Carol Burton McLeod has written a book entitled GUIDE YOUR MIND GUARD YOUR HEART GRACE YOUR TONGUE and several chapters got me! One in particular is entitled "Are There Two of Me?". She said I had waited my whole life for this chapter but I'm not sure that's true! In it she says I have a soul and a spirit (not new information) and that my soul (mind, will, emotions) "...under the influence of the fallen human nature, will try to chain you to your emotions and lead you away from the character of Christ". In other words, what I am feeling often guides my behavior and makes my decisions for me. Doesn't take a psychologist to know that's not a good thing.
McLeod says: "A powerful and well-fed spirit is able to take charge of an immature soul and demand that it doesn't go outside of the boundaries that have been set by the Holy Spirit". Here's another fact she reveals: "Scientists tell us that our emotions travel eighty thousand times faster than our thoughts travel" which says to me we have to be pretty intentional about our thoughts (or mind) driving us.
A beloved Bible teacher told our group a story which you may have heard before:
An old Christian gentleman was telling his grandson about walking with God. "Well son," he said, "it's like two dogs that fight all the time, a black one and a white one. The black one is pride, selfishness, anger, hatred, fighting and fear. The white one is humility, generosity, peace, love and joy." "Which dog wins, Grandpa?" asked the boy. "The one I feed the most." Grandpa replied.
Which one of you are you "feeding the most"? The soul side which feeds on your feelings and circumstances or your spirit where it's primary influence is the Spirit of God? A good barometer is how much time we spend thinking about us and our needs or are we thinking about God His purposes? Are we praising Him in worship and prayer? Are we bearing fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) such as JOY and is that what people see in us? Are we serving others or only ourselves?
McLeod says: "The powerful gift of joy is able to give you indomitable strength during your days of pain and trauma. If there is anything the devil hates more than a Christian, it is a joyful Christian."
I know what I need to do.
For further study: Psalm 16:11, Proverbs 20:27, Isaiah 55:10-12, Habakkuk 3:17-19, Romans 7:21-25, 2 Cor. 10:4-5, Galatians 5:16, Phil. 4:4, Titus 2:11-12, James 1:2-3.
Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.
Love,
Holly
