Battlefield of the Mind

The title of this post is borrowed from a book by the same title written by Joyce Meyer several years ago. I read it at the time, but I don’t remember much now. Hopefully I can get around to rereading it in the near future.

I wanted to expand somewhat on an earlier post about how our thoughts lead our actions. As Meyer wrote, “Think about what you’re thinking about.” During the course of a normal day thousands of thoughts pass through our consciousness. Most thoughts are related to our work and routine—“I need to write checks today,” or “What should I make for dinner?”  Some thoughts are truly random and meaningless—“I wonder what color Dennis Rodman’s hair is now?” (A good percentage of these seem to end up on Facebook!) Then there are thoughts that influence our choices—“What is on TV that I want to watch? Is it worth watching or should I be doing something else?”

At this time in my life, the thoughts that preoccupy my mind are ones that are entangled with emotions. Our memories are peculiar things, and those memories that involve strong emotions come to the surface most easily. If I ask what you were doing on January 15, 2005 you probably couldn’t tell me. But you can easily remember where you were on September 11, 2001. Of course the same is true of our personal history—the events that were especially good or bad often come to mind even without intentional thought. For those who have experienced some traumatic events, the darkness of that time can tend to overshadow a lot of smaller good events, and it takes some work to cut the trauma down to size in order to focus on something more positive. I’m not trying to minimize anyone’s pain, but we can’t let it color every day of our past, present and future.

Besides trying to put our memories in perspective, sometimes we need to uncover the source of thoughts that may seem random and yet elicit confused emotions within us. For example, if you make a mistake do you say, “Oops, I need to fix that,” or do you say, “I’m an idiot!” If it’s the latter, why are you belittling yourself by labeling one mistake as if it were a terminal disease? We all make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we are idiots, failures, or hopeless. Speak the truth to yourself.

More specifically, if a temptation to sin flits through your mind, do you tell yourself, “I can resist that temptation,” or do you think, “I’m such a sinner I can’t even stop the thoughts from coming”? I’m convinced that the enemy plants thoughts in our minds, and just the presence of the thought is no reflection on our faith or holiness. But how we respond to that thought is critical. If we are accustomed to giving in to the temptation, we need to learn to “resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). It takes ongoing practice to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).

In The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges gives perhaps the best explanation I’ve read of our responsibility in regard to holiness. Through Jesus Christ we have received salvation, justification and sanctification. We are no longer slaves of the old master. That means we have the option and ability to say no to sin and to obey God. Jesus made it possible, but we have the responsibility of putting it into practice. Sin is a choice.

The enemy is always going to try to make us sin, and he’s going to try to convince us that we are hopeless and helpless. As we were reminded during communion this Sunday, God convicts us of specific sins we need to repent of, but the enemy condemns us of being perpetual sinners, failures, and unworthy of God’s love. When those accusations come, we need to remind ourselves that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). God never said, “I’ll forgive you when you’ve proven you’ve changed and stopped sinning.” I also find comfort in 1 Corinthians 6:11—after Paul has listed many categories of sinners he reminds us, “And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.”

When the anxiety about our salvation or our sinfulness comes to mind, we are reminded, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6-7). I used to think these verses were just talking about the typical worries that fill our prayer lists like health, safety, and salvation of loved ones. But lately I find that I’m relying on God to guard my heart and mind in regard to my thoughts, and so I turn those anxieties over to Him and I give Him thanks for what He has already accomplished through Jesus Christ as well as for what He is doing in my life now and in the future. “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). What better assurance is there?

Whose Standard Do We Follow?

I’ve been thinking about Sunday’s sermon on Romans 13:11-14 as well as some of the ensuing discussions. Paul makes no distinction between “big” sins and “little” sins in verse 13. As David wrote in Psalm 51:4, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight.” All sin is committed against an infinitely holy God and is therefore equally wrong. When the Day of Judgment comes, we won’t be compared with one another or with Hitler or Mother Theresa. We will be compared only to the perfect standard of God. Thankfully, as believers we are “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9), so we don’t need to fear that day.

However, I think many of us tend to get complacent about sin. We’ll let the “little” sins slide without much complaint and often without confession. Jerry Bridges writes, “Our first problem is that our attitude toward sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We are more concerned about our own ‘victory’ over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve the heart of God. We cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success-oriented, not because we know it is offensive to God” (Pursuit of Holiness). If we truly believed that every sin is offensive to God, wouldn’t we be more inclined to root it out of our lives? Even as I’ve confronted sin in my own life, I think my motivation has been often to “make a better me,” rather than to honor and obey God in all things. Yes, I do want to see progress in my life, but I know it should be for God’s glory, not my own.

This is where we may get bogged down in debates over the reason for obedience. Are we trying to obey because 1) we fear punishment, 2) we want to earn salvation or repay God’s grace, 3) we love God and want to live as His children? There may be some other variations in between as well. I don’t want to get into that debate here except to say that legalism is a poor motivator for real lasting change in our lives. (Has the song “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see” ever helped anyone avoid temptation?!)

In Ephesians 4:22 and following, Paul reiterates what he wrote in Romans, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” It certainly sounds like Paul believes this to be an achievable goal. I have to say that personal experience has left me skeptical, but I hope and pray that one day I’ll be able to agree wholeheartedly.

The struggle we all face is how we can bring our condition in this fallen world more into alignment with our position in Christ. Scripture is full of declarations about who God has made us to be—free from sin, reconciled to God, redeemed, forgiven, totally accepted by God, and secure in His unfailing love. I’m still trying to figure out how it all works. What I do know is that I need frequent reminders of who God is and who I am in His eyes. I can’t get anywhere on my own, without heavy doses of Scripture, and without people who will keep speaking truth into my life. I’m thankful for the brothers and sisters in Christ that God has placed in my life for such a time as this.

I was reminded of a quote from C.S. Lewis, “It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased” (The Weight of Glory). We prefer the passing pleasures of sin instead of the glorious holiness of God. Sin is easier to pursue and yields quicker rewards, but it doesn’t bring any lasting joy and peace. Loving God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30) is far removed from daily life for most of us. I want to want God more than I want everything else, and my prayer is that He will change my heart such that I seek Him more constantly and consistently than I ever have before.

Unresolved and Resolved

First, a side note—while it's true that my writing can sound a bit like preaching, the fact is I'm preaching to myself first and foremost. I just hope that others may also benefit from what I need to learn.

I've mentioned before that I don't make New Year's resolutions. It isn't that I don't have things I'd like to change, but I've been disappointed by the futility of trying to discipline the flesh apart from the intervening work of God. Jesus didn't come to reform us in the flesh, but to transform us into new creations. Having said that, I realize that we have to spend a lifetime in this fallen, fleshly body before we get to enjoy the full benefits of the new creation. And while we’re here we’d like to make the best of it. So here are Scriptures things I’ve been thinking about that have helped me to reframe my thoughts about resolutions. While I’m focusing on sinful actions, the same principles apply to anything that is unwise or unhealthy.

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately corrupt; who can understand it?” (Jer. 17:9).  “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander” (Matt. 15:19). Our lives are basically controlled by our mind/heart, and everything we do, both good and bad, starts with our thought processes. A sex addict doesn’t suddenly find himself in a hotel room with a strange woman and not remember how he got there. A woman on a diet doesn’t eat a pint of ice cream and not remember picking up the carton. Every wrong action begins with a first thought, a second glance, or a few steps on the familiar path.

“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh to gratify its desires” (Rom. 13:14). Just as wrong actions initiate from our thoughts, the solution also has to start in our thoughts. It’s easy to think, “I can handle that little temptation without giving in.” We’re wrong more often than not. Resisting temptation and changing habits may require some significant changes in our routines—avoiding certain places or situations that tend to trip us up, finding people to keep us accountable, and fixing our attention on things that will lift us up instead of pulling us down. “Whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, worthy of praise—think about these things” (Phil. 4:8).

I am reminded of a time many years ago when I was frustrated and fed up with a lot of things. I decided in my mind that I was going to go buy some alcohol as a way to cope with the issues. (I’m not saying that drinking is necessarily bad, but my motives were certainly wrong.) So I went to a grocery store I didn’t normally frequent, to try to remain anonymous. As I was scanning the aisles, who should I run into but someone from church. That scuttled my plans pretty quickly!

Sometimes God intervenes when we plan to sin, but sometimes He lets us sin and then face the consequences. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). We don’t always want to look for the way out, but we need to learn to do so if we are really going to change.

“Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…” (Rom. 12:2a). Personally, I know that I need to be more intent upon filling my mind and my life with good things so that I’m not consumed with the bad things. I want and need to spend more time in Scripture and in conversation with God. Writing is one way for me to focus on Scripture and apply it to my life, and journaling helps me to pray coherently and not drift off into random thoughts (or to sleep!). So while I’m not making specific resolutions, I am taking steps that will initiate change in my life and by God’s grace I hope to continue on this path.

Un-Merry Christmas

The more pop Christmas music I hear (and it’s unavoidable), the more I realize how disconnected most of it is from real life. “Tis the season to be jolly;” “Have a holly, jolly Christmas, it’s the best time of the year;” “There’s no place like home for the holidays;” and “Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light, from now on our troubles will be out of sight.”

Let’s get real! A lot of us aren’t going to have a jolly Christmas for various reasons—depression, death, national tragedies, unemployment, terminal illness, divorce, family discord, etc. Even saying “Merry Christmas” is a bit of a stretch, though that is somewhat better than “Happy Holidays.” If you don’t know what someone is going through, don’t tell them how to feel about this time of year! Many folks are just biding their time until the shopping frenzy dies down and life can get back to a regular routine. (I purposely did not say “normal routine” because, as Patsy Clairmont said, “Normal is just a setting on your dryer.”) Of the secular songs, my favorite is “If We Make It Through December.”

I can accept most of the more Christian Christmas carols (except for Little Drummer Boy). At least they have some link to our faith in a Savior born in Bethlehem. As some have pointed out, the first Christmas wasn’t all that merry either—registering for taxation, a stable for a delivery room, babies and toddlers killed by a paranoid king… There’s nothing that would make me want to live in that era, not even for a chance to see Jesus in the flesh.

Jesus told the disciples, “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy” (John 16:20). As we are getting closer to the Second Coming, and we may hope these are the end times, there will be increased mourning, strife, and hardship. Things are going to get worse, not better. Jesus continued by saying, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). So even though this season may not be filled with happiness, you can still have peace in Christ, hope for eternity, and joy in knowing you’re not alone.

As I shared on Facebook, here are a few of the true gifts that are available in Christ and they cannot be taken away from us:
Joy unspeakable - 1 Pet. 1:8
Grace unending - 2 Cor. 4:15
Love unfathomable - Eph. 3:19
Peace incomprehensible - Phil. 4:7
Wisdom unsearchable - Rom. 11:33
Power incomparable - Eph. 1:19
Patience immeasurable - Rom. 2:4

May your Christmas be blessed with the knowledge of our Savior’s love!

Abundant Life

“I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b).
 

What is this full, abundant life? I’m not sure I have it all figured out yet, but here are a few thoughts. The word used here is the same root word used in Matthew 14:20 and 15:37 referring to the abundant leftovers from feeding the 5000 and the 4000. It is also used in Romans 5:15 referring to the grace of God “super-abounding” through Jesus. It is more than enough, overflowing, extraordinary, profuse, and superfluous.

 

The context of John 10:10 is Jesus’ teaching that He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep and they know Him and follow Him; He lays down His life for the sheep; He protects His sheep and cares for them. He is not simply a caretaker, but the owner and master of the sheep. He has a vested interest in the flock. Psalm 23 is a beautiful picture of our relationship with the Shepherd.

 

I should note that some have used John 10:10 as a basis for their “health & wealth” doctrine, claiming that God wants to give us abundant physical blessings. I won’t take the time to refute that here as many learned men have already tackled that subject. There are plenty of Scriptures that could be cited against that teaching.

 

So what is this abundance? Second Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” Ephesians 1:3 puts it this way, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” Paul goes on to list some of those blessings in the next several verses: chosen, adopted, grace, redemption, forgiveness, wisdom and understanding...

 

We have the Creator and Lord of the Universe as our Father— we are heirs together with Christ. “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights” (James 1:17). This page lists just a few of the promises we can claim in Christ:
http://ficm.org/index.php?command=textwhoamiinchrist

 

If we believed all that the Bible says is true about us, perhaps we would come closer to experiencing this abundance in our daily life. But the fact is that our life on earth is marred by sin—both our own and others. The creation itself is damaged by the effects of sin. We live in bodies subject to disease and death. Governments, societies, and churches are full of flawed people with limited understanding. So this life often seems far from abundant. In 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 Paul writes that God “consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God. For just as the sufferings of Christ are abundant for us, so also our consolation is abundant through Christ.” The sufferings of this age are tempered with the grace of God, and are used not only for our growth but for the growth of others.

 

Abundant life overflows to others. “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). We reflect God’s light and life to those around (Phil. 2:15). We are conduits of God’s grace.

 

A final thought comes from Matthew 28:20, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” No matter what we go through, the good, the bad and the ugly, Jesus is with us. We don’t have to ask Him to show up or plead for His attention. He is there whether we acknowledge Him or not. And not only is He present, He knows from personal experience what it is like to suffer in this life (Heb. 2:14-18), and He “knows what you need before you ask Him” (Matt. 6:8). When life is hard and we feel like we’re just barely getting by, we can take comfort in knowing that God knows our needs, hears our prayers, and is always present. The abundant life doesn’t depend on our feelings—it is already ours in Christ. May we all be encouraged by this truth!

 

 

Thoughts on Discipleship

The following thoughts are based on recent discussions at church, books I’ve read, as well as my personal experience. I don’t claim to be any kind of authority on the subject of discipleship, so I’ll just say these are my own opinions and should be run through the filter of Scripture for validation. These are in no particular order.

Small Group Discipleship

There seems to be a tendency in certain groups or authors to imply that discipleship is necessarily one-on-one. While there are instances where that is the case, I don’t think that is definitive. Jesus spent most of his time with a small group of twelve. Certainly He was closer to some than others, but there are few places in the Gospels where He speaks just to one person, and even then they appear to be single conversations, not ongoing relationships. The Apostle Paul may have spent more time with individuals such as Timothy, but most of his teaching letters are to groups of believers. So small group Bible studies, Sunday school classes, youth groups, and so on can certainly be settings for discipleship to take place.

This is encouraging to me when I start feeling like I’m not doing everything I should because I don’t currently have a one-on-one relationship in which I am intentionally discipling someone. As I participate in some groups there are still opportunities for discipleship to take place, and I don’t have to chastise myself for my perceived failures.

A Two-Way Street

From my own experiences I’ve learned that discipleship is not necessarily one-way either. As we love one another, encourage one another, and spur one another, that is often a reciprocal relationship. So as I interact with other believers, I don’t have to act like I’m the teacher and they are the student or vice versa. We can all learn from one another. I think perhaps these types of relationships are the most enjoyable—walking the road together and discussing what we see and what we can learn from it.

Since my job is in a Christian organization and my outside activities are lately all church related, I wonder how I’m supposed to make time to build relationships with non-believers for the purpose of discipling them. This takes some of the pressure off with the realization that the majority of discipleship takes place after conversion. And we all have different seasons in life when our community activities and relationships will change.

I signed up for a class in discipleship when I was in graduate school, and in the first session the instructor said, “By next class you each need to go out and find a non-believer and you’re going to disciple them this semester.” I immediately went to the registrar and dropped the class. That kind of pressure was way too much for that setting. Some instruction in discipleship was needed before laying that burden on us. (I’ve often wondered if others dropped the class as well.)

Relational

Some authors suggest, if not state outright, that discipleship needs to be a prescribed program of Bible study, reading books, and scheduled meetings. That idea really frustrates me. Outside of seminary, there are few times and places where you can follow a set curriculum and schedule.

My own experience in being discipled through college and graduate school was much more relaxed and almost entirely related to what was going on in my life at the time. It was all about a relationship with one another and with God. There were some times when we shared books, and we frequently discussed Scripture, but it was by no means a regimented plan. As I said earlier, it was walking through life together as friends, not as teacher instructing student.

God’s Work

Ultimately, spiritual growth is God’s work, not ours. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.” Paul and Apollos served to exhort, encourage, and edify many people, but the final result was the work of God. What a relief to know that it doesn’t rest on my shoulders! I’ll do what I can as God leads, but God is the one who will cause growth in my life and in the lives of those I interact with.

As I look back on some relationships, I see that the people have grown far beyond anything I ever imparted to them because they’ve gotten connected with other believers and God has done great things in their lives. But other relationships have stagnated and the people seem to have lost their original zeal for God. I don’t blame myself for that (at least not most of the time). I pray that I planted a seed that at some point will be watered and start growing again. Only God knows what is needed and when that should happen.

We’re Unique

I’ll just close by reaffirming that God has called us each to make disciples as we are going through life, but that process may look different for each of us, and it may look different in the various phases of our lives. It is unfair to try to fit any believer into a particular mold, because God has made us each unique. He works differently in and through each of us depending on the gifts He has given us and the path He has laid out for us. I’m encouraged by these thoughts and I hope they help someone else too.

 

In Everything Give Thanks

Yesterday as I was driving home I was listening to Jan Karon’s book In This Mountain. I’ve read the book a few times before, but needed to be reminded of the sermon Father Tim shares in chapter 19 on 1 Thessalonians 5:18. Here’s a brief excerpt:

“In everything, give thanks… Generally, Christians understand that giving thanks is good and right. Though we don’t do it often enough, it’s easy to have a grateful heart for food and shelter, love and hope, health and peace. But what about the hard stuff, the stuff that darkens your world and wounds you to the quick? … A deeper spiritual truth, I believe, lies in giving thanks… in everything. In loss of all kinds. In illness. In depression. In grief. In failure. And, of course, in health and peace, success and happiness. In everything. There’ll be times when you wonder how you can possibly thank Him for something that turns your life upside down; certainly there will be such times for me. Let us, then, at times like these, give thanks on faith alone… obedient, trusting, hoping, believing… Whether God caused it or permitted it, we can rest assured--there is great good in it.”

So with that reminder yesterday, along with a similar sermon on Psalm 107 this morning, I’m giving thanks for this season of depression in my life, and endeavoring to find the good in it-- strengthening relationships with some friends; new relationships with others in my church family; opportunities to encourage those in similar situations; a job that allows me the time I need for rest and recuperation; reminders of God’s presence in good times and in bad; learning to pray more frequently and faithfully; and most of all a Savior who knows me better than I know myself and loves me more than I can yet imagine.

For a variety of reasons, I’m not inclined to believe that I’ll ever be completely free from depression, one of which is that God has to keep reminding me that I need Him as well as His people. Otherwise I’m quick to become self-reliant. Only when I am weak can His strength show through. I found the following poem by Benjamin Malachi Franklin that my grandmother had copied into the back of a book:

“My life is but a weaving, between my God and me.
I do not choose the colors, He worketh steadily.
Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow; and I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper and I the underside.
Not ‘til the loom is silent, and shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas and reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares; nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those who leave the choice to Him.”