are you thinking:(1) about the flesh and its lusts? Are you thinking about gratifying the flesh through such things as pride, self, greed, pleasure, sex, angry exchanges, jealousies, envies, desires, and negative attitudes?(2) about the lusts of the eyes through such things as immoral pornographic filth flaunted in magazines, films, books, television, and clothes that reveal too much of the body in a vulgar way?(3) about the desire for recognition, honor, position, and power? It is okay to want to be recognized, but not to the extent that you will do anything for recognition, to the extent of committing a sin or hurting someone in to get what you want.A mind fixated on the world system and the flesh is what leads to anxiety, worry, emptiness, and restlessness.Colossians 3:1-2 tells us:If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.Setting your mind on things above means setting your mind on the things of God, and you find out about the things of God from His Word. You have to take control of your mind and make it do what it should do by a determination of your will. Your will is in the mind area.Romans 12:1-2 tell us what to do with our minds and with our flesh.I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God which is your reasonable service.And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect will of God.I know we can renew our minds, but we have to be forever thinking about God and His great love for mankind. Because if you don't, you will think more in line with the world than with the things of God. You have to understand that the body always wants to gratify the flesh. You have to train the body, make it do what your spirit wants, kill it, sacrifice it. And sacrifice is not fun, but it is the joy of the Lord you want.Ephesians 4:21-24 tells us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind. It is our responsibility to do something about our minds. Once a person has been converted and becomes a new man, he is to focus his thoughts on God, as well as the good things of life. We, as Believers, should never dwell on immoral, fleshly, worldly, selfish, sinful or evil thoughts. Sinful and negative thoughts disrupt and destroy our peace. The mind always goes down to the level of the flesh, but we have to control it because we live in the flesh and that is the thing we gravitate to. And that is why we need to operate in the Word of God in order to control our thinking, which will control our flesh.