I woke up this morning wondering why my mood did NOT match the calendar’s fresh and exciting turn to a new year. And that got me wondering why our mind has a mind of its own. Me. You. Everybody.
My mind was set on taking today’s message in a very specific direction to continue the launch of our SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE theme for this first month of 2022. But that plan was quickly bent in the opposite direction under the Enemy’s gravitational and nefarious pull.
My mind quickly moved that message to tomorrow and I decided to address today what is (or will be) happening to all of us at one point in the new year—WANDERING MINDS.
What God sent my way next nearly flattened me with its power and quickly became the focus of this message:
Without God’s intervention, our mind will at best wander into dangerous territory and at worst hijack our soul and leave a trail of carnage in its wake.
Serious stakes, right? Yep.
What we THINK determines who we are and, sadly, many Christians lose control of their mind and start to see stagnancy in their walk with Christ.
It is a believer’s responsibility to control our mind and the thoughts it spawns. But we cannot—and do not have to—do it alone. That is a promise from God.
“…we take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ …” 2 Corinthians 10:5
THE TWO-PART DEFENSE
Here is the two-part defense God gives us to control the battle for our mind in 2022: PRAY & FOCUS.
PRAY: Guard your heart and mind by not worrying about anything and praying about everything (Philippians 4:6).
FOCUS: 1) Do not believe everything you think; and 2) Protect your mind from poisoning by replacing what you are resisting with God’s Word (Romans 12:2).
There is no dam to keep out the river of toxicity flowing into our mind. But it is possible to vanquish our pre-occupation with negative thoughts by cutting off exposure to the things that would invade and corrupt the mind.
The Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s power are strong enough to help us take our thoughts captive. We just need to be sure that we believe in that power…and activate it.
That’s how we bring back our wandering mind.
I am asking God to help me ward off the invaders gunning for occupation of my mind in 2022. To give me the courage to call on him to fight that fight on my behalf.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Will you call on God to intervene the next time your mind starts to wander?
“Don’t worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. And God’s peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6–7
