Maximise Your Life with Paul Benger - Part Seven
In Chapter Seven of his book, Twelve, Paul Benger looks at the importance of getting our minds in line with God's word for our lives and how to do it.
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2.
I love it when people find new and creative ways of expressing and doing things. A recent TV advertisement plays on the ability of young people to rename old things in order to announce the name change of its product as well as advertising the product at the same time. In the advert a donkey is called "eco friendly transport," a beautiful woman is referred to as "eye candy," meeting friends is termed, "touching base," and finally as the old man gets the old girl the donkey is renamed "a babe magnet." Of course, renaming something doesn't necessarily mean that it has changed much. However, a new name can often be the place where God starts his work of transformation.
A new name, a sign of God's intent: When God renames things around our lives it is because he is wanting our thinking to match his thinking on that particular issue. The most obvious example of this in the bible as to be Abraham and Sarah. In Genesis 17 God renames Abram, Abraham and his wife Sarai, Sarah. Abraham means, "father of many" and Sarah means, "princess." God was reminding Abram of the promise he had made to him some 24 years earlier and causing Abram to think differently about the present situation. Abram and Sarai had begun to think that Ishmael, the son born to Sarai's servant, was the child that God had promised. They both found themselves laughing at the prospect of giving birth at the ages of 100 and 90 respectively. (Genesis 17:17 & 18:12) Their wrong thinking meant that God had to change their names so that in their minds they could begin to see what God had for them. They were now close to their miracle and in order to receive they needed to begin thinking as God was thinking.
Rename some stuff: There may well be some things in your life that you need to rename. Things that you have thought to be useless, failure, unchangeable etc. that God wants you to put a new name on because he sees it very differently. There may be things that have happened to you or that you have done that you feel hinder you from being all that God wants you to be today. Well, you need to rename that stuff. We rename things in our lives and think differently about them, not because of wishful thinking or proud boasting but from a revelation of the power of the cross. You see, the cross has dealt with sin and the results of sin which means we can now begin to move away from the effects of sin upon our lives and live the life that God has for us. The cross has dealt with the past which means I don't have to live there or be ruled by its scars and memories. I can live from a position of what Jesus did for me on the cross and move towards the destiny that God has for my life. That may mean along the way that I'm dealing with some issues
but because of the cross I have the power to rename them and therefore
render them powerless.
Intelligent missiles: The recent war in Iraq broadcast to the world the incredible advancement in missile technology. I find it mind boggling that so called "intelligent missiles" can actually travel down a street, make a right turn and enter a building at a precise trajectory. This technology is not, however, always 100% accurate. The devil however, has had this technology for centuries and his missiles always hit their targets. Have you ever been amazed by the timing of certain thoughts. At just the right (wrong) moment you think the negative thought about that person, situation or even yourself. It's no coincidence. What's happening is that an "intelligent missile" is entering your mind at just the right trajectory to do the maximum damage. "You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins. He cancelled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross. In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross." Colossians 2:13-15 (NLT). These verses reveal how God has dealt with the enemy once and for all so that we can enjoy the life that God has for us. Let's summarise this quickly. We were dead but God made us alive with Christ. This means that we share the life of God. Elsewhere Paul tells us that the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in us also. (Romans 8:11) He forgave all our sins. The charges brought against us were cancelled by the cross. The devil has been disarmed. When the enemy's missiles approach you the power is in you to disarm them totally. Whatever, the enemy is trying to hold over you or keep you contained by, you can disarm because God has already taken away its power at the cross. This means that you will need to deal with some of your thoughts. You may think certain things because you've always thought that way, well, it's now time to disarm those thoughts and have a thought life based upon what Jesus has won at the cross.
Pulling down strongholds: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds... bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV). These verses give some insight into how strongholds are built within our lives. Strongholds are patterns of thinking and believing which hold us captive. Poor thinking may include a low self image, a critical spirit towards others or the wrong image of God. A stronghold acts like a fortress, its intention is to allow nothing in and let nothing out. That thought can be a starting place for strongholds to develop is amazing and almost unbelievable, after all it's only a thought, but it's true. When we allow wrong thoughts about ourselves, others, God, situations and circumstances we get on the road to strongholds being built within our lives. If you are going to be a healthy Christian then you will need to be diligent regarding what you allow yourself to think. The book of James tells us that temptation begins with wrong thinking and offers the remedy of refusing and laying aside wrong thoughts and practices and receiving the word of God which is able to save your souls. James 1:13-22 (verse 21 quoted NKJV) The salvation of our soul is not merely the ticket to eternal life. Eternal life is given when we receive Christ. The salvation of our souls is about the health of our mind, emotions and our will. Unfortunately, this has not been something that the church has focused much upon. We have been expert at addressing the issues of the spirit such as relationship with God, eternal life etc., but have neglected the mental, emotional, decisional and physical aspects of our lives. "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might." Deuteronomy 6:5 (NKJV).
How strongholds are brought down: If we know how strongholds are built we will have the intelligence we need to tear them down. The verses in 2 Corinthians give us a three step process that results in strongholds being established in our lives, beginning with thoughts. The process is clearly evident in Eve's dialogue with the serpent in the book of Genesis. "Has God really said?" The serpent plants a thought in Eve's mind which she responds to by repeating what God had said. The serpent moves the process to stage two when he says, "You will not surely die." The thought is now followed by a contradiction, a pattern of thinking which is opposed to the word of God. The third stage is the development of an argument. Eve sees that the tree is good for food, pleasant on the eyes and able to give wisdom. She now has an argument for doing what God has said not to do and a full blown stronghold has been established. It all began with a thought! "Whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)
Which you will you be?: In the film that shares its title with this chapter, Russell Crowe plays the genius John F. Nash Jr.. Nash's brilliance earns him the Nobel Prize for his essay on the equilibriums in the theory of non-cooperative games, but he also suffers from schizophrenia and imagines an unreal world that coexists with reality. This causes him incredible problems. As a pastor there have been times when I have had cause to challenge the behaviour of people. Sometimes it has been when people failed to follow through on a promise or a commitment. A comment that I have heard from several people has been, "Well, that's just me, that's the way I am." My reply has been in the form of a question, "Yes, but which you is it?" My point is this: there is the person you were before you met Christ and the person you are becoming now that you know him. "Which you will you be?" Transformation occurs in our lives when we allow God to renew our minds. (Romans 12:2) To renew means to renovate or rejuvenate. The fact is we all need to submit to this process. There are lots of areas where our thinking must change if we are to embrace the life God has given to us, none more than the area of how we think about ourselves. We cannot excuse our poor behaviour with thinking that keeps us connected to the person we were before we met Christ, we must allow our minds to embrace the view of the new creation that God has made us and see ourselves fulfilling the destiny he places before us. What not to wear: One of the presents that I bought my wife at Christmas was a book entitled, "What Not To Wear." Based on the successful TV series the book highlights the dos and don'ts for fashion conscious women. I didn't buy the book because my wife dresses poorly, by the way! Today you may be wearing the wrong image of yourself and because of that be unable to break through into the person you want to be and believe God created you to be. Central to genuine success is a positive and realistic self image.
Hindrances to a positive self image: You are unique and God made you to have a positive self image about your uniqueness. It is your responsibility to make sure that image is intact. Being aware of hindrances to that image will help you maintain the right view of who God has made you to be. Self-depreciation - You cannot consistently put yourself down, focusing on your inabilities, and have a good self image. If you do this you will also view any correction or remarks by others not as helpful pointers but as soul destroying put downs. Security - Although you may find yourself wanting to change, your familiarity with your present circumstances or attitudes gives you a sense of comfort. Your journey of faith will not let you play safe; you're going to have to get out of some boats. The fear of failing can be your greatest enemy and cause you to play it safe and seek a quiet life. Past failure, guilt and condemnation - If you allow your thoughts to be tangled by the memories of past failures and the associated feelings of guilt and condemnation, then your self image will suffer. If you let yourself view present mistakes as confirmation that you are not a good person or an able person, your self image will remain poor. God wants you to see yourself in Christ. - a new creation, old things gone new things having arrived.
Become: "But as many as received Him, to them he gave the right to become the children of God." John 1:12 (NKJV). You became a child of God the moment you received Christ in your life. You are still becoming his son/daughter. What I mean is there is a process of change and transformation that is going on within you. In the words of Gerald Coates, adapted from the Apostle Paul, "I'm not what I was, by the grace of God, and I'm not what I will be, by the grace of God, but I am what I am." God is transforming your life so that you wear him well in this world and become all that you can be. His process of transformation begins with your thinking. You need a beautiful mind!
REMEMBER:
Rename some things around your life
The cross has given you the power to disarm the enemy's "intelligent missiles"
Transformation begins with the renewing of your mind
Make sure you wear the right self image
You need a beautiful mind