What's On Your Mind?
by Charlene
Many of us focus a lot of how we appear on the outside. Do we wear our Christianity well? Like the famous saying says, "It's what is inside that counts." We all need to evaluate what is inside of ourselves for God sees what is inside our hearts and our minds.
It is a lot of discipline to control our own thoughts. It takes a lot of practice. The average person thinks things of lust, envy, jealousy, fear, doubt, hate, and judgmental things. We must learn to train our minds and purify our hearts to please the Lord. The mind and the hearts are one for the mind affects the things of the heart. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" Genesis 6:5 We are never alone in our thoughts. God sees and hears everything that is not uttered out loud. Let us change the way we think as if God hears every single thing. And he does. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3
The Bible tells us to keep our thoughts pure and righteous. Let us refocus our mind and set it upon these things. God lists everything he wants us to think about in this verse:
If this is the first time you have realized this, I will share some tips to make it easier. I have a mental 'wastebasket.' Whenever these wicked thoughts appear, I immediately place it in the wastebasket and ask the Lord to forgive me of these thoughts and to help me think more purely.
We also have to control what we allow ourselves to see and hear for these things enter into our hearts and minds. Let us restrict the wicked things in our lives and surround ourselves with what is good. Let us refrain from darkness and welcome the light.
I wrote this article to encourage you to focus on the inside for that is what the Lord sees, then it will show on the outside! Start inside first, then it'll work it's way out. Remember, keep trying! The righteous man falls 7 times but he gets up 7 times! Don't give up!
In the Lord, we have such beautiful things to look forward to. Let us remember these things and store it in our hearts.
"I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings" Jeremiah 17:10
It is a lot of discipline to control our own thoughts. It takes a lot of practice. The average person thinks things of lust, envy, jealousy, fear, doubt, hate, and judgmental things. We must learn to train our minds and purify our hearts to please the Lord. The mind and the hearts are one for the mind affects the things of the heart. "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" Genesis 6:5 We are never alone in our thoughts. God sees and hears everything that is not uttered out loud. Let us change the way we think as if God hears every single thing. And he does. "The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good." Proverbs 15:3The Bible tells us to keep our thoughts pure and righteous. Let us refocus our mind and set it upon these things. God lists everything he wants us to think about in this verse:
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."Philippians 4:8
If this is the first time you have realized this, I will share some tips to make it easier. I have a mental 'wastebasket.' Whenever these wicked thoughts appear, I immediately place it in the wastebasket and ask the Lord to forgive me of these thoughts and to help me think more purely.
We also have to control what we allow ourselves to see and hear for these things enter into our hearts and minds. Let us restrict the wicked things in our lives and surround ourselves with what is good. Let us refrain from darkness and welcome the light."But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!" Matthew 6:23For those who have been working on this for a long time, we know that it becomes a spiritual battle once we start. Satan attacks our thoughts and tries to bring wicked things to our minds. Someday, you will be able to recognize it when Satan is involved and be able to rebuke him.
I wrote this article to encourage you to focus on the inside for that is what the Lord sees, then it will show on the outside! Start inside first, then it'll work it's way out. Remember, keep trying! The righteous man falls 7 times but he gets up 7 times! Don't give up!
In the Lord, we have such beautiful things to look forward to. Let us remember these things and store it in our hearts.
Charlene is a deaf mom of two boys, one being hard of hearing. Her heart for God shines through her life and she has the 'law of kindness' in her words. She has her Bachelors Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences, writes for AGMinistries, and you can read more about her at 'Bring on the Rain'.
1 welcome comments:
Very true!! Improving our inner selves also affects the way we look on the outside, I've seen it happen. It's almost as if there's a glow radiating from that person's body, it's God's love that everybody can sense. How powerful! Great post Charlene :)
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