Limpie su Mente (I) – Joyce Meyer
Battlefield Of The Mind (I) Joyce Meyer
It’s impossible to imagine the possibility of becoming a successful doctor or lawyer without education. I wish Christians had the same understanding concerning spiritual growth. Becoming a Christian begins with surrender and a decision to believe that Jesus is God and that He did indeed die for our sins. He took the punishment we deserved, paid the debt we owed as sinners, and He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven to be seated at God’s right hand. He is alive today and has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell in the hearts of those who receive Him by faith. That is the beginning of our faith and our Christian experience, but it is far from the end.
We need to be educated concerning what belongs to us by virtue of our relationship with Jesus, how to live the new life He gives us, and how to align our thinking with the truth of His Word. We need to learn to think and then behave according to the new nature we have, rather than the old nature that officially went to the cross with Jesus. It’s so important to realize at the beginning of our journey that success will require time and effort-probably more than we would like! To think that this type of radical change will take place quickly and with no effort is pure foolishness. We have to be disciplined about it. God gives us great freedom; He allows us to choose what we want to think, say, and do. If we will be wise enough to put good limits on our liberty, we will see great results. The mind must be renewed. We must learn to think as God thinks if we want to have what He wants us to have.
God Has Given Us a Spirit of Discipline and Self-control
I frequently hear people say, “I am just not a disciplined person,” or, “I just don’t have any self-control,” and they name a certain area like eating, exercising, or keeping things organized. If you are one of these people who believe you are not disciplined, then I want you to change your thinking. The apostle Paul stated that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind, and a spirit of discipline and self-control (see 2 Timothy 1:7). It is time to start renewing your mind by meditating on this power thought: “I am disciplined and self-controlled.” You will never rise above what you believe, and as long as you believe you are not a disciplined person, then you won’t be one.
Winning the Battle in the Mind
The Roman poet Horace wrote, “Rule your mind or it will rule you,” and I believe that is true. We must understand that the enemy wants our minds; he wants to control or influence as much of our thinking as possible, but we do not have to let him. Just as we have to be educated about how to think as God wants us to think, we also have to learn to resist the enemy as he tries to influence our thoughts. The key to overcoming him is learning to discipline ourselves where our thinking is concerned, and disciplining ourselves to believe we are disciplined is the beginning.
This morning I was discussing discipline with my son. We talked about prayer, Bible reading, silence, and solitude, and then my son said, “Discipline is a discipline.” I never thought of it quite like that, but it is very true.
I have taught about the benefits of discipline many times and still, no one seems to be excited when I mention the word. I believe, if we really understood the power, the liberty, the joy, and the victory discipline brings to our lives, we would embrace it eagerly. In many areas, especially in our thinking, it makes the difference between a happy life and a miserable life, a life of bondage to the enemy or a life of freedom in God. Always remember that discipline is your friend, something to be embraced and used daily. Discipline is a tool given by God to help you reach your goals. Start thinking and saying, “I am a disciplined person and I use self-control.” Then apply that discipline and self-control to all of your thought patterns.
One reason disciplining our mind is so important is that the condition of it can change quickly. One day, you may be calm, peaceful, sure of yourself, and confident in God. Another day, you may be anxious, worried, insecure, and full of doubt. I have certainly experienced these kinds of ups and downs at times in my life and they are always rooted in how I think. Our thinking directly affects our emotions.
I can remember times when I was able to make a decision quickly and stick with it easily. I can also recall times I couldn’t seem to arrive at a decision at all, no matter how I tried, or even worse, I made a decision but kept changing my mind. Doubt, fear, and uncertainty haunted me mercilessly as I second-guessed myself and simply could not make up my mind in a situation. When we allow ourselves to entertain self-doubt and double-mindedness, we are inviting confusion and misery. Many people struggle with this lack of ability to concentrate and make decisions. When a decision is called for, especially an important one, they lack confidence. Fear seeps into their thinking and controls all of their actions.
You can renew your mind with thinking like, I hear from God and I am led by the Holy Spirit. I refuse to live in fear and be double-minded. We can easily feel overwhelmed by all the decisions we need to make daily unless we have the confidence to believe that we have the ability to make right ones.
Don’t ever say again, “I have a hard time making decisions,” because when you think and speak like that, you are setting yourself up to be confused. Instead, you can believe that when you need to make a decision, you will know what to do. Even if you have had difficulty doing so in the past, this is a new day for you and you are in charge of your thinking; it is no longer in charge of you! Remember: you are a disciplined and self-controlled person according to God’s Word.
I have learned that when Satan has successfully built a stronghold in our minds, he does not give up his ground easily. We must be willing to not only start thinking right, but we must also keep it up until we have victory. If you have spent years allowing your mind to wander in all sorts of directions, it will take time to retrain it, but the effort you invest will give you amazing dividends. Lots of people struggle with indecision and similar challenges in their minds because they have not disciplined themselves concerning their thoughts. People who can’t seem to concentrate long enough to make a decision often wonder if something is wrong with their mind. However, the inability to concentrate and make a decision can be the result of years of letting the mind does whatever it wants to do rather than disciplining it. As I said, this is often the sign and the result of a stronghold the enemy has constructed in a person’s mind. For me, tearing down those mental strongholds took some time, but it did happen, and it can happen for you. It wasn’t easy for me, so don’t be discouraged if it takes time and effort for you. I feel that this is so important that I wrote a book, Never Give Up!, which is solely devoted to perseverance. Perseverance is what the apostle Paul called “pressing on.” You can press on far beyond wherever you think your abilities end. When we run out of our own strength, God is ready to give us His if we ask for it.
Sometimes, I still have relapses in this area of concentration and while trying to complete a project, I’ll suddenly realize my mind has just wandered on to something else that has absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand. I have not yet arrived at a place of perfect concentration, but at least I understand how important it is not to allow my mind to go wherever it wishes, whenever it wants to. I have already decided that I will never give up on learning how to think properly and I strongly urge you to do the same thing. I am not where I want to be, but I am making progress!
Think about It
Does your mind wander and, if so, are you ready to discipline it? Have you made a decision that you will never give up until you experience complete victory?
