by David Brenneman
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:6-9.
"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything." Colossians 1:16-18.
It's a very small yet dangerous phrase. We oftentimes don't take into consideration the depths it goes into our very souls. The children of Israel certainly didn't. Even with all his wisdom King Solomon didn't.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment was "You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit."
Question is: Do we, or does the Lord our God get the leftovers? Our anxious thoughts begin when our minds and hearts are on the world around us. We don't stop to consider keeping such things in the world in the hands of God. Before we know it, Jesus isn't in first place in our hearts.
It may be a western thing or it could easily be a way of thinking that goes all the way back to Adam and Eve. Loving someone or something more than a person believes is a bad thing.
We are experts at convincing ourselves and others that it's ok to love this or that. To pour our hearts into things or people rather than wholeheartedly pursuing a right relationship with Jesus. We tend to categorize our lives. This is for God this over here is for me. That's God's time, this is my time.
What it comes down to is a religiously flavored version of doing whatever is right in our own eyes.
Paul, Peter, all the Apostles, Pastors such as Timothy, taught that no matter what Jesus should have first place in your heart. Nothing else should be capturing our thoughts and actions to that level of obedience. We obey what we elevate in our lives as being important.
Dr. Stanley in his Life Principles said that #19 is anything you hold too tightly to you will lose.
You and I will face putting things and people in a places in our hearts that ought not be placed there.
If our hearts belong to Christ then only Christ should be in our hearts. In the times after the exile when they were rebuilding the Temple some tried to set up both living spaces and offices in areas of the Temple for themselves. When discovered the prophets purged the Temple of those things.
We lie to ourselves when we choose to believe that we're not subject to the temptation of idolatry in our lives today. Satan started off with it and until the day of his final demise he will continue in promoting it.
What does this say?
"Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." 1 John 2:15-17.
We are going to have the temptation to put things in our lives to take our eyes off of Jesus Christ. We will convince ourselves that we aren't doing anything wrong.
We will convince ourselves with many a logical and empirical reason for what we're including in our lives.
We will have a struggle but whether or not we actually fight it remains to be seen.
What does it say here?
"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:37-39.
"We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete." 2 Corinthians 10:5-6.
There's a war going on in your life, in your world, in your heart and mind.
Either you will gladly walk into the chains and prison or you will appeal to your Father in Heaven through the Lord Jesus Christ for help in your time of need.
First John 2:15-17 spells it out very well. Jesus Himself says what's required of taking up our own cross and follow Him. Carrying that cross should take your everything.
Does Jesus have your whole heart?
Look around at what's in your life.
Look at where the hours go that you spend. Are they really spent in service to the Savior or have we convinced ourselves that is what we're doing and it really isn't?
Look at what drives you. Is it consistent in a life of obedience to God's Word or is it riddled with going after things in the world?
Everything we go after that's not going to work with what Jesus wants in our lives will turn to ashes.
If you're going to be heartbroken by a thing no longer being in your life then you have a heart problem.
If living for even a person is more important than your life in Christ then you have a problem.
"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20-21.
“Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:33-34.
Do you say with all confidence that you do love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, mind, soul and spirit? All means all and that's all all means.
It plainly means we don't love houses, cars, sports, entertainment, things past, things future, people, places or things, anything with any part or portion of our hearts.
Taking every thought captive means to realize that our thoughts can and will try to betray us.
"Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life." Proverbs 4:23.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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