Each of us is presented with the choice to either conform or be transformed. Conforming denotes our deliberate participation in worldly patterns while the renewing of our minds happens through a process of us being transformed by God's word. When we allow our minds to be transformed, we begin to process the world around us through God's lenses. Let's take a look at the concept of forgiveness. This morning as I was spending time with the Lord I began to think about my carnal nature. When someone hurts my feelings, it is my innate desire to retaliate. Why? My pride gets wounded and I feel humiliated. I think, 'How dare they do that to me? Who do they think they are? What gives them the right?' Then I read Romans 12.
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse." Romans 12:14
"Do not repay anyone evil for evil." Romans 12:17
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink." Romans 12:20
How is this possible? Why should I treat those who wound me, with kindness? Perhaps God, in His infinite wisdom, knows that if I mirror the actions of my enemies, then I begin to embody the very nature that has caused me pain. If I emulate Jesus Christ, then I become more like Him. The foundation of being transformed lies in our submission to Jesus Christ. This submission includes our minds, as well as our bodies.
There is a battle ensuing the spiritual realm:
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13
The armor of God is for our protection. How are we to stand in the midst of the battle without putting it on?
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. Ephesians 6:14-18
The armor is protective, to provide a defense against attack. Yet, there is one part of the armor that can be used both offensively and defensively-the 'sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' Being transformed by God's word enables you to become spiritually discerning. Putting on the helmet of salvation protects your head, your mind from the lies that often inundate us through this journey called life. If we truly believe and accept God's love, His offer of salvation, then the negative reinforcements that appear from our past and present can be crippled in the sight of His mercy. The shield of faith is in applying the truth of God's promises to our minds, thoughts and hearts. We cannot spread the gospel of peace without forgiveness. We need God's transforming Word to teach us righteousness and truth. Jesus prays in John 17:7, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth." The battlefield of the mind must be fought in submission to God's truth.
We at BGO hope you have enjoyed our 'Battlefield...Is It the Mind?' series. We look forward to your comments and feedback. Please click on the comments link below. Next Tuesday we will be featuring a Guest Writer. Her name is Minister V and she has chosen to share a most personal and powerful word/testimony with us. It is on an EXTREMELY relevant topic! Stay tuned, you will be blessed!
3 comments:
Forgiveness is so important for us to do. Forgiveness is a disease it brings sickness in the body mind and spirit.
I have a little testomony a couple of months ago I injured my knee on the job, my boss was suppose to guide me as to what procedures when have a injure on the job.
My boss lied on me on paper he told me CEO I did'nt injured my foot in work but i have injured it in church and it was not true.
The Holy Spirit told me to Forgive my boss he told me if i am suppose to work on behalf of you forgive him.
I told the Holy Spirit that he is on the phone and he was busy. The Holy Spirit told me he is available. I Forgive my boss look at god work on behalf of me. To god be the Glory.
Forgive its important thing to do. Be encourage god bless everyone.
Hey Anonymous, thank you for sharing your testimony with us! Yes, it is important to forgive. Isn't it incredible how unforgiveness can become a stronghold in our lives? God DOES work on our behalf, eh?! Yup!
Thanks for sharing this testimony. I'm encouraged to hear how God blessed your obedience and your decision to forgive.
Thanks BGO for delving into this topic ... I am finding that it is foundational to our health and strength as Christians and in our walk with the Lord. We need to be constantly reminded of the need to renew our minds, because we are so prone to slipping back into faithless thought patterns. If we don't allow our thoughts to be conformed to the Word of God, we become weary and discouraged so easily. And many things that happen in life could make us anxious or bitter.
When we develop the mind of Christ by submitting our thoughts one by one to Him, over and over, and spending enough time filling our minds with God's Word, we will have the buffer we need to keep us strong against the enemy's fiery darts. And having the mind of Christ will help fill our hearts with His promised peace.
I am trusting that God will groom me and grow me so much in this area, that one day soon it will actually become unnatural for me to worry or fret! I am understanding that I have everything I need to win this battle, all I, or we, need to do is receive it by faith. To believe that God can transform us in this area, and then allow Him to do it. If we attempt it on our own, we will always fail.
And when it comes to forgiveness, the more we love God and submit to Him, and the more He changes us, the more we will be able to see others as made in His image, and loved by Him as well ... and the more we will be able to have His heart for forgiving wrongdoing towards us.
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