Ever wonder why you are having trouble having peace in your mind as Jesus promised we could? Do you ever feel as if no matter how hard you try to fall asleep some nights...your mind is racing with all kinds of thoughts...even from months or years ago? How about having just been hurt or yelled at by someone, and you just want to give them a piece of your mind? Sound familiar?
As 2 Timothy 1:7 says..... For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power (also defined as authority), and of Love, and a sound mind.
King David in the Psalms wrote.....My heart was hot within me, while i was musing the fire burned: then spake i with my tongue. (39:3)
Wow those are certainly some very descriptive words King David is using. My heart was hot within me.....sounds a lot like someone chewing on what someone did to them, and right before blasting that person with very angry words. And then the first verse says....."I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." The second verse says " I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred".
Now see those verses in the nlt. Ps. 39:1-3
I said to myself, "I will watch what i do and not sin in what i say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me" 2) But as i stood there in silence - not even speaking of good things - the turmoil within me grew worse 3) the more i thought about it, the hotter or angrier i got, igniting a fire of words:
Shew.... sure sounds familiar to me. Just like a lot of people (me included) who the devil gets them to chew on the wrong that was just committed against them....and then they either hold it in causing sleep and digestive or other bodily problems like anxiety or what have you, or they let someone have it, in the most unkind way.
But how in the world do we keep ourselves from sinning by exploding? Or letting that hurt, cause us many sleepless nights, or digestive problems. How do we forget, forgive and have the peace of mind that Paul is telling Timothy about, that Christ came to give us? Cuz remember that as Jesus was basically telling the disciples "good bye" and praying for them....He told them that He was giving them His peace. And in my mind...that is peace of mind and when a person has peace in their mind, then the body follows suit.
As many places in the New Testament tell us to forgive, and walk in Love (God's Love that He shed abroad in our hearts when we were born again Romans 5:5..or in other words....He poured into our hearts His Love, when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and Ezekiel 11:19 that says "and I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take way their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart ). But honestly how does one stop the musing or as google puts it..reflecting (which is not bad unless you are reflecting on the fact that someone just ripped you a new one or tore your heart to shreads....or any other thing that is negative). The answer is to meditate and put into practice Philippians 4:8 And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Some of you may think...yea right that is easier said than done...and as i struggle sometimes, i can agree with you, but the only way to get this mindset changed is by practicing it. Or consistently putting this gift of the Word into practice. Being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer only. And vs. 9 says to keep putting into practice what you have learned. And this goes along with Romans 12:2 which says "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way that you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
The amplified says it this way......do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to it's external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by it's new ideas and it's new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Wow sounds like by meditating on the Word of God...the true, pure things of God, or even blessings and pure happy things that have come from God....we can change our attitudes and find peace in our minds...which flows into our bodies (as science has proven that stress kills, and has other affects like ibs and acid reflux...etc. or even anxiety and mental illness).
Romans 8:5-6 says it this way...."those who are dominated by the sinful nature, (which according to the Bible worry is a sin also) think about sinful things (musing which leads to unforgiveness and anger and possible worse), but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit" (parenthesis added are my words). And pleasing the Spirit can also be said as pleasing God. Vs.6 says that "letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. I don't know about you....but the peace in my life sounds better than hanging onto all of the stress and unforgiveness and what not.
One last thing that i want you to see is that unforgiveness and musing cause one to be in strife with another person or persons. And according to James 3:16 whereever there is jealousy and selfish ambition (or strife), there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. So as we allow the musing (and if you are musing...you have not truly forgiven) and unforgiveness in our minds and hearts....not only does it open the door for the devil to take a shot at you that he did not have coming, which results in trials in our lives, confusion and sickness in our bodies..... it also causes a temporary wall between us and God (till we repent according to 1 John 1:9), and causes a lack of peace in our minds and lives.
James 3:17-18 says that the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others (not condoning being a doormat). It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favortism and is always sincere. 18) and those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
So please consider "Humbling yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you......James 4:7-8a
Jesus paid for our sins on the cross with His Blood. And He defeated sin....so that it no longer has any authority over us (Romans 6:14). So even if you trip up and make a mistake...confess it and get back up and toddle some more...till you can learn to walk.
Blessings
As 2 Timothy 1:7 says..... For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power (also defined as authority), and of Love, and a sound mind.
King David in the Psalms wrote.....My heart was hot within me, while i was musing the fire burned: then spake i with my tongue. (39:3)
Wow those are certainly some very descriptive words King David is using. My heart was hot within me.....sounds a lot like someone chewing on what someone did to them, and right before blasting that person with very angry words. And then the first verse says....."I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." The second verse says " I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good; and my sorrow was stirred".
Now see those verses in the nlt. Ps. 39:1-3
I said to myself, "I will watch what i do and not sin in what i say. I will hold my tongue when the ungodly are around me" 2) But as i stood there in silence - not even speaking of good things - the turmoil within me grew worse 3) the more i thought about it, the hotter or angrier i got, igniting a fire of words:
Shew.... sure sounds familiar to me. Just like a lot of people (me included) who the devil gets them to chew on the wrong that was just committed against them....and then they either hold it in causing sleep and digestive or other bodily problems like anxiety or what have you, or they let someone have it, in the most unkind way.
But how in the world do we keep ourselves from sinning by exploding? Or letting that hurt, cause us many sleepless nights, or digestive problems. How do we forget, forgive and have the peace of mind that Paul is telling Timothy about, that Christ came to give us? Cuz remember that as Jesus was basically telling the disciples "good bye" and praying for them....He told them that He was giving them His peace. And in my mind...that is peace of mind and when a person has peace in their mind, then the body follows suit.
As many places in the New Testament tell us to forgive, and walk in Love (God's Love that He shed abroad in our hearts when we were born again Romans 5:5..or in other words....He poured into our hearts His Love, when we accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior and Ezekiel 11:19 that says "and I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take way their stony, stubborn heart and give them a tender, responsive heart ). But honestly how does one stop the musing or as google puts it..reflecting (which is not bad unless you are reflecting on the fact that someone just ripped you a new one or tore your heart to shreads....or any other thing that is negative). The answer is to meditate and put into practice Philippians 4:8 And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Some of you may think...yea right that is easier said than done...and as i struggle sometimes, i can agree with you, but the only way to get this mindset changed is by practicing it. Or consistently putting this gift of the Word into practice. Being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer only. And vs. 9 says to keep putting into practice what you have learned. And this goes along with Romans 12:2 which says "Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way that you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
The amplified says it this way......do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to it's external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by it's new ideas and it's new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. Wow sounds like by meditating on the Word of God...the true, pure things of God, or even blessings and pure happy things that have come from God....we can change our attitudes and find peace in our minds...which flows into our bodies (as science has proven that stress kills, and has other affects like ibs and acid reflux...etc. or even anxiety and mental illness).
Romans 8:5-6 says it this way...."those who are dominated by the sinful nature, (which according to the Bible worry is a sin also) think about sinful things (musing which leads to unforgiveness and anger and possible worse), but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit" (parenthesis added are my words). And pleasing the Spirit can also be said as pleasing God. Vs.6 says that "letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. I don't know about you....but the peace in my life sounds better than hanging onto all of the stress and unforgiveness and what not.
One last thing that i want you to see is that unforgiveness and musing cause one to be in strife with another person or persons. And according to James 3:16 whereever there is jealousy and selfish ambition (or strife), there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. So as we allow the musing (and if you are musing...you have not truly forgiven) and unforgiveness in our minds and hearts....not only does it open the door for the devil to take a shot at you that he did not have coming, which results in trials in our lives, confusion and sickness in our bodies..... it also causes a temporary wall between us and God (till we repent according to 1 John 1:9), and causes a lack of peace in our minds and lives.
James 3:17-18 says that the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others (not condoning being a doormat). It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favortism and is always sincere. 18) and those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.
So please consider "Humbling yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you......James 4:7-8a
Jesus paid for our sins on the cross with His Blood. And He defeated sin....so that it no longer has any authority over us (Romans 6:14). So even if you trip up and make a mistake...confess it and get back up and toddle some more...till you can learn to walk.
Blessings
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. I plan to read it at least a dozen more times....cuz i know God was speaking to me as i wrote it, and i can learn a lot by studying everything that He gave me.
