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Are You Thinking Heaven?
by Britta Stones Keeping a close watch over our thought-life is crucial to having a faithful walk with God, for often a spiritual battle is won or lost in the mind in only a moment. Consider Eve, whose momentary doubt of God's command led her to reach out her hand in disobedience and eat of the forbidden fruit. While we all know the consequences of Eve's entertaining that rebellious thought for a second too long in the Garden, it's easy to forget that the spiritual battle of the mind still wages today. We may not have a serpent whispering about the merits of the fruit of the tree but just as Eve did, we can act out of our own judgement and contrary to God's truths. It is a battle in which we have to step up to the plate, because being victorious in the area of our minds can mean the difference between an outlook of peace and trust in God or one of fear and worry. Life happens, and sometimes the only control that we have over our circumstances is in the way that we think about them. Often our mental attitude towards a situation will dictate the way in which we approach it. In a workshop to discuss personal goals, I closed my eyes and imagined not reaching my target. I noted that my shoulders slumped and I felt weak and powerless with tightness around my chest. Conversely when I pictured myself achieving my goal, I stood tall with relaxed breathing. Our thoughts are more powerful than we often realise. Have you ever come across a Christian who seemed well off, but still always seemed to have something to complain about? Or someone who faced trial after trial but remained joyful? The difference in attitude is often a direct result of the thoughts that are entertained. Material belongings alone such as a big house and car will not bring thoughts of peace, contentment and joy. A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions (Luke 12:15). Instead, it is a matter of Godly focus. We need to "set our minds on things above, not on earthly things" (Colossians 3:2), as Paul encouraged the early church to do. Our call is to think about heaven, where our Lord is now and where our dwelling-place will one day be, so that the things of this earth wealth, honour and pleasure do not become our goal. We have been raised from the death of sin and given a new life so our heavenly home, where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us (John 14:2), is the right focus for our minds. As John Lightfoot said, "You must not only seek heaven, you must think heaven." Glowing examples of those who put this principle into practice are the "Ancients" listed in Hebrews 11, who unwaveringly endured untold hardships and were commended for their faith. They considered themselves aliens and strangers on earth, and were longing for a better country a heavenly one (Hebrews 11:13,16). In the flurry of everyday life, with errands to run, shopping to do and phone calls to make, thoughts of "things above" can be difficult to hold on to. Worry, anger, fear and resentment can settle in, stubbornly refusing to make way for God's truth. It pays to use the spare moments we can find, be it on the bus or waiting for an appointment, to stop "doing" for a few moments and just "be". To stop being Martha and become Mary sitting at the Lord's feet (Luke 10:39), taking some time to set our minds on things above which are more important by far. A victory in this area will not come without battles but God has equipped us for the fight. We can pray for protection of our thoughts and minds, and pray for one another's focus to be on "things above". We have the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17) and can use scriptures to counter the lies that Satan may cast our way. When it seems we have "dung-beetles in our minds", as a friend of mine describes it, we need to be ready to fill our thoughts with the truth from God's word. Many of David's psalms are excellent, practical examples of how we ought to approach life's challenges. This "man after God's own heart" (1Samuel 13:14) suffered much pain and anguish yet he took his despair to the Lord and prayerfully succeeded in moving his focus from his immediate situation to God's goodness and faithfulness. In the beginning of Psalm 13, David cried out, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" Once he had described his pain and problems, his focus shifted to God and he concluded, "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord for he has been good to me." The difference between having positive, Godly thoughts "thinking heaven" and being negative and "worried and upset about many things" as Martha was (in Luke 10:41) is profound. Our state of mind can have a powerful effect on our outlook on life and the richness of our walk with the Lord. By striving to keep our focus on God and His truths, we can stand firm in Him as life happens around us. Wife of a lay pastor and teacher, Britta Stones started working life as a news journalist. After years of employment in government communications, she returned to her favourite occupation - writing. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |