Mind renewal through the Word and life lessons.
Excerpt
Preface
One of the things that I was not aware of as a new believer in Christ was that there exists a “culture of silence” in the church. It has been my experience that things that happen in the everyday lives of people are not being discussed honestly and openly among “church” folk so that healing and deliverance can take place. Many times, those things are shrouded in a veil of silence.
There are people in churches all over the world who are hurting and going through trials, tests, painful experiences, crises, etc., but you would never know it because we hide behind a curtain called phoniness that offers a protective shield from those things which are painful. We, as Christians, are as adept as anyone when it comes to maintaining the phoniness facade. Week after week, we arrive at the local church dressed in our “Sunday best” accompanied by a big smile. When asked how we are doing, the response sounds something like, “Oh everything is going well. Praise the Lord!” I understand the power of positive confession or calling those things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17), but I also understand that sometimes it becomes necessary to share what’s going on on the inside with others. Sometimes, you just need to be “real.” I am not advocating sharing your situation or circumstance with anyone who will listen, but rather share it with a spiritually mature, trustworthy Christian who can offer you effective prayer, godly wisdom, and godly counsel.
Do you ever feel like you are the only person going through a particular test or trial? Did you ever wonder if there were any others out there who could identify with your situation? I have often felt this way, and it was not until I began to write this book, and allowed others to read it, that I came upon individuals who had had the same or similar experiences. The irony is that we were having some of the same issues; yet, we had never discussed them with one another. We just kept them under lock and key, tucked safely away, inside the phoniness box.
In hindsight, I have to admit that I had assimilated into the “culture of silence” in the church rather covertly. I can’t even pinpoint when it happened, but I found myself a part of a socially acceptable more, within the church, that I didn’t even know existed. I found myself imitating what others were doing, or should I say “not doing?”
I began to forget that each week I was coming into contact, in the church, with “real people” who had “real problems” that required “real solutions,” and I was one of them. I entertained the idea that things were going well for others due to their outward appearance and their response to my inquiry about their welfare. Can you say, “Don’t judge a book by its cover?” I was satisfied with this mindset. Can I be real with you and talk about my issue for a minute?
My assignment, in this endeavor, is to share my real-life, everyday experiences with others. Some will identify with the same and/or similar situations while others will locate themselves immediately and unequivocally. My hope is that my transparency in breaking the “culture of silence” will help someone else get delivered. It’s just that simple. Throughout the writing of this work, I have tried to write in love under the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
With this goal in mind, I will have completed my assignment as unto the Lord, and I am satisfied.
Meditations of the Heart, Life Lessons for Renewing the Mind: Volume 1 has been written as an outgrowth of various life experiences. A scripture that has sustained, supported, rebuked, corrected, renewed, changed, inspired, delivered, and/or strengthened my walk with God supports each experience. My prayer for you is that you will allow the Spirit of the living God to minister to your heart
as you read. As a result, I believe your mind will be changed and/or renewed about the matter unswervingly.
Introduction
Your thinking determines your decisions.
Your decisions determine your actions.
Your actions determine your habits.
Your habits determine your character.
Your character determines your destiny.
Secrets of the Millionaire Mind,
T. Harv Eker, 2005
Divine destiny is the reason that you and I are here. God has a divine destiny for each of us to fulfill. It is a destiny that has been created by design. If you read the statements above again, you will discover that your thinking starts the process of reaching that destiny. Only when you and I, as believers, meditate day in and day out upon the Word of God can we begin the process of renewing the mind or changing the way we think. By becoming a Christian, you and I have
made a quality decision to become a new creation “in Christ.” The old previous moral and spiritual condition has passed away. Behold, the fresh and the new have come (2 Corinthians 5:17)! The “newness” the Bible refers to includes the mind, but the process is neither something that takes place by osmosis, nor does it take place overnight. In other words, renewing the mind is an ongoing process that requires time, work, and diligence.
There was a time when each of us was “in the world,” and we
thought and acted like the world. As members of the Body of Christ, we must now accept the responsibility for aligning our thinking and thought processes with the Word of God if we are to ever have and enjoy the life Jesus died to give us. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2:
Do not be conformed to this world (this age),
[fashioned after and adapted to its external,
superficial customs], but be transformed
(changed) by the (entire) renewal of your mind
[by its new ideals and its new attitude], so
that you may prove [for yourselves] what is
the good and acceptable will of God, even the
thing which is good and acceptable and
perfect [in His sight for you].
The alignment of our thinking and thought processes with the Word of God must penetrate the psyche to the point of total and complete saturation. In time, new thought processes will begin to take over our minds at both the conscious and subconscious levels. Worldly or carnal responses to situations and circumstances, along with old decision making habits, will begin to be replaced by godly thoughts and godly habits. These new thought patterns and habits will influence and determine our character, which then determines our destiny. Divine destiny is why we are here. Are you starting to get the picture?
Read more about MEDITATIONS OF THE HEART: Life Lessons for Renewing the Mind – Volume 1 and Yvonne Anderson HERE.
Copyright 2010 Yvonne Anderson. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
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