Part Three: Battlefield of the Mind

Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim Burt
http://www.freshmanna.org

James 1:5-6 ”If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.”

Have you ever been to Limboland? It’s a place where no one has any hair. Everyone that lives there has pulled it out. If you drove down its main boulevard, you would see only partly finished homes, buildings, and building projects. You’d see that every street had forks that go in different directions. You’d see people walking around that looked somewhat dazed, frustrated, and quite unhappy. You wouldn’t see many married people there, nor would you see many children. People in Limboland can’t decide whom the person is they are supposed to marry and whether or not they should have children. You’d find many, many people there that call themselves Christians but you would see few churches because they couldn’t stay in one long enough for there to be support to build one. Actually the churches like the rest of the buildings in Limboland are all only partially built because the people that did attend them weren’t sure if they would stay in that church. They thought they might find a more perfect church and Pastor elsewhere.

Limboland of course doesn’t really exist but dictionary does have a definition for limbo saying A region or condition of oblivion or neglect: A state or place of confinement. An intermediate place or state, a place of indecision. That alone is contrary to the nature of God because God is not indecisive nor does He want us indecisive. He calls it unbelief or doubleminded. Jesus chastised His disciples because of their unbelief. Mark 16:14 says, ”Later Jesus appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.”

Unbelief, indecision, and double mindedness place us in Limboland. They put us in that state or place of confinement – locked up or imprisoned within our minds – the place of perpetual mind battles. Anyone who feels caged in for whatever reason is going to manifest behaviors that lead to relational problems. We read more about it in today’s Fresh Manna verses. James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Two reasons people end up in Limboland and struggle with intense mind battles are first; People practice sin that they know God condemns. It strips them of any confidence of approaching God whether it is for intimacy or for help. If you practice sin you will remain in a spiritual Limboland that will carry over to every part of your life. Suppressing the guilt of something that you know is wrong and living in denial does not deliver you from guilt and indecision; it creates an entirely new package of mind battles and mental issues. Repentance and forgiveness from God for sin are available and can bring a person back to peace with God and out of this state of Limbo. 1 John 1:8-9 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

The other primary reason for Limboland is because people are unsure of what to do and struggle in making a decision. That is what James is speaking to here. There is no shortcut to learning God’s Will. As you meditate upon God’s Word prayerfully requesting that He give you understanding concerning it, He does. As God shows you things through the scriptures and you put faith in what you believe God is showing you, He upholds you and helps you. He promises to give wisdom liberally if we will receive it by faith. Trust that God will bless it and help you walk it out. God knows our human fragility. He is there to help us. Don’t make the mistake of judging the outcome of decisions prematurely or simply by circumstances. Judge them by whether you believe and know that it’s what God wanted you to do. Then you won’t end up double minded, locked in mind battles, in Limboland, Instead you will learn you have a loving Heavenly Father that does what He promises. He gives you wisdom and help.

In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
http://www.freshmanna.org