Exercise Your Mind

"If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
Colossians 3:1-3 (NKJV)

If you want to develop your muscles, you need to exercise.  But, to properly exercise your muscles, you need to do the right kinds of exercise.  For example, if you wanted to strengthen your legs, you would not do pushups.  If you needed to develop your cardiovascular system, you would not do exercises that are just for your arms.  By doing the right exercises you can develop and strengthen your body.  If you do not do any exercise, you are actually still making an impact on your body, it is just that the impact will be a negative one.

The Bible says a lot about the mind and our thinking.  The Bible talks about renewing the mind (Romans 12:2) and the right kinds of things to think about (Philippians 4:8).  Unfortunately, this is an area that many Christians have not paid the proper amount of attention to.  If we do not renew our mind and think about the right things, this can lead to other problems, because our thinking and believing are connected.  You cannot believe something you have not thought about, and you will think about the things that you believe. 

Colossians 3:2 tells us to "set our minds on things above", which is talking about what we think.  To "set your mind" can be defined as, "to exercise the mind".  If we think about spiritual truth, we will exercise and develop our mind, just like by doing certain exercises we would develop our body.  Rather than just struggling with wrong thoughts, depression, and stress, we can have a stronger mind through continually thinking about godly things rather than earthly things.  Start exercising your mind today by thinking about God's Word, and you can develop a strong thought life.

A Good Word

"Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad."
Proverbs 12:25 (NKJV)

If you want to start a fire, you need the necessary elements, fuel, and oxygen; with these things, you can easily start a fire.  But, if you start a fire and add water, the fire will go out.  If you take away either fuel, or oxygen, you will also be without a fire.  This same thing is true in many other situations.  To have a certain thing, you need to have the elements necessary to properly create that thing, but even if you have the right elements, and you add something else, you will change what you had at first.

One thing that some people struggle with more than others is anxiety, which can lead to depression.  The dictionary says that anxiety deals with a concern about some trouble, some problem that may come at some time.  Everyone can have a feeling of anxiety when they hear some negative news, but it is what we do with that feeling that matters.  When someone is dealing with anxiety, or depression, that is a problem, but the Bible tells us that a good word can make the heart of someone with depression glad. 

If someone is dealing with anxiety and stress in their heart, in their life, Proverbs 12:25 says that a good word will make them glad, and a good word would certainly include God's Word.  On the other hand, if someone is hearing a "bad word", that can lead to anxiety and depression.  If we focus on and talk about the negative side of life, it will bring anxiety, stress, and depression.  But by focusing on and saying the right things, by saying what God says in His Word, we can successfully deal with anxiety, stress, and depression in our own life and in someone else's life.

A Biblical Accent?

"The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds learning to his lips."
Proverbs 16:23 (NKJV)

Over the years, I have met people from many different nations who do not have English as their mother tongue, but who do speak English as a second language.  Many of these people have an accent when they speak English, which is understandable, and some people have a more noticeable accent than others.  Sometimes the accent a person has helps you identify where they are from and what their first language is, but that is not always the case.

When someone speaks a language and they have an accent, it shows you that the language they are speaking is not their native language, but their native language and how they speak it influences how they speak their second language.  In the same way, we can have a biblical accent, so to speak, because we have God's Word in our heart and that is shown with what we say.  The best thing is if our speech is accented with biblical truth and it is apparent to other people that we spend time in God's Word. 

Just like someone who speaks English or another language as their second language can have an accent, because they are used to saying things a certain way, Christians should have a biblical accent that shows that we are used to saying things from a biblical perspective.  We do not have to walk around quoting Bible verses, but it is better if what we say is influenced by what we know from the Bible and our relationship with God.  A biblical accent is something that we should not want to lose, but something we should all develop.

Pointless Projects?

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep.
Psalm 127:1-2 (NKJV)

What if you had a great idea, maybe about some project, or some aspect of self-improvement, but to accomplish this goal you had to have some tools for the project, or you needed some equipment or something else for the self-improvement idea?  If you needed something to help you successfully complete what you are planning on doing, you would need to have that necessary thing before you start.  If you try to do something without having what is necessary, you will not succeed.

We might have good ideas about something we want to do, especially as believers, and we may even have some good plans about how to bring those ideas to pass.  But the thing that is most necessary for us to successfully do what we are doing is to be sure that what we are doing is in line with God's plans and purposes.  We may have great ideas, but are they only our ideas, or is it also a "God idea?".  We can have great ideas and great plans, but if they are not in line with God's plans we will fail.

The Bible says that God is our Helper (Hebrews 13:6), but that does not automatically mean that anything and everything we do agrees with His will for our life.  Whatever idea we have, whatever opportunity comes to us, whatever direction we believe we have from God, must be checked with God's Word, His plan for our life, and the direction of the Holy Spirit.  If what we do is not in line with God's plans, then what we do will fail, and it is just a pointless project.  If God is with us in what we do, then we will be successful.

Faith Pleases God

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Hebrews 11:6 (NKJV)

There are some things that people have said were impossible, but those things were only something someone had not yet done.  People said it was impossible for man to fly, to send a man to the moon, or to run a mile in under four minutes.  But there are some things that really are impossible.  For example, you cannot go swimming unless you are in some water, and it is impossible to flap your arms like a bird and fly into the air. Knowing what is possible and what is impossible is helpful to be able to see what can and cannot be done.

The Bible talks about how our goal should be to please God (2 Corinthians 5:9), and most Christians would say that they do want to please God.  But the question then is, how do we please God?  Is there something we can do that will please God, or is it just that we do are best in life and hope that this somehow pleases God?  Thankfully the Bible gives us the answer, it takes faith to please God. In fact, Hebrews 11:6 says that it is impossible to please God without faith. 

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that it is impossible to please God without faith, so then faith must be very important.  In Ephesians 2:8 it says we are saved by grace, through faith.  In 2 Corinthians 5:7 it says that we walk by faith and not by sight.  These verses show us the importance of faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God, so how do we get this faith that is so important?  The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of God.  It is by our faith in God's Word that we please God and live the life He has planned for us.

Drifting Away From The Truth

"Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away."
Hebrews 2:1 (NKJV)

If you have a boat, there are things you need to do to take care of it.  One thing that is necessary with a boat, when it is in the water, is to have it anchored or tied to a dock, or something else.  If you do not use an anchor or tie up the boat, it will eventually just drift away.  No one would intentionally let their boat get away from them, but unless the boat is secured in some way, sooner or later that boat will be gone.  How far away the boat drifts depends on several factors, but without something to keep it in place, the boat will drift away.

It is good to hear God's Word and learn about who God is, what Jesus has done for us, who we are in Christ, and what God has planned and provided for us.  But it is not enough just to hear about this one time, this is something we need to hear about, read about, think about, and talk about again and again.  Making what we hear a part of our life is an important way to make sure that what we know and understand is more than just something nice that we have heard. 

As Hebrews 2:1 tells us, we need to pay attention to what we have heard, so that those things do not slip away from us.  If we hear the truth, but do not do anything with the truth that we hear, that truth can slip away from us.  The problem for many Christians is not that they have not heard and do not know the truth, but the trouble is that the truth they have heard has slipped away from them.  We need to not only learn God's Word, but we need to make it a part of our life so that it does not slip away from us.

Night Vision / Bible Vision

"while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
2 Corinthians 4:18 (NKJV)

If you have ever been outside in the dark, where there was not much light, you know that it can be difficult to see things.  Eventually, your eyes will adjust to the reduced amount of light and then you can see things better.  This does not happen instantaneously, but it is amazing how much we can see in the dark once our vision is adjusted.  There are also different devices available that can help us see in the dark, but just with our eyes adjusting to the lower light level, we can have a better view of things in the dark than we did at first.

Normally, and especially before we are Christians, we view things from a natural perspective, but as Christians, we need to have our "eyesight" adjusted to see things from a spiritual perspective.  If we do not get our "eyesight" and perspective adjusted to seeing things from the spiritual, and not the natural perspective, we will not only miss out on things that God is trying to reveal to us in His Word by the Holy Spirit, but we will live a life based on natural facts and not spiritual truth, and we will live below the standard that God has for us. 

The Bible says we live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and that we do not look at, we do not focus on what is seen, natural circumstances, but what is unseen, spiritual truth (2 Corinthians 4:18).  When we look at things from a biblical perspective, at first it might be hard to do, but eventually it becomes easier for us as we adjust to seeing things based on biblical truth.  Just like having our eyesight adjust to different light levels, we need to adjust our perspective on how we view things, to go more from the natural to the spiritual.

Open Book Test

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)

When I was in school, we took tests for the different classes that we had.  Sometimes, we had what they called an open book test.  This was a test that was different from the usual tests, because we were allowed to use our textbooks to look for the answers to the questions.  This was a much easier test, unless you did not know what was in the textbook.  If you had read the textbook for the class, and you knew what was taught about the subject at hand, the open book test was easy to successfully complete.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul wrote to Timothy about four different things that God's Word is profitable for: doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.  These four things fit into two different categories: beliefs, and actions.  Doctrine and correction here are talking about having right and wrong beliefs, and instruction in righteousness and reproof are talking about right and wrong behavior.  God's Word shows us the right things to believe and do, as well as showing us the wrong kinds of beliefs and actions to avoid. 

God's Word shows us right and wrong beliefs, and actions, so it really is simple for us to understand what we should and should not do, as well as seeing what is right to believe and what is not.  The Christian life is like an open book test, where we go through life and whatever challenge we face we can go to God's Word to see what we need to do.  Life can be challenging and testing at times, but we have an open book, the Bible, that helps to show us the answers we need to the questions we face in life.

Ignorance Is Not Bliss

"Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant."
1 Corinthians 12:1 (NKJV)

The phrase "ignorance is bliss" is said to refer to someone who is not aware of a problem, and because they are not aware of it, they do not worry about it.  While that may be true, ignorance is not really a good thing.  Ignorance is defined as a lack of knowledge, education, or awareness.  While not knowing something may make it easy not to worry about it, ignorance does not make the problem go away, or solve the problem.  Knowledge is better than ignorance, and by having knowledge and understanding about something we are better off.

There are several times in the New Testament where we are told that we should not be ignorant.  In 1 Corinthians 12:1, Paul told the Corinthians that they should not be ignorant of spiritual gifts, in 2 Corinthians 2:11, Paul talked about not being ignorant of the schemes of Satan, and in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul told the Thessalonians that he did not want them to be ignorant of the fate of believers who had died.  All of these verses show us that God does not want us to be ignorant of biblical things. 

If we are ignorant of what God has said about something, then we cannot effectively operate in it.  If someone is ignorant of the fact that God's love is in them (Romans 5:5), they may live their life believing they have no control over their emotions and attitudes.  If someone is ignorant about what it means to be a new creation and the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17, 21), they may live a life below the standard that God has provided for them.  Ignorance of God's Word is not bliss, it is dangerous and it can hinder us from living the life God has planned for us to live.

No Changes, No Adjustments

"Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven."
Psalm 119:89 (NKJV)

If you have ever signed a contract, booked a room at a hotel, or made some other kind of legal agreement, you have the terms of what you are involved in written down in a contract.  Your responsibilities are outlined, and the conditions of what you are doing are described so that there is no question about what you have, what is expected from you, and what you can and cannot do.  Once the contract is settled, there are no changes or adjustments that can be made to the contract.

The Bible shows us Who God is, God's plan for mankind, what Jesus did for us, and everything that has been provided for us because of Jesus.  What we call the Old and New Testaments are really a legally binding contract that God has set in place with mankind.  This contract, or we could use the word covenant, is settled and there are no changes or adjustments that will be made, or need to be made to it.  What God has said in His Word is unchanging, and we can be certain of its validity. 

Unlike the word of man, God's Word is forever settled, it is unchanging, it is reliable, it has no expiration date, and it is still as true and as powerful today as it ever was.  While we may think that somehow what we see in God's Word does not apply to us, that God's Word may not fit our situation, or that somehow we are an exception to what God has said, the Word of God has never changed and it does not need to be adjusted to fit us, it already applies to us and it will always work for us.

A Personal Experience, Or Just A Nice View?

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"
Psalm 34:8 (NKJV)

Recently I was at a restaurant that had a display case showing all the different types of cake that someone could have for their dessert.  As I entered the restaurant with my friends, we stopped to look at the selection of cakes, and we were already making our decision about which ones we were going to choose.  That was nice, but what if all we did was look at the cakes in the display and we never ate any cake?  It was not enough to just look at the cake that was available, we had to place our order and eat the cake to get the full experience.

For many people, Christianity is just a religion, or a theory about a good way to live.  For some people, Jesus was just a nice teacher who said some interesting things, and the Bible is just a good book with many fine things to say.  For anyone who falls into any of these categories, Jesus, Christianity, and the Bible are something that they have looked at, but things that they have never personally experienced.  We need to do more than just think nice thoughts about God, Jesus, and the Bible. 

The Bible tells us in Psalm 34:8 to taste and see that the Lord is good; we are told that we need to have a personal experience with God, Jesus, and God's Word.  If we only do some 'window shopping' with what we see in the Bible, and we never take hold of those things for ourselves, then we are missing out on what God provided for us through Jesus.  We should all do more than just look at what God has given us; we need to make it a part of our life and live the blessed life that God has planned for us, and be a blessing to others.

Rest Or Stressed?

"There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His."
Hebrews 4:9-10 (NKJV)

Getting enough rest is important in order to live a healthy life.  However, getting enough rest is more than just getting enough sleep at night.  Many people today are not at rest, they are not at peace, because of the things they deal with in their own life and what they see happening in the world.  If, for example, we are not sure about being successful, if we are concerned that we will not be able to meet our needs, and we are anxious about the future, then we are more stressed than at rest.

In Hebrews 4, it talks about a rest for the people of God, and that we can enter into His rest.  When we are trusting God to help us in every area of our life, then we are at rest.  If we fully put our faith and confidence in God, and not in ourselves, then we are at rest.  If we are relying on God to guide us in the way we need to go and that He will give us direction about how to live our life, then we are at rest.  If we are not trusting God for these things and we are working to accomplish these things for ourselves, then we are in a place of stress rather than rest. 

Christians talk about trusting God, but often they are full of anxiety and they are stressed.  These people spend their time trying to figure out what to do, and they put all their energy and effort into making their own way in life without trusting God to help them.  There is a place of rest for God's people, and that place of rest comes by putting our faith in God and trusting Him.  If we are living a life of faith and trusting God in every area of our life, then we are at rest and peace, because we are confident in His provision.  Don't be stressed, but get into rest by fully trusting God in every area of life.

Travel Light

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,"
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV)

When you take a trip somewhere, it is necessary to pack a bag with what you will need for your trip.  What you pack, and how much you pack, will depend on where you are going and how long you will be there.  People normally take these things into consideration when they are packing, because it would be foolish for someone to just grab some random things and put them into a suitcase without stopping to think about if what they are packing is really necessary for their trip.

Hebrews 12 talks about a race that is set before us, which is referring to the life that God has called us to live.  The Bible talks about how we should live a life that fully pleases God (Colossians 1:10), and we see how Paul said that what really matters is finishing the race that God has called us to run (Acts 20:24).  But we must consider not only how we are running, but what do we have with us as we run our race?  Are there things we are taking along with us on our race that we really do not need? 

In the same way that no one would pack something that is unnecessary for a trip they are taking, we do not want to have things in our life that are unnecessary and that could weigh us down as we run our race for God and do His will.  We need to be sure that we only add things to our life that are really necessary to run the race God has called us to run. If our life is filled with things that we do not really need to fulfill the will of God, then we are just adding unnecessary weights to our life that will slow us down and hinder us from doing the will of God.

Historically Accurate?

"And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.  And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it."
Colossians 2:13-15 (NKJV)

When a movie is made about some actual event that took place, or if a book or article is written about the event, it is a good thing if the movie or book is historically accurate.  If the topic is some person, some battle, or some other event, the movie or whatever is written should check into all of the relevant facts about that person or event to be sure that what is portrayed is correct.  If someone was to make a movie, or write something that is not historically accurate, it could result in people having a misunderstanding of the real event and what actually happened.

Jesus was crucified almost two thousand years ago.  But even though this is a fact that has been historically recorded, some people doubt the authenticity of that event, while others talk, teach, and write about it in a way that is not biblically or historically accurate.  Completely doubting or saying the crucifixion did not take place is one thing, but for someone to misrepresent what really happened is something else.  Too often people have said, taught, and written things about what Jesus did that are not biblically or historically accurate. 

The Bible tells us about what Jesus purchased for us on the cross, and tells us about everything that belongs to us now.  Because of what Jesus did: we have been given a new spiritual life, our sins are forgiven, we have been set free from the Law, and the enemy has been defeated. If those biblical facts are not presented correctly, then we have not been given a biblically and historically accurate account of what Jesus did for us.  Check the Bible facts for yourself to learn what Jesus did for you, and don't accept any biblically or historically inaccurate facts about it.

Who Put You There?

"And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry,
although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
1 Timothy 1:12-13 (NKJV)

Over the years, I have had several different jobs in various capacities.  In some jobs, I was promoted to an oversight and leadership position.  Sometimes, when I was first put into the position, people might ask me who put me into that leadership position and who gave me the authority to do what I was doing.  Once I explained to people who it was that gave me the position I was in, things worked well.  However, I was not able to just put myself into that position, someone else had to designate me as the person who would have that job with that company.

In 1 Timothy 1:12, Paul explained how God put him into the ministry, because God saw that he was faithful.  God placed Paul into the spiritual leadership position that he held, even though, as Paul explained, he did not have a wonderful past.  God put Paul into the ministry as He saw best, Paul did not place himself there, and Paul really could not have done that.  Paul could have taken some ministry position or office, but without God actually placing Paul into the ministry, what Paul was doing would not have succeeded.

God has a plan and purpose for every person, and just like He did with Paul, God still places people into the ministry today.  Paul's former life as a Pharisee, and the mistakes that Paul made, did not qualify, or disqualify Paul from what God had called him to do.  Yes, Paul needed to be faithful in following God's plan for his life, but it was God who put Paul into the ministry.  We need to discover the plan that God has for our life, and be faithful in it, allowing God to be the One who places us into whatever aspect of ministry He chooses to put us into, we cannot do that for ourselves.