Sound Mind Set

Today’s verse is a continuation from yesterday: (Philippians 4:8 NLT) And now, dear brothers and sisters, … Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. We all see and sense the growing negativity and pessimism in the world. Scripture has so many amazing challenges and charges to ground us and lead us toward thinking, acting, and speaking from the heart of God. Today’s verse provides us a list of positive and uplifting qualities to set our minds and thoughts toward. Listen to this beautiful inspiration once again from the Message Bible: Friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. On what or where have your thoughts been fixed lately? What is one area of focus that you can redirect your thinking towards today? What in your life right now is: True. Honorable. Right. Pure. Lovely. Admirable. the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Simply speaking those words to feel their strength helps ease our minds and exudes God’s strength and peace. Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, fix my thoughts on what is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise. You are all of these in their purest form and You alone are worthy of my praise. As above, so below”

(Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Nothing invades and high-jacks our minds and threatens our mental health like worry. Today’s verse tells us God’s peace can act as a guard against worry and stress when we tell Him everything. We can hand over our stress as we get honest in our prayers. What worries today need to turn into prayers? Listen again to today’s passage from the Message Bible: Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Apostle Paul says: Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers. Then a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. Tell God what you need, thank Him for what He has done, and let Him bring sense of wholeness, of everything coming together for good. Pray with me: “Father, help me today to turn all my worries into prayers. I want to be honest with You. I want to thank You. I invite You to be the guard of my heart and mind. Protect me from my own anxious thoughts and grant me Your peace. As above, so below.”

(Proverbs 14:30 MSG) A sound mind makes for a robust body, but runaway emotions corrode the bones. We all understand more than ever today how our thoughts can affect our over-all health—positively or negatively. Our minds drive our motives, attitudes, emotions, and ultimately our actions. The proper balance of our emotional expression is crucial to our daily peace in both mind and heart. Name the emotions that you feel have “runaway” in you lately. Consider for a moment why this may be happening. As the Lord of our lives, Christ can bring balance to every aspect of who we are and what we do. Daily surrender to Him, His will, and His ways which will bring much-needed stability and security to our lives. Let’s pray: “Heavenly Father, I ask for a sound mind and a peaceful heart. I ask for Your blessing and healing for my total health. Please help me to balance my emotions—to feel what I need to feel and reject those that will only hurt me. As above, so below."

(2 Corinthians 13:11 NIV) Brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. One of the most important aspects of personal peace and a clear mind is unity and harmony in our relationships. The Apostle Paul promised that when we do all we can to keep our connections to others clean and right, God’s love and peace will prevail in us and for us. Who do you need to restore, encourage or connect with today? What relationship do you need to give over to God’s peace? Listen once again for Message Bible: Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Do all that, and the God of love and peace will be with you for sure. A life surrendered to Christ is a life marked by restoration, unity, and harmony, producing peace of mind. Be cheerful. Keep things in good repair. Keep your spirits up. Think in harmony. Be agreeable. Which of these ares do you need to focus on this today? Pray with me:“God, today I want to choose to rejoice in You no matter what is going on around me. Lead me towards restoration with everyone in my life. Remind me to speak encouragement to others. Help me to choose peace in all things. I know You are with me always. As above, so below.”

(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. While the world around us promotes fear and the power to control others, God provides faith, love, and the power of self-control. His Spirit offers us a kind heart and a sound mind ushering His peace to saturate our lives. Those qualities can then become blessings to those around us. What does God’s Spirit need to take over in you today to stop the noise of the world and bring you a sound mind and peaceful heart? Faith and fear cannot co-exist. One will overtake the other. Right now, hand God your fears, one by one, take a deep breath, and allow your faith in Him rise up. Please pray with me: “God of peace, I hand my fears over to You. Fill my heart and mind with Your faith, Your power, and Your love. Lead my mind to be sound, stable, and steady in You. As above, so below.”

Jesus’ words of promise in John 14:27-28: “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again.” Jesus offers you a gift not of this world that can only be found in Him. His heavenly peace for your mind and heart can overcome any temporary trouble or fear. The Prince of Peace is with You now and is coming back for You one day to live in His kingdom. What trouble, what fear, are you experiencing today that needs to be exchanged right now for Christ’s gift? Jesus’ words of promise again from the Message Bible: I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught. “You’ve heard me tell you, ‘I’m going away, and I’m coming back.’ No matter what you may be walking through today, remember, for the Christ-follower, God’s gift of peace is available now and His best is always yet to come. Prayer- “Father, thank You for Your gift of peace of mind and heart. Help me not to look to the world, to not be troubled or afraid, but to look to You and look forward to Your return.” AS ABOVE, SO BELOW AMEN.

Isaiah 26:3-4 encourages: You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock. You know that on any given day, where you place your trust, where your thoughts tend to go, determines your level of peace. Isaiah offers that the only “perfect peace” can be found in surrendering your thoughts to the eternal, immovable, unshakable Rock. To whom, where, or how are your thoughts being displaced and distracted today? Listen again to Isaiah 26:3-4 from the Message bible: People with their minds set on you, you keep completely whole, Steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don't quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. Today, can you keep you mind set on God who promises to keep you whole? This passage promises we will be steady on their feet, because we keep at it and don't quit. Depend on God and keep at it because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. Pray: “Father, keep me in Your perfect peace as I trust in You. Keep my thoughts fixed on You. Help me to trust You today, Lord God, my eternal Rock.” AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. AMEN.

David writes in Psalm 29:11: The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace. In God’s kingdom, strength and peace work in unison. That is why you sense a quiet, calming reassurance when His peace enters your racing mind and struggling heart. What place of weakness today needs His strength? What struggle needs His peace? Listen to the passage again from the Message Bible The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace. God knows all about us and what we will be dealing with way before we do and He is quick to come to our rescue at any time. Notice the passage doesn’t say anything about David’s strength. It says “the Lord GIVES strength to his people” God’s gift of strength is at the door of your heart right now. His gift of peace is at the threshold to your thoughts in this moment. Open up and embrace them both as His gifts. Pray: “Heavenly Father, give me Your strength. Please grant me with Your peace.” AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. AMEN

Listen to David’s closing words in Psalm 4, verse 8: In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe. David had many days and nights where his enemies were stalking, seeking to harm him. Living under threat, confessing that he would fully depend on God to protect him while he slept in peace was a strong statement of faith. Is there a situation in your life right now that feels like a stalking enemy, seeking to harm you? You believe in your head that God is capable of keeping you safe? Can you confess that belief out loud to yourself and to God, just like David did? Trust God with your safety and security. Let your heart find peace. Pray: “Father, grant me Your peace as I lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, will keep me safe.” AS ABOVE, SO BELOW. AMEN.

Jesus said in John 16:32-33: “Yet I am not alone because the Father is with me. I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” In Christ, you are never alone. There will always be troubles, trials, and sorrows here on earth, but in and through everything you experience, Jesus is there, offering His peace and encouraging you to “take heart.” What trial are you walking through today that needs to be overcome by the peace of Christ? You may be dealing with some things in life that are making you tired, weary, discouraged, dealing with grief, and ready to give up. That’s exactly what it means to lose heart. When Jesus tells us to take heart it means to: be encouraged, to have hope, to be bold and confident, to not give up, to be of good cheer, to have courage! Whether we take heart or lose heart is simply a choice we make. The way Jesus uses the phrase take heart here in John 16:33 is as an imperative verb. That means that he is saying taking heart is an action, it’s something we do, and that it is a possibility in our lives based off the choice we make…but it doesn’t become a reality until we actually make the choice. What is one area of your life that you can make the choice to take heart? to be encouraged, to have hope, to be bold and confident, to not give up, to be of good cheer. Breathe in - inviting Christ’s peace into your day. Exhale, letting go of weariness and discouragement. Move into the Balance of Christ’s peace, which is with you. Pray: “Father, I know I am not alone because You are with me. May I find my peace in You and take heart that You have overcome my world.” As above. So below.