Renewing our Minds

This is a photo of bricks and stones..  For a moment ponder the difference between brick and stone.  Bricks are man made.  Stones are God made.  Bricks are used to make a name for ourselves.  How we identify ourselves are our bricks.  It is what we say we are.  It can be in a positive or a negative way.
1 Peter 2:5 says we are lively stones!  God made!  “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

We are not accepted by God as bricks—man made.  Our identity is I am a Child of God.  That is the first stone we have that is God made.  Each brick is like another block to a building we create.  We may build a tower but just like in times of old, God still had to come down to it!  Let God build our buildings!

It is time to renew our minds…When we dwell on the past it is like dragging around bricks.  All those past hurts are like a sack full of heavy bricks.  As we drag them, we see a path in the ground that follows us.  Anyone can find us if they follow the big trail we leave behind.  It all leaves an impression behind us.  And those impressions make deep paths for others to follow, especially our children.  They can follow our negative chains of thought.

It dawned on me this past winter, when my kids were talking bad about someone, that they actually learned it from me.  Wow.  That was sobering.  I thought, how ugly! How wrong of them!  That is what my impressions and paths led them to!  How ugly were my thoughts!  And then my words, my disapproval of others actions were coming out in my conversation to my kids. 
How UGLY!
  It was then I knew I needed…
to renew my mind!

How do we describe our silent thoughts?  Are they constructive? Destructive? Powerful? Joyful? Thankful?

Negative thoughts are like weeds.  The spring up all around the good plants until they weave in so far to choke out the life.  That is how our thoughts are in our minds.  If we have so many negative thoughts, they will choke the life out of us.

Our thoughts are powerful.  They can drag us in a long spiral downward or a long spiral upward.  Here is another graphic for you to see where those thoughts can lead.  Left in the wrong direction long enough, you can easily see where it leads, eventually there is no hope.  On the flip side, our thoughts can also produce the greatest feeling of joy that will hold us high even if other things are going wrong around us.

I have had times that were so dark, all my doubts, insecurities, and condemnation pulled me down so far that I thought I would never see the light again.  Times when my thoughts were continually negative.  I could not even see all the blessing around me.  It is like each thought was such a heavy and dark weight and I was buried in a pit.

Until I realized who I am in Christ, I don’t think I would have ever gotten out of the pit!

I like to think of these verses God gave to us as stones…

God is my refuge.  It is He, the high tower-fortress, that we should turn to!  Man is like the Son of God in the home—he establishes it, sets the foundation.  Either he builds it on the rock with solid ground in Christ, or he builds in sand which cause the home to shift and fall.
Woman is like the Holy spirit of the home—she sets the mood…Your words set the tone.  Your smiles invite joy but your scowls will make more scowls.  Even if the man lays a sand foundation, a woman can help build it up with her smiles and words of encouragement.  Her words are like mortar that can help her husband build a better foundation.  They can build up their families together.  A house divided against itself will not stand!

“But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.”
Luke 11:17

When you are preparing dessert, the directions tell you to “fold” in the egg yolks, or the cream.  You know it is not just simply folding like a piece of paper, it is folding in as mixing in gently.

Fold in Scripture—Renew your thoughts

Use signs as reminders.  Like a stop sign.  When a negative thought comes in, like you are thinking a bad thought about your spouse, or your neighbor, or even yourself, STOP!  Stop, and evaluate that thought.  Is it worth it to dwell on and bring into your heart today?  Is it something you want to feed on and build bricks with?  How long will you drag that thought around in the future?

Well, it is better just left in the trash can where it belongs.  Don’t put that trash into your heart.  Enough trash thoughts in your mind will create a store house of garbage and instead of being a light to the world and a hope to the perishing, you will be a garbage dump that stinks of years worth of trash.  Be a life giving fragrance today!  We are the aroma of Christ!

“For we are unto God a sweet savour (aroma) of Christ, in them that are saved,
and in them that perish”
2 Corinthians 2:15

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8 thoughts on “Renewing our Minds”

  1. Beautiful post!
    I know I am a bit late with reading this post, but this was something I needed to hear today. God must have lead me here…
    Thank you and God Bless.
    xTania

  2. Very well written! And yes, we are the child of GOD. Yes, our words, our thoughts do affect people around us. And one should forget neither God nor the other important things in life. The way the stone-brick difference is used here to signify the importance of humans and other human made things is really unique. Thanks for a nice post! Enjoyed reading!

  3. Thank you for the beautiful words! This is just what I needed to read, as I have recently been deeply wounded by a friend. My flesh wants to dwell, but I need to be reminded of who I am in Christ! I am His and OH how He loves this flawed human.

  4. My daily battle. Thank you. My most strength to renew my mind comes from when I read the Bible.
    My hope and prayers are to grow in joy. I realize that it happens through the renewing of my mind.
    God bless you Erin. Thank you for your honesty.

    1. This is so well written! Our thoughts can help us build our lives, our spouses lives and our children’s lives or they can tear us to pieces. When we regularly meditate on scripture we build on a stronger foundation. We may not all be ‘homesteaders’ but we know the power of ‘the word’….. Of all the books to be read…. the wheat, the pearls come frot’the word’

  5. It is good to be reminded that we affect those around us with or words and deeds. Remembering that Christ is there for us is so important. We can get so distracted with our lives that we can so easily forget what is important. Your words have hope for us but also that we need to be conscious of who we are. A beautiful written article Erin, God bless Diane x

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