Guest Post by: Rob Atkins
Ok, maybe it’s just me, but when I was younger I used to think once I got like 40 or 50 I would have everything figured out. I mean, surely by then all of life’s answers would be clear. Really, how tough can it be? You get married, have a family, and buy a house. You go to church and everything should go smoothly, right? Guess what? For the most part it has.
Now I am sure you’re saying, “Come on you’re trying to tell me that life has not thrown you some curves. There’s not been some devastating moments in your life’s journey.”
No, I am not saying that there’s not been moments that shook me to my core beliefs or that I haven’t questioned why this or that happened. The real answer has come through the understanding that my mind has to be renewed daily. I know that may sound a bit cliché and, yes, I understand some of you have said, “I am done with church; I am done with people,” and I get it, trust me I do.
The fact of the matter is, deep down in you and me, our spirit yearns; it cries out.
There’s still a longing that we can’t turn off. The battlefield in our mind tries to destroy the communication it needs with our spirit. Why? Because it is in direct conflict with our spirit. Think about it. Your mind will take a suggestion and turn it into lust. Your mind will take one word and turn it into offense. Your mind will take God’s love and turn it into judgment. Our spirit and our heart are really one. When we lose heart, whether in people or in our belief of something, our mind jumps at the chance to reinforce it. That’s why it’s called head knowledge. It goes with what’s right in front of it, not taking into consideration how one moment affects the other.
Your spirit, on the other hand, desires to please God. Our spirit should have the ultimate say so. That’s why it’s so important that our mind be renewed daily, to bring it into right alignment with our spirit.
So with that in mind (no pun intended) it’s crucial what we allow to be imprinted on our heart/spirit. Our actions must match up to what the Spirit of God in us is trying to convey. It’s vital we recognize this, then take the proper steps. We can have the type of life we’ve dreamed of, but it will not happen if we think we can do it without God in our lives.
So here’s the challenge:
How do we accomplish this? We take ownership of our actions. Yes, parents, family, friends, pastors, husbands, wives, kids, bosses, ex’s,…shall I keep going? All may have let us down, done something to hurt us, they might even be the cause of where we are now. That, however, is called blame and the only person ultimately harmed by that is ourselves.
It’s not easy, this journey we call life. Saying words like forgiveness, trust and love are difficult to say to others, especially when we feel short-changed in those areas. I know lots of people who have allowed moments to turn into a lifetime of mental struggle.
I encourage you, don’t let your mind have the final word. Search your heart; find that place of desire and passion. There’s no shortcuts in life. Learn from yesterday, embrace today and have faith in tomorrow. Trust the God inside of you.
Psalm 49:3 (AMP) My mouth shall speak wisdom; and the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
