Get Your Mind Out Of The Way! 5-10–26

Welcome to the word for the week. We are going to get straight to the point this week for the sake of clarity. We are the way we think. As a man thinks, so is he. That is the way he is. That is who he is. We are byproducts of our thought process far more than we realize. Our minds can work for our good and then it can work against us. Hearing what God says about something is not our biggest problem. Understanding what we heard God say is not our biggest problem. Our biggest problem is when what God says reaches our minds. It is our perception that gets in the way. It is our own reasoning that gets in the way. We know our thoughts are not like God and yet there is a tendency to lean towards our own thinking and understanding.

How harmful is your mind to you? How much of a battle rages in your mind? By that I mean how many things do you constantly wrestle with? What is the reason for this? Give this some thought. You can be sure about what God says but if you think about it too much you have to be honest and admit how dangerous that can be. You can hear a word from God and be on cloud ten in terms of excitement. You hear that word and you just know God is going to do what He said He will do. All is fine until you start to process that in your mind. That is where the doubt begins. That is where the uncertainty becomes stronger. That is when the obstacles seem to be bigger. You do not want it to be that way but our minds are powerful. Again, it can be used for great things but it can also be your downfall.

How much have you misread in life? How many times did you think one thing when it was something completely different? How many times have you heard someone say someone does not like them? How many times have you heard someone say that they will never be able to do certain things? The mind does not always need facts to believe things. That is why the enemy fights us with a series of small thoughts. It is not always the big things. A lot of times it is a series of small things. Imagine someone in this scenario. They are having problems with their car, work, home, and their money. Without any regard they say that nothing is going good for them and that everything is falling apart. Meanwhile they are in good health, their friends are supportive, and two bills just got paid in full. How bad is it really for them? If the check engine light has been on for three weeks, work is testing them for a promotion they do not know about, home is troublesome because they are always gone, and their money is funny because of bad choices, then who is the real problem?

Blame is not an exemption. Just because you have something to blame does not exempt you from your part. The bible says we can speak to the mountain and it will be removed. Nothing in the bible tells us to make a small pile of dirt into a mountain. There are moments when you truly have to be honest about the way you think. Is the glass half empty of half full? Is everything really bad or are you just going through a necessary season? It does not feel good to you but who told you that it would? Things are not going as fast as you want them to go but are you sure you are ready for what you are seeking? Is there more growth that God knows about that you do not? Do you trust Him to make you complete or are you satisfied with just looking the part? If you turn on the oven light a cake can look done at the fifteen minute mark. Trust me, it is nowhere near being done. Perception is the point here. Your mind is a battlefield for the enemy. You cannot afford to let your mind drift and wander at a time when you need the utmost focus. Everything is on schedule. You just need to trust God in that. Do not let your mind side track you. Stay focused!

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you in His grace,
Bishop Carlos J. Lennon