Happy Thoughts part 5
You can believe whatever you want. I think I've gone on record saying that many times. But my question is: If there's a more excellent way (and there IS a more excellent way) why wouldn't you choose that? I generally quote Deuteronomy 30:19 when I talk about this choice, so I'll go ahead and do so now. "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live." It's like... here's the choice... AND here's the right answer. You can listen to what the world is trying to convince you of by screaming at the top of its lungs... or you can listen to the still, small voice inside you that is only saying one thing over and over. The Word of God. Love. When you listen to THAT voice... everything else falls into place. When you know and believe that you ARE loved... you CAN love. And when you set your affection on things above, and not on things on the earth, that's when you let the mind of Christ (that's already in you) BE in you. That's when you start using the mind of Christ. Not just knowing the happy thoughts that God thinks toward you, but actively thinking those same thoughts. About yourself AND about others. Because that's the whole point of the whole thing: Receiving AND releasing. Receiving BY releasing. Thinking the thoughts, and then putting them into action. Because love is more than just an idea. The Word (Jesus, love) became FLESH and dwelt among us. And then, through the cross, the Word stopped merely dwelling AMONG us and took up abode WITHIN us. The Word, love, became Charity, love in action. Our thought life defines our life. What you believe is what becomes true for you--again, not just any old thing. You can't say, "I believe I'm a millionaire" and then check your bank account and expect to have millions of dollars. But out of the two choices, the Lord or the world... life or death. You don't have to believe everything you think. It's the idea behind 2 Corinthians 10:5, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." NOt that you should go around chasing thoughts in order to try to beat them into submission and bring them into captivity. Exactly the opposite, in fact. Some thoughts you just need to let go of. Hold onto the ones that are good, and pure, and edifying. And let go of the ones that drag you down. Keep your affection on things ABOVE. And don't let anything else trip you up. Lay aside that sin (unbelief) and that weight that so easily besets you. I know its easy to get tangled up in things. To chase thoughts around until you're all messed up. Its easy to trip and fall. But there's also this: "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen" (Jude 1:24-25). That same God (who is love) that lives inside of us can, and will, keep us from falling. We don't have to let the world drag us down. And in fact, when Jesus (LOVE) is holding us up NOTHING can drag us down. When the light shines, the darkness can do nothing but flee. When you think happy thoughts--by casting your cares on Him, because He cares for you--happy things will manifest in your life!