SCRIPTURE: “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.” (Prov. 4L23 GNT)
QUOTE: “Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; Where your treasure is, there is your heart; Where your heart is, there is your happiness.” – Augustine
NOTE:
Have you ever heard the statements, “you are what you think.” Or, “if you think you can’t, then you can’t!” These statements and many like them, reflect the observation that our thoughts are powerful. The things we think about can impact our lives in a significant and sometimes life-altering ways. I once heard a woman say, “One of my sweet daughters expressed her struggle with math. “Mommy, I CAN’T do it! I’ll never be able to do it! I don’t know my multiplication!” In a God-given moment of patience, I looked at her and in true, cheerleader-like fashion (motions and happy facial expressions included), I said “you may not know it now, but you WILL!” I began to chant this cheer until her look of distress gave way to giggles of delight. And she began to study her facts with renewed vigor.” That little girl was being tempted to believe that she will never be able to understand that subject. The Holy Spirit instructs us to demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV (emphasis mine)
ILLUSTRATION:
The devil is a liar. Jesus called him … the father of lies and of all that is false (John 8:44.) He lies to you and me. He tells us things about ourselves, about other people and about circumstances that are not true. He does not, however, tell us the entire lie all at one time. He begins by bombarding our mind with a cleverly devised pattern of little nagging thoughts, suspicions, doubts, fears, wanderings, seasonings and theories. He moves slowly and cautiously (after all, well-laid plans take time). Remember, he has a strategy for his warfare. He has studied us for a long time. He knows our weaknesses and areas we are strong.
REFLECTION:
- How do you deal with your mind when it it begins to drift away from the truth?
TWO YEAR BIBLE READING: Catch-Day, Psalm 92