right motivation

Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt

Do you ever feel like your mind is cluttered with random thoughts that are distracting, steal your focus, and bounce around like a Bingo ball? Looking back, that’s how I would have described my mind as a young adult! I often had trouble focusing on what was at hand at the time.

I have written many times about how my mind used to be like a busy intersection with no traffic signs—thoughts bouncing in every direction like a pin-ball. My thought-life frequently felt out of control.

This time in my life was before I was a Christian—before I had given my life to Jesus and before I had ever opened up and read a Bible. I thought everyone’s mind was plagued with racing thoughts. I thought it was impossible to have control of the thoughts that raced through my mind and imagination. I simply thought I was a victim of my own mind—forced to think about whatever raced across it.

One of the greatest discoveries in my new life in Jesus was to learn that this wasn’t true. God didn’t create me to be a victim of my own mind. The Bible taught me that God created me to be the sheriff and superintendent of my mind and thoughts—not it’s victim.

I can still hear the Pastor’s words that have now become my own. He said, “Your mind belongs to you! God gave it to you to be a blessing. He gave it to you to learn and think and discover the secrets of His Kingdom and the secrets of this beautiful creation He has placed you in. He has given you a mind and an imagination and the ability to control them for His purposes—for the purpose of being a blessing, to yourself and to others. The Holy Spirit, given to us as a gift from God, was given and now dwells within you to teach and instruct you in what you learn and think. His plan is to grow you up and mature you and help you become an ambassador of God’s love, influence, and blessing in this world. And He has give you a sound mind to guard it all!

When I first heard 2 Corinthians 10:5 preached, it rocked me to my core. “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…” I quickly learned that I had the assignment of controlling and policing my thought-life. It continued, “And bringing EVERY thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” This was outright revolutionary to me. I instantly realized that random crazy thoughts were not to be my norm!

Over the next two years, I probably experienced the most dramatic change I’d ever experienced in my entire life. I was truly being transformed. With the help of the Holy Spirit, I was learning to take control of my thought-life. And it was life-changing! God’s word made clear that through Jesus, we were given the authority and power we desperately needed to do so. I still consider it one of the greatest revelations of the Christ-life I’d ever experienced.

Everyone occasionally experiences a random inappropriate thought. We thought that was normal. But, God’s word tells us, we are the sheriff and superintendent of our mind. We are to cast down anything that is contrary to God’s will. That includes everything from worry and fear, to anger and sexual inappropriateness, to hurt and unforgiveness.

Over time I learned to immediately cast them down in the name of Jesus. My thought-life went from random and out of control, to purposeful and methodical. My mind is now strong, focused, purposeful, and disciplined. I think of it as a fortress that I guard in order that my heart and motivation can be pure before God! That’s such a radical change to walk out in the Christ-life! And such a wonderful one! Its what truly begins to make you feel like “a new creature in Christ.” Which leads me to ask you the question… How’s your thought- life? If it’s anything less than under your control, it’s time to take control. It will radically change your entire life for the good and glory of God!

Romans 12:2 (NLT) “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.”

In His love,
Pastor Tim Burt

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