Managing the Mind!

Many find it difficult to fall asleep.  We may feel sleepy while watching TV or reading a book, but sleep is gone when the head touches the pillow!  Many thoughts flood the mind and drive it away!  Fears of the future, regrets of the past, anxieties of the present day, the hurts endured, the opportunities missed, and health issues rear their ugly head when night falls!  I fell sick three years ago due to high pressure, and I struggled for almost six months to fall asleep and stay asleep. Once I wake-up in the middle of the night, I will not be able to go back to sleep.  And God taught me many essential things from His Word.  When my mind came to rest in His Word, I was able to accept many things that had happened long ago as permitted by God according to His sovereign will, and that released regrets and unforgiveness from my heart.  I was able to thank God for His protection and provision all through life.  

If we allow our thoughts to rule us, we are surrendering our minds to the flesh, and eventually, they will manifest themselves as actions. The Bible says in Proverbs 4:23, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."  Our thoughts affect our perception of other people, God, our situations, and ourselves too. Our thoughts determine our lives' direction, the quality of our relationships, and even our accomplishments or failures.  In a nutshell, our thoughts reveal who we are. The Bible advises us to set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-8).  God taught me a way of training my mind through Paul's exhortation to the  Philippians (4:8), "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things."  This way, we can reject negative thoughts, unforgiving thoughts, and impure thoughts willfully and think of all lovely and useful things!  Over time, it heals the mind!

My friend, the mind is a battlefield. Battles of addictions, temptations, evil desires, rivalry, and other things are fought in mind. They are won or lost in mind!  Through the Holy Spirit's help and His Word, we can discipline and train our minds to think right and thereby inherit peace and joy that the world cannot give.  May the Lord help each one of us!

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