Where Good Healthy Spiritually Thinking Starts.

What I say may or may not be elementary but sometimes even when things seem to be elementary they can be easily over looked.

We are creatures that love to look inward at ourselves… and sometimes we may look too deeply into ourselves or a situation and make ourselves miserable.

Life outside self. To find "life" we have to look pass our own feelings, thoughts, distractions, evaluations and circumstances.

To "persevere" and find "strength" and "hope" we must look past ourselves to the one who set up the very foundation of hope.... GOD.

To find restraint and keep every dark seeded thing from "flying out" we must trust God more then ourselves. We must listen to God more then we listen to ourselves and watch out for carefully crafted pointed suggestions from the enemy... Satan.

In truth that can be very difficult at times especially in anguish and sorrow. Thank God for His Holy Spirit that prays for us when we can't seem to pray.

When life has got you down or frazzled or you seem to be just barely clutching onto some kind of healthy spiritually thinking, ask "rooted" questions to yourself.

Examples:
1. Where do these thoughts come from?
2. Are these thoughts actually true or are they my assumptions of what I perceive?
3. Are these thoughts based on what God has told me or what the world wants me to believe?
4. Am I seeking revenge or trusting in God's justice.

I am constantly amazed how far my mind can drift, get intoxicated or fall asleep in a short period of time by thoughts.

In college some of my friends would refer to this as: "How far off the dock are you willing to walk?"

Ever look down from your thoughts and realize there is nothing between your feet and the pointlessness?

I find myself at fault of this. I will be working on something and my mind will drift to these ideas which will play with my emotions.

I wish I had a better thought filter or trap because sometimes I can sail quite a ways down river before I realize I need to get myself back where I need to be spiritually.

Kind of like body boarding. You are body boarding the waves at the ocean- out in front of your beach "spot" and before you know it... the current has taken you down the beach a ways and you have to end up walking half a footballs field length to back up the beach to your beach "spot".

Sometimes I asked myself, if God’s spirit is living inside of me, why do I even bother listening to these suggestions that are slung at me throughout the day? Where is the "thought" filter that keeps the "slug" out of the mental pump?

Now imagine being intoxicated or under the influence of a drug or even a powerful emotion. That is where sin can take a great foot hold in a person's thinking and life. That is why God says,"And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' Mark 12:30

Because who do you trust in the mind and heart, if you don't trust and love God? What is the outcome if a person trusts and loves only themselves and what they receive from others?

A man finds out his wife is cheating on him. How is he going to constructively handle the situation? He certainly isn't going to handle the situation correctly if he trusts in himself. Not saying it doesn't hurt a man if his wife cheats on him but how is he going to constructively handle the situation better if he looks to God in contrast to looking into himself.

Paul said this in Philippians 3 "I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes everything is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him."

You depend on the praises of men, the money of men, your possessions, your looks, your friends, your spouse, your health, your position, your portfolio, your retirement, what do you got when they fail you? (Those who know the bible think about Job.)

Where does your mind go when they fail you?

Christ Jesus said this in Matthew 16:24-26
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

It's a choice a person has to make everyday if not every minute of the day. You want to think clearly and healthy- don't just trust in in what you see or perceive but trust in God. He is higher then our thoughts and when we put him higher then our thoughts (and we don't give into our thoughts) he gives us peace and right action- even though it may be difficult.

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven where Christ sits at God’s right hand in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:1-4)

It's starts with your choice.

He's Listening - Hold on.

Ever hear these words in your heart? "O' Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I need you the most?" (Psalms 10:1)

I am sure David hasn't been the only one who felt this way... And (if we are honest with each other) you and I have felt the same way from time to time.

It is like a wall has been put up between God and us.

God where are you?

Our minds starts to wonder as we try to rationalize why we aren't hearing from God. It starts to wear and drain on us and before we know it we are a mess and confused as person who gets up in the middle of the night and forgets he is staying at a friend's house.

God hasn't gone any where....

My oldest daughter talks so fast sometimes I have to tell her to slow down and take a breath. I enjoy our talks but sometimes it just seems like just this ramble of noise and there is no insert point where I can join in the conversation. Sometimes we like my daughter, we get so involved in ourselves that we don't hear what God has to say to us.

Ever know anyone is who so very self orientated?

They sound like the entire world is against them at times. They constantly have doubt, fear, anxiety, and they can make up entire situation that hasn't even happened yet to make themselves angry and even sick to their stomach.

Drifting is a dangerous thing. Allowing thoughts that are not even base on fact to nest in your mind can cause major havoc.

Remember where God has placed you. When you gave your life to God and he then in turn gave your life to Christ- you were put on a solid rock where you began to see all truth.

There is are to sayings that the Holy Spirit constantly reminds me of:

Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God.; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"

Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God. - R. W. Emerson

We can hear from God when we "exalt" him over thing else in our lives- including ourselves. We let everything take a subordinate position to him and in allowing him to be exalted over everything else we have peace and can hear him clearly. Hearing him clearly we do not just have peace but we can handle conflict "constructively".

Matthew 28-29 Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.

Cast your cares on the Lord BUT also listen as you cast your cares on the Lord. Make sure you know what direction the Lord is heading and wants you to take because if you don't you will find yourself in a struggle again.

Example: I wanted to work on the car the other morning but I had received plenty of signs that I wasn't (mentally) ready to take on that challenge but because "I" wanted to get the job done "I" proceeded and what was only going to be a $234 job to fix jumped another $200 dollars, more scraped knuckles and a lot more work. Needless to say I was plenty upset.

We also too often forget and not recognize the dark spiritual powers in this world. We get so tied up in ourselves and in the world works that we may not be seeing why God is not helping us at that moment and instead of waiting we charge ahead and fail miserably. I HATE THAT!

Remember the angel who got held up fighting a fallen angel and because of the brawl it took a while for the prophet to get his reply from God? Well in same way, God does prepare the way. We just have to be willing to listen and wait until he has prepared the way and the direction we have to take.

So cast your cares, listen, exalt, and wait for direction for He is listening and waiting.