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Mind Your Mind

I love the subtle language differences in English spoken in other countries. When you come home from England, you can’t help but have the phrase “Mind the Step” stuck in your brain. What a polite way to say watch out! Silly Americans even purchase t-shirts denoting that phrase.

I’ve been challenged to “Mind my Mind” lately. I have thatnew phrase stuck in my head, and it is doing me some good. It is phrase thatcame to me after reading Romans 8:5,

“Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”

Like the phrase “Mind your Step,” “Mind your Mind” has been taking over my psyche, and through it I have noted that minding my mind will affect my spiritual life.

My mind is naturally set on what the sinful nature desires. I have to set my mind purposefully to think according to the Spirit even to consider thinking or doing what the Spirit desires. It is an all-out battle for me all day, every day. I make such high goals. I tell myself that I am only going to think about what God would have me think this entire day. It isn’t a half hour later that I have totally forgotten that goal. That’s on a good day.

Any change that we hope to make in our lives begins in the mind. We have to let go of the sinful nature and its mindset in order to take on the monumental task of letting the Spirit have our minds and our desires. Something that has helped me is to make a list of what the sinful nature desires. Seriously, you think that it is easy to know the difference, but it can be enlightening to stop and think about it. It reveals that I naturally have the mind of the sinful nature on all the time without becoming aware of it.

What does my sinful nature want: everyone to agree with me, no one to merge into my lane, God to send me mega signs of what He wants me to do for Him today, nothing to spill, spoil or spatter, everything to go according to my plan? Doesn’t sound tantalizingly sinful, does it? But it is. Romans 8:6 goes on to explain,

“The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”

When I took time to mind my mind, I could see that this was totally true. So many of the realities I uncovered as I really paid attention to my mind were according to the sinful nature, and they always lead to death. Not wanting that guy to cut over in my lane could lead to real death if I act that out and don’t drive defensively. Thinking I have any control over my day is insane in itself. Life and peace come as I accept that I don’t have any control.

Well, I’m trying to do better, with God’s help, at minding my mind this week. How about you? Have I used that phrase enough times to get it stuck in your mind? Will you mind your mind? I would love to hear the results if you do!

 

 

Copyright © 2009. Deborah R. Newman. Tea Time for Your Soul. All Rights Reserved.

 

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