The Mind part 2
The other day I was trying to decide whether or not to do something. And Amanda said, "You don't have to justify yourself. If you want to do it, go ahead." I replied by saying, "I'm actually just trying to convince myself to do it." And it turned out that I didn't need to do it at all, and it kind of worked itself out as something of a spectacular disaster. Because what I thought I needed to go get... I already had. And the whole time I was pretty sure I already had it... but I didn't trust myself. I didn't trust my gut. See... letting the mind of Christ that's already in you BE in you is all about trusting your gut. Following your heart. Letting God's Word (which is Jesus, which is love) be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. In that case, I talked myself out of something... by talking myself into something. Remember where we ended yesterday's Rant? The words of a king have power. Let me take it to even another level: "Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye" (Mark 7:13). We know the truth... and knowing and believing the truth is what sets us free and makes us free. But sometimes we let that lie creep in. There's a song lyric that says, "I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what if feels like." And a lot of the time that's where we're at. We are ruled by our feelings. Our emotions. I always say, "Feel what you feel. But don't let it control you." Because I think emotions are important. And, as someone who doesn't display a lot of them, I think I have a unique perspective on this. Because people get frustrated with me sometimes because of my lack of emotions. But just because I don't always show it, doesn't mean I don't feel it. Point being: you should never let anybody tell you how to feel. Feel what you feel. That's important. If you're sad... be sad. If you're angry... be angry. But don't let those feelings control you. Let something else control you. "Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life" (2 Corinthians 5:14 NLT). You can be sad and still love people. You can be angry and still love people. Love is all-powerful, right? Love is the Rock that we build our lives on. Love is the Word of God, and the thought that God thinks with His mind. So its the thought that WE think with His mind--when we LET what's already in us BE in us--and its the Word that we say. Your thoughts, or your beliefs, dictate your actions. And when you think love... the Word is made flesh. Love becomes charity. Which is love in action. The mind controls the body. Not our emotions all of the time, but that ultimate truth of the universe that says "God is love and He loves you." So I guess what I'm trying to say today is that you don't have to believe everything you think. And you don't have to try to talk yourself into, or out of, anything. Because deep down inside there's a still, small voice telling you the truth over and over and over again: I love you... I love you... I love you. And when your mind is full of love--full of LIFE--that's when a life of love overflows out of you and you experience the abundant, everlasting, eternal, Resurrection Life of God!