Renewed Mind - Part 1 - A Wounded Soul

We often criticize people who are self-centered or who are touchy, angry or combative. We do not realize that they are simply trying to survive.

They are wounded and attempting to protect their soul from more pain. They will hurt us before we get the chance to hurt them; even if we have no intention nor desire to harm them.

If our words, tone or behavior even hint at aggression, they will attack us with vehemence and even violence. A teenager at the children's home where we lived and worked interpreted my behavior this way.

She ended up pushing me out the van door backwards where I landed on my head on the pavement. I blacked out and revived with dizziness and a pounding headache; so they rushed me to the emergency room.

I survived the ordeal, but I often wonder if she did. They put her in the time-out room and quickly moved her out of our home; so we lost track of her. Her lifetime of abuse caused her to abuse me.

Another reason we over-react is that our soul is governed by sin (Romans 7:20-23). We miss the mark of God's holiness and fall into unregenerate behavior (Romans 8:29). Satan uses this tendency for his purposes.

Our only hope for freedom from emotional wounds and the penchant of our flesh to sin is the saving power of Jesus Christ. His Holy Spirit transforms our spirit and soul through regeneration and sanctification (Titus 3:5). Trust in Him today.

Prayer:

Father God, we look forward to Christ's return when You shall put everything under His feet. He will rule and reign over the earth for eternity from the throne in Jerusalem of His ancestor, King David (2 Samuel 7; Luke 1:32-33, 2:11). Israel will finally rejoice in the coming of their King Jesus (Matthew 24:8; Romans 11:1-2, 26; Isaiah 66:8; Ezekiel 37). 

You will even put Satan away for eternity, wrapped in chains in hell (Revelations 20:2). We look forward to this new age. Peace and prosperity will fill the earth and all nations shall dwell together in unity and righteousness (Micah 4:1-7; Isaiah 42:1-4). There will be no crying there, and all emotional and physical sickness shall be healed (Isaiah 51:11).

Thought for the Day:

Only God can truly restore and comfort our soul (Psalm 23:3; 2 Corinthians 1:3); then He allows us to use this same comfort to help others who are in any affliction (2 Corinthians 1:4-5).

Too Proud to Believe

 

Our human penchant for self-centeredness and rebellion stems from our pride. Pride is the downfall of every human being. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). This is what caused Adam and Eve to believe the serpent’s lie that they could be like God. Mankind still wants to be like god, and many New Age religions promote this falsehood, as if saying or believing it will make it so.

The wonderful news of the Gospel is that Jesus Christ dwells within us and gives us the nature of God, as we are led by God’s Spirit. He also gave us His Word, which is His ultimate wisdom. Over the years, hundreds of Biblical prophecies were fulfilled just as they were predicted to occur (Isaiah 42:9). This proves that the Bible is true and trustworthy. We can stake our life and our eternity on it.

God’s Word also informs us of historical and scientific facts, which it took humans years to discover using experiments and research. These scientists and historians validated the scriptures as the result of their studies and tests. Actually, the truth was in front of them all along! Even today, mankind is still finding answers to age-old questions in the pages of the Bible.

Prophecy, history, archeology and science continually prove the veracity of the Bible (Psalm 119:160). We can believe it, because its words are true (John 3:12). God, Creator of heaven and earth, gave us the answers to our origin and our destiny, which people of every generation still ponder. Archeologists uncover, almost daily, the proof of Biblical claims. Yet many are still too proud to believe.

Prayer:

Father God, there is no reason that we should allow our pride to prevent us from accepting Jesus as our Savior. We thank You for bringing us to our knees through the circumstances in our life. You humble us for our benefit, and then You bless us for our humility. You are an amazing and loving Father, and we cannot find anyone or any philosophy, which mankind invented, that fulfills us and completes us like You do (Colossians 2:10). You gave us Jesus as our sacrificial Lamb and He dwells within us by Your Spirit.

Thought for the Day:

With specific details, simple truth, and flawless precision, God's Word consistently reveals to us the origin of our past and the destination of our future.

Satan's Hoax

God warned Adam and Eve that sin would bring them death and destruction. However, when Satan offered them what seemed to be a more appealing alternative, they chose to believe Satan over God (Genesis 3:4). The path of least resistance is always more appealing to human beings, and Satan loves to convince us that there are no consequences for disobeying God.

Sin always pushes us beyond our comfort zone and costs us more than we can afford. Satan uses our desires to hook our flesh. He makes something that we see, we want to feel or that appeals to our pride to lure us away from holiness (1 John 2:16). Lust locks on and pulls us against our will. Sin entices us to forget God’s Word and to neglect our relationship with Him.

Some people lose confidence in God and rely more on their human reasoning. God calls us to focus on the spiritual rather than on the material; but our flesh nags us to pursue carnal quests instead. Satan makes sure that we are aware of the worldly philosophies of modern comedians and new age practitioners. They disparage the Word and ridicule our faith in an unseen God (Acts 17:23).

Satan gave Adam and Eve a false sense of security based on his evil lies. He convinced them to do what their heart told them to do and what seemed right in their own eyes (Jeremiah 17:9; Genesis 3:5-6; Proverbs 21:2). As a result, we now work by the sweat of our brow and with pain in childbearing (Genesis 3:16-17). Adam and Eve regretted that one decision for the rest of their life.

Prayer:

Father God, we all lost Paradise, which You provided for us, when Adam and Eve sinned. It seems that the modern mind wants tangible proof of Your existence. They discount the exact order in the galaxies and nature, as well as the miracle of human birth. They give credit to some big bang rather than to You. You are under no obligation to prove Your self to us; yet, You reveal Yourself in dozens of different ways every single day. We are just too wrapped up in our hectic lives to pay attention. Draw us close to You and never let us go (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-8).

Thought for the Day:

God supplies all of our needs according to His own assets and splendor. – Philippians 4:19

A New Life is Possible

We are born with a body and a soul – our mind, will and emotions. On the other hand, our spirit – our connection to God – is dead in Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12). We grow up searching for some way to revive that dead spirit. We try money, clothes, shoes, cars, homes, education, thrills, immorality, success, beauty spas, cruises, relationships, and knowing all the right people. They only serve to frustrate us, however, because there is no reality in them.

Many try the intellectual route by improving their mind through pursuing philosophy and all of the education channels available. Some pursue physical excellence with martial arts, diet and rigorous exercise routines. Others dabble in spiritual pursuits such as Eastern religions, Satanism, the occult, witchcraft, sorcery or New Age ideologies. We still ache deep inside, however, because our spirit is dead (Ephesians 2:1). This is when we realize that we need a Savior.

There is only one truly fulfilling and lasting source of salvation, however, and that is Jesus Christ. The first rung on the ladder to spiritual maturity is to recognize that Jesus became what we are, so that we might become what He is. Jesus became sin, so that we may have His righteousness. By faith in Jesus Christ, we actually become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). When God looks at us, He does not see a struggling human being, but a glorified saint. Our spirit is reborn and we find peace and fulfillment that were never possible through any other venue.

Faith is the promise of the things we hope for and the evidence of things we cannot see (Hebrews 11:1). We surrender our old, carnal nature to God and He creates in us a whole new person (Ephesians 4:24). We exchange our sin nature for the righteousness of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 5:8). We unite with Christ in His death and arise to live a whole new life in Him (Romans 6:6,11). God conforms us to the image of His Son by sanctifying our soul a little more each day (Romans 8:29).

When we walk away from sin in all of its forms, we pursue holiness and Godliness instead (Romans 6:2-4). Christ removes all of the condemnation we accumulated over our years of sin (Romans 8:1). He frees us from our sin nature as we choose to live as a bondservant to God now and throughout eternity (Romans 6:22). We no longer reap the consequences of sin, but enjoy the benefits of abundant, eternal life in this world and also in the next (John 10:10).

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, by You all things were made (Colossians 1:16; John 1:3; Col 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In You, our life is made complete (Colossian 1:28, 2:10). As we surrender to Your will for our life and walk in Your truth by the guidance of Your Holy Spirit moment by moment throughout the day, we have everything we need to live a fulfilled life now as well as in eternity. We thank You for the abundance You provide for us in this life, as well as in the next.

Thought for the Day:

Living a committed life of faith and trust in Jesus Christ results in fulfillment in every area of life.