Mind Management – Part 4

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

Here are two more examples of mind management. A thought knocks on the door of your mind and says, ‘You’re so wonderful, the world is lucky to have you.’ Typically it’s the kind of thought you’d welcome, but you don’t do things the typical way. You submit it to the authority of Christ, and as you uncover the Sword of the Spirit, His Word, you learn that pride doesn’t please God. ‘Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself.’ As much as you’d like to embrace an exalted image of yourself, you can’t. You only allow what Christ allows. Here’s another example: this time it’s temptation. If you’re a male, the thought comes in a low-cut red dress. If you’re a female, it comes in the form of the hunk you’ve always admired. Temptation whispers, ‘It’s all right, you’re both consenting adults.’ If you aren’t under Christ’s authority you throw open the door, but if you are you say, ‘Not so fast.’ Then you take this steamy thought before Jesus and ask, ‘Yes or no?’ And nowhere does He answer more clearly than 1 Corinthians 6 & 7: ‘We must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever…Is it a good thing to have sexual relations? Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them’ (1 Corinthians 6:16-17; 7:1-3). Now, armed with the opinion of Christ and the Sword of the Spirit, what do you do? Unless the tempter or temptress is your spouse—you slam the door shut. End of story!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank You for having power and authority over my mind – and giving me Your Word as the “operator’s manual” for my mind. In Jesus’ Name, Amen