The Mind of Christ: Chapter 15

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Hello My Lovely Ladies,

It is very helpful to a believer to learn to discern life and death within himself. If something is ministering death to you, don't do it any longer. When certain lines of thought fill you full of death (every kind of misery), you know immediately that it is not the mind of the Spirit. ~Joyce Meyers Never have I thought " I am so fat!" and had that thought lead me life. In fact, that single thought always opens to the door to one negative, demeaning thought after another that leads to a position of finding everything wrong with me and nothing good. And pretty soon, my emotions are all roiled up and I end in a place of total disgust with myself. It is a total blackout. Meaning my heart becomes darkened with self hate. I begin to hide myself with baggy clothes. I stop caring about my looks because, "It doesn't matter anyway, I am so fat and ugly who cares!" These are poisonous thoughts. They lead to death. Definitely not the mind of the Spirit. I am learning to ask the Lord for help in recognizing these "dark path" path markers. I no longer have to walk in these places of darkness. His word says, 1 Peter 2:99 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.~I must learn to recognize the dark death thoughts as they enter my consciousness and reject them by focusing on His way of thinking about me. He has called me out of this place of darkness in my thinking about my self, BECAUSE He has made a place of marvelous light for me........this place is one where I know His truth about me and it sets me free.

Let us learn to discern, according to His word, death and life, and live it out in our lives. Let us help one another do this by building up and encouraging one another. Together, we can remind each other of the path of life. We can be transformed in our thinking.

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So today as I am giving further to mediation to this chapter I am finding so many more things that are wonderful. Depression runs very strong in my family line and is something that feels like it is always looking for a foothold in my life. This chapter on having the mind Christ deals with depression. I think it is very important to give attention to it.

Joyce writes:

"God wants to lift us up and the devil wants to press us down. Satan uses the negative events and situations of our life to depress us. The dictionary definition of word depress is 'to lower in spirits: sadden.' According to Webster, something depressed is 'sunk below the surrounding region: Hollow.' Depress means to sink, to press down or hold down below ground level. We regularly have the opportunity to think negative thoughts, but they will only press us down further. Being negative won't solve our problems; it will only add to them."

Boy, do I find this true. This week, I am facing a relationship that is not what I would like and my mind is filled with negative thoughts about this situation. It seems hopeless, it felt hopeless. I know that if I am learning something from God, I will be tested in it. And so I am. This relationship, was becoming very discouraging to me. I felt overwhelmed in grief over what I wanted and needed and am not getting or seeing. This discouragement seemed to pollute my heart. All my minutes where spent trying not to think about it but still thinking about it. I felt depressed, sink and held down by my discouragement.

Here is what Joyce writes:

Depression oppresses a person's spiritual freedom and power. Our spirit (empowered and encouraged by God's spirit) is powerful and free. Therefore, Satan seeks to oppress its power and liberty by filling our mind with darkness and gloom. Please realize that it is vital to resist the feeling called 'depression' immediately upon sensing its arrival. The longer it is allowed to remain, the harder it becomes to resist.

Far too often when people get depressed, it is because they are in need of something, and they seek it in the wrong place, which only adds to their problems."

I found this to be so true. This week I so struggled with allowing my perspective of my situations and my needs to rule in my thinking. I was miserable. At first, it just started with me being sad about what I wasn't seeing. But as time passed and my thoughts had time to reproduce. My heart became heavier and heavier. Till by Friday, I was completely lost in hopelessness. I know what God says about this situation but my mind couldn't seem to focus on that and my emotions rioted against peace and hope.

Finally, the Holy Spirit quicken my heart that I was allowing myself to rule in my thinking, instead of Him. The path I was on was death. Only I didn't recognize it because it was very much real or true. Just because a path is true, doesn't make it right. I had to repent for allowing Jenni to rule. My needs in this situation were very high. My hurt emotional thoughts were a justification for me to be on that path of negative thinking. My unconscious thought is, my needs are legitimate so this path I am on must be too, right?" Instead of trusting God to meet my needs in this relationship, I was trying to take what I needed. Oh how, I long for the day when I will trust the Lord with all my heart and all my soul and all my mind. I am still in process. This last week was part of the process. I had to locate my heart. It was in me getting what I wanted, and when that didn't happen, I medicated my pain with negative thoughts. Logical, right? But so not beneficial. In fact it only lead to more misery. I saw the situation as it was and not how God's plan for it is.

The Lord is ever gracious to me. As I cried out, He spoke this to me....."My grace is sufficient for you." Instead of looking at the reality of what I am seeing. I am going to focus on this. "God gives me the grace, I need to overcome in this situation." I felt out of control in my emotions and hopeless in my vision...that was not God's plan. It was the enemy's! As I began to speak out that I received His grace for this moment, I felt waves of peace flood my being. See, I know nothing is impossible for God. So, my impossible situation is totally possible for Him. I have the grace of God(all His power, all His wisdom, all His ability) for this relationship. That is so empowering. The more I focused on that, the more joyful I felt. He became like the Psalmist wrote in Psalms 3:3 " The glory and lifter of my head." I was bowed down, sunk in defeat and hopelessness but He lifted me up by filing me with His glory. Praise be to God!

Joyce gives 8 steps for overcoming depression. I would like to list them here, in the hope, that if you are struggling with this, that God's grace would come to you and empower you to overcome, just as He did me.

1. Identify the nature and cause of the problem:

Psalm 143:3 For the enemy has pursued and persecuted my soul, he has crushed my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in dark places as those who have been long dead.

2. Recognize that depression steals life and light:

Psalm 143:4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed and faints within me [wrapped in gloom]; my heart within my bosom grows numb

3. Remember the good times:

Psalm 143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I ponder the work of Your hands.

4. Praise the Lord in the midst of the problem:

Psalm 143:6 I spread forth my hands to You; my soul thirsts after You like a thirsty land [for water]. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

5. Ask God for help:

Psalm 143:7 Answer me speedily, O Lord, for my spirit fails; hide not Your face from me, lest I become like those who go down into the pit (the grave).

6. Listen to the Lord:

Psalm 143:8 Cause me to hear Your loving-kindness in the morning, for on You do I lean and in You do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my inner self to You.

7. Pray for deliverance:

Psalms 143:9 Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I flee to You to hide me.

8. Seek God's wisdom, knowledge, and leadership:

Psalms 143:10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me into level country and into the land of uprightness.

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God is constant. He is a living God. Inside our beings is a soul and it belongs to it’s Creator. Time is a vehicle which marks the evolution of God’s will. What measure of love our Heavenly Father has for us. No other can take credit for what God has created. He stands alone in majesty. To have the mind of Christ is to reflect the Father. In the beginning was the word and the word was God. In God’s son, the word was made flesh. Jesus is the living Word. Jesus is seated at the right hand of His Father in the Heavens. What measure of love the Father had for his Son. Light of righteousness for all eternity. Know Him who God has sent to tell us of his love for us. Walk daily in God’s Word. Seek him while he can still be found. Now abides faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is Love.


Heavenly Father,
I am so thankful that you are love. Just the thought of the word love- my soul awakes. Your spirit within calls to mine. How marvelous is your love. It can not be contained. Each day guide me to follow your will. Oh, how my soul longs to run barefoot in the hills of your Kingdom and laugh with joy unceasing. What promise you have given to us who know the salvation of our Lord, Jesus. Praise God who is and is to come. Amen.

jaajh

I read this chapter last week, and the one thing that kept coming back over and over and over again was the verse Joyce mentioned when talking about thinking positive thoughts and overcoming depressive thoughts : Psalm 143: 3-10, but particularly verse 10. Part of that verse reads "May your good spirit lead me on level ground" and Joyce made the comment that the psalmist here was referring to our unsettled emotions. My prayer all week has been that God would help me settle my emotions. I have been so up and down recently - and in the circumstances that is totally understandable. BUT I do not want to any longer be controlled by the circumstances. I want to live with the mind of Christ, and for my emotions to become more stable. By God's grace this is becoming easier as I continually bring every thought captive.

Thank you all for your messages and prayers.

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I read this chapter last week, and the one thing that kept coming back over and over and over again was the verse Joyce mentioned when talking about thinking positive thoughts and overcoming depressive thoughts : Psalm 143: 3-10, but particularly verse 10. Part of that verse reads "May your good spirit lead me on level ground" and Joyce made the comment that the psalmist here was referring to our unsettled emotions. My prayer all week has been that God would help me settle my emotions. I have been so up and down recently - and in the circumstances that is totally understandable. BUT I do not want to any longer be controlled by the circumstances. I want to live with the mind of Christ, and for my emotions to become more stable. By God's grace this is becoming easier as I continually bring every thought captive.

Thank you all for your messages and prayers.

Dearest Ali,

I just stand in agreement with your pray for us all. I pray that God would give us a vision of ourselves settled and at rest with Him, no matter what the storm of emotions that comes. Let us, enjoy the journey of life with our souls anchored in Jesus.

I love that God had you bring that to my attention again. I would like to post that scripture and one more to encourage us all.

Psalm 143:10(AMP)

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; let Your good Spirit lead me into a level country and into the land of uprightness.

Psalm 27:11 (AMP)

11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain and even path because of my enemies [those who lie in wait for me].

God is our teacher concerning our paths. That means He teaches us about our paths of emotions, paths of relationships, paths of finances, paths of career choices, paths of marriage and children. When we walk in Him, the Land is amazing. He already knows our enemies and has made provision for us to defeat them. He knows the path from beginning to end.

Psalm 23:3 (AMP)

3 He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

I am supposed to allow Him to refresh me and restore me as He leads me. That is how He wants me to walk on my Path that He has provided. I can do this because Jesus is my path and HE is alive. He is my living path.

Proverbs 2:9 (AMP)

9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path.

God is giving us wisdom that helps us understand and recognize what we need. As we grow in that our paths become so good.

Proverbs 15:19 (AMP)

19 The way of the sluggard is overgrown with thorns [it pricks, lacerates, and entangles him], but the way of the righteous is plain and raised like a highway.

When our path seems out of focus and entangled, usually when we step out of the path of Jesus, we looked to Him and we are greatly helped. Our path becomes plain and raised up. It stands out directly. May this apply to how we deal with our mind and our emotions. I would also like to point out that Jesus wore the crown of thorns on His head. The very place where we struggle. Yet, He shed his blood there for our victory. So our paths would become thorn free, well kept places of beauty, wholeness and life. Thank you Jesus!

jaajh

THANK YOU JENNI! I am so thankful that, as you say, "God knows that path from beginning to end." He is the only one who can help us walk along those even paths as he is the only one who truly knows each bump and pothole.

Have a great day today as you walk along the path God is showing you.

All still OK here. Taking a day at a time (and despite the stresses, God is teaching me SO MUCH. He is indeed good and faithful.)