Sound Mind Set

Our Scripture today is Colossians 3:12-16 … Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful. Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. (NLT) In several places throughout Scripture, God used the concept of putting on His qualities just like we choose to put on clothing. The practical side of this is, one, we choose to put on what we wear, and two, that is the majority of what people see on us, our clothing. The same can be true of His qualities.What we may choose to quote-unquote wear from our past can still show in the present. People can literally see our hurts, pain, victimization, bitterness, and so on. There comes a point when we have to choose a new wardrobe and let people see the person Christ has forgiven and changed. The past is no longer our present and the future is no longer determined by anything, except the present.Listen to this passage in The Message Bible … So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.  Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives.What have you been wearing that you need to take off and throw away? It’s worn out and old and you know it. What once may have been a security blanket is now a funeral shroud.What of Christ’s qualities listed in today’s passage, do you need to put on and keep on?If you choose peace in your heart, it will surely show in your life.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, today, I choose to put on love, humility, compassion, kindness, strength, and peace. As above, so below.”

Our own minds, along with the words of the Accuser, are going to constantly try to bring the past back up, acting as if it is today’s headlines. The more we press into the Lord and His love, the less this will occur, and the more we can deal with it in health.Listen to Psalm 85:7-10 …Show us your unfailing love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. I listen carefully to what God the Lord is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways. Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, so our land will be filled with his glory. Unfailing love and truth have met together. Righteousness and peace have kissed! (NLT) For many of us, the past had plenty of foolish ways. So we have to constantly take inventory of our lives to invite the words God speaks, to listen carefully to Him as He speaks truth to us. When we hear Him and do what He asks, then our land—our homes—can be filled with His glory and love, truth, righteousness, and peace will mark our lives.Is there any foolish way from the past that you know needs to be kicked out of your house, so to speak?Is there a new level of listening to God, a new place of obedience, that you need to commit to hear Him as He speaks peace to you?Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, show me your unfailing love and grant me your salvation. I listen carefully to what You say as You speak peace. Help me to not return to foolish ways. My salvation is near, so my home will be filled with Your glory, Your unfailing love, truth, righteousness and peace. As above, so below.”

To make peace with our past, we have to understand that peace will always be a choice. Often a daily choice.Listen to the spirit of Philippians 4:6-7 … Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NLT) Notice that the peace that passes understanding comes only after we choose to let go of anxiousness and pray. We choose gratitude to God and give Him our requests. He promises peace will come to our hearts and minds after we decide to let go of the toxicity we can so easily hold onto.Like two nations at war have to choose to call a truce, come to the table, and talk, we have to come to Christ’s table and lay down our past to then experience His peace.In repeating today’s passage, let’s now add verse 8 … Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.What from your past causes you anxiety today? What do you struggle to overcome that keeps robbing you of peace? What will it take for you to give up and choose the peace of Christ today? You don’t have to understand it to receive it because it always transcends our understanding. We simply decide to experience His peace.As you sit with your eyes closed, open your hands and reach out as a symbol of letting go and handing the past over to God. Trade Him your past for His peace. That’s exactly what He wants you to do.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, please take the past, the toxic feelings, the anxiety, all of it. I’m tired of it and want to trade my past for Your peace. As above, so below.”

To make peace with our past, the very first step, is to first, forgive ourselves and next, and for some of us this can be a really tough one, to forgive others. Essentially, we need to clean house of all unforgiveness. If we don’t let go, the past is going to keep haunting us because we are giving it the power to stay current, which then hinders our future.A great place to start is with Jesus’ own words from the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:12 … “… and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us.” (NLT) He continued this theme in verses 14 and 15 … If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (NLT) When we struggle to forgive ourselves, or someone else for past hurts, Jesus’ words can feel like a threat or some kind of ultimatum. That is not the intention at all. He simply stated a spiritual truth about how God works.Think about it. It makes sense. Why should we expect to have something happen for us that we are not willing to extend ourselves? God knows our personal freedom lies in our ability to forgive.Listen now to this same passage in The Message Bible … “Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. … In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”To make peace with your past, forgiveness is the first key to unlock freedom. Any bitterness that we carry causes us to also carry around that other person, causing more pain, while he or she is out free and not thinking about us at all. So we have to ask ourselves, is it really worth what I’m losing? Or am I ready to gain back my freedom?Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, give me the grace and the strength to forgive myself, everyone who has hurt me, and then help me keep my list clean, knowing You died to give me that freedom. As above, so below.”

Luke 22:39-42 …Then, accompanied by the disciples, Jesus left the upstairs room and went as usual to the Mount of Olives. There he told them, “Pray that you will not give in to temptation.” He walked away, about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” (NLT) For most of us, when we want to avoid something hard coming at us, we pray for God to remove the suffering. And, of course, there’s nothing wrong with that prayer.But then the key is if He doesn’t, what do we do? How do we respond? Blame Him? Question His goodness? Think He no longer loves us?First, notice Jesus didn’t say, “Father, if you can …” but rather “Father, if you are willing …”When we pray about anything hard, any kind of suffering, any sort of difficulty that we have to go through, asking God to take it away makes a lot of sense. But adding Jesus’ last sentence is a huge step of faith and maturity. “Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.” That is an entirely new level of faith and trust to be like Jesus to that extent, because to pray that, we have to know He wants the best for us, no matter what.Whether you are in a dark time right now, or the next time you are, remember Jesus’ choice in the Garden—to trust God’s will for You.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I know wanting Your will isn’t just about blessings. Trusting You in the dark times is what faith is really about. Help me to trust You and Your will with Jesus as my Example and Goal. As above, so below.”

Psalm 91 is one of the most powerful chapters in the Bible for asking God’s protection and provision when troubles come. There is a hopeful tone in the words that cut through the darkness.Listen to verses 1 and 2 …Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. (NLT) When we struggle, when we are trying to find our way through days filled with trouble, knowing that God is the shelter where we can find rest and the refuge where we can find safety is a huge comfort and encouragement. But the key is in the final words: He is my God and I trust Him.Listen now to verses 14-16 …The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”When trouble lands on your doorstep, what is your first thought? Your first thought. Is it, how am I going to fix this? Why is this happening to me?One of the ways we can know we are growing in our faith is when our first thought is to invite God to work. To pray, “Lord, rescue me, protect me, answer me. I need to hear from You.”I want to encourage you to use Psalm 91 as a prayer for you and your kids. Words like these will help you look to God first when darkness falls.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, You are my Shelter, my Refuge, my Place of safety. My Rescue. My Protector. My answer. As above, so below.”

Today, our passage is about Jesus in John 1:1-5 … In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (NLT) If you walk into a well-lit room at night to go to sleep, you don’t think, “I need to turn on the darkness.” No. You think, “I need to turn off the light.” Only the absence of light creates darkness. Even a candle lit on a dark night can be seen for miles.Next, listen to Jesus’ words further down in John 8:12 … Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”When you walk through darkness in your life, look for how you can let light in. The only way you can affect the darkness is by allowing in light.Where do you need “the light that leads to life” today? Pray and ask Jesus to be that in your life. Remember our first passage—"the darkness can never extinguish it.”Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, there is so much darkness today all over. Help me to remember You are the Light, my Light, to dispel the darkness and nothing can put that out. As above, so below.”

When we are walking through dark days, reading Scripture and praying Scripture can be very comforting, especially David’s words in the Psalms. Listen to Psalm 40:11-13 … Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me. Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me. For troubles surround me—too many to count! My sins pile up so high I can’t see my way out. They outnumber the hairs on my head. I have lost all courage. Please, Lord, rescue me! Come quickly, Lord, and help me. (NLT) Did you notice how brutally honest David was with God? He held nothing back. In fact, he asked God to hold nothing back to help him. But he was also transparent about his own disobedience and need.As is often the case, the words of The Message Bible get a bit more straightforward … Now God, don’t hold out on me, don’t hold back your passion. Your love and truth are all that keeps me together. When troubles ganged up on me, a mob of sins past counting, I was so swamped by guilt. I couldn’t see my way clear. More guilt in my heart than hair on my head, so heavy the guilt that my heart gave out. Soften up, God, and intervene; hurry and get me some help, Who is the one friend you have that you can say anything at all and know you won’t be judged?Have you ever considered that is the kind of honesty that God welcomes from you when life is really hard? Remember—unlike a close friend, you aren’t telling Him anything He doesn’t already know.When darkness falls on your heart, pick a Psalm and read it out loud. Let the words become your own.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, keep reminding me that I can say anything to You. Lead me to the words in Psalms that can best reflect my heart when I struggle, and use the words to pray. As above, so below.”

When we think of someone in the Bible who experienced dark times, Job has to be near the top of the list. Because he was the most righteous man on the earth in his day, the enemy wiped out his family, his livelihood, and even threatened his health. But when we fast-forward to chapter 42 after many chapters of questions and discussions, we find an amazing revelation as a response to his suffering.Listen to verses 1-6 …Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (NLT) Throughout our lives, God gives blessings while He allows suffering. He alone decides what we need, when we need it, and as a good Father, what will keep us close to Him day by day.Listen now to this same passage in The Message Bible … Job answered God: “I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset your plans. You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water, ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’ I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head. You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking. Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’ I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears! I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise! I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”How do you tend to respond when hard things happen in your life? Maybe here we go again? Why me, Lord? I’ll just put my head down and get through this?Whether blessing or hardship, a great prayer to pray is: God, show me what You are doing. How do you want me to respond to this?What we can learn from Job’s suffering and his response is that God wants us to have a first-hand experience with Him, not live off of rumors or someone else’s experience. That’s what a close relationship is all about.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I have to admit I want all blessing and no suffering. Yet, I know I tend to grow the most when things get tough. Help me to look for how I can know You first-hand, like a Father to His child. As above, so below.”

2 Timothy 1:8-10 …So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord. … For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus. And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. (NLT) One of the reasons we must fully understand and receive God’s grace is so we can be a reflection of His grace. We live in a day when people are desperately searching for grace and mercy. Simply showing grace out of an overflow of our hearts can attract people to want to know what creates this in our lives.Listen to this passage in The Message Bible … So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master. … We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.Who in your life is on a desperate search for grace?Could it be that this week was all about you coming to a deeper understanding of God’s grace so you can share that grace with those you know?And never forget—Your salvation is about what Christ has done, not what You can do for Him. And His grace is all you need for His power to be made strong in You through your weakness.Let’s pray together: “Heavenly Father, I surrender my weakness to You. Make me strong in Your grace. Help me to share what You have done in me and for me with those who need You. As above, so below.”