Lion Heart ENCOURAGE – The king maker

Intro:

‘The mind is a terrible thing’.

This was a sobering statement made by a psychiatrist that I once worked alongside. It was true of course. He was a senior and well experienced psychiatrist, and he had seen and experienced many many patients. And had seen the effects of ‘the mind’ gone wrong. And boy can it go wrong.

Encouragement:

A number of years ago, I worked with this psychiatrist attempting to help people where their mind had pretty much gone off the rails. I had seen first-hand where people’s minds had taken them over. Their mind had power over their being. You see, if allowed to, the mind is so powerful that it can dictate your reality.

Listen to what I’m saying.

I have literally seen where a person’s mind dictated a ‘reality’ to them that was not aligned to the reality you and I would experience. This went down to the level of withholding them from walking, when they were fully able to walk. Their mind withheld them from speaking, even though they were fully able to speak. Removing strength from their muscles, so that they could not even lift an arm from the table. And at one point even attempting to suffocate them. Yes, their mind attempted to kill them. It was very real. I was told that this was not uncommon! The effects were devastating. Truly horrible.

Yes, as Christians we know that there is more to it than just the mind, there is a spiritual component. But yet I tell you, this was their mind gone wrong.

The New Testament treats the mind not as a neutral, purely intellectual organ but as an integrated, decisive part of the inner life. It encompasses our inner faculty of thinking, understanding, judging, intent, and moral disposition. Even tehe way a person perceives, evaluates, and wills. The brain is an organ of the mind, but the mind is more than the brain.

The mind is born corrupted! Corrupted by sin. Sin breaks! Sin damages! There is no getting around it. And this is why God hates sin. When we sin, we allow damage into our lives.

So, if you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll see this recurring theme. Aligning our minds with the mind of God is central to walking a Chsitian walk. At the same time, it is very practical. And very present. Every day we face a myriad of choices where we can either align with the truth, or align with the lie. This is key brothers. This determines the course of our lives. Choice! Choosing the lie, or choosing the truth.

And the mind, is king maker!

We are 3 components in one: Body, soul and spirit. Wherever 2 or more agree, so shall it be.

Your flesh is created in death. As a reborn Christian, your spirit is born of the Holy Spirit. Where will your mind cast it’s vote?

I see this daily, in my life and in the lives of the people around me. Every day, in small and seemingly insignificant ways, we are given a choice between life and death. These choices, however minutely small, yet when added together are the compass that chart our course across the ocean of life. Slight adjustments on a daily basis can radically change your destination.

So what’s the map? Against what do we measure our choices?

Scripture is clear that the mind is a battleground for spiritual conflict. Paul contrasts the mind governed by the flesh with the mind governed/renewed by the Spirit.

Herewith some key scriptures to meditate on:

Rom 7:23–25 AMP

‘but I see a different law and rule of action in the members of my body [in its appetites and desires], waging war against the law of my mind and subduing me and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is within my members.’

Eph 4:17–24 AMP

‘¹⁷ So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds [and in the foolishness and emptiness of their souls], ¹⁸ for their [moral] understanding is darkened and their reasoning is clouded; [they are] alienated and self-banished from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the [willful] ignorance and spiritual blindness that is [deep-seated] within them, because of the hardness and insensitivity of their heart. ¹⁹ And they, [the ungodly in their spiritual apathy], having become callous and unfeeling, have given themselves over [as prey] to unbridled sensuality, eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity [that their desires may demand]. ²⁰ But you did not learn Christ in this way! ²¹ If in fact you have [really] heard Him and have been taught by Him, just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him], ²² that, regarding your previous way of life, you put off your old self [completely discard your former nature], which is being corrupted through deceitful desires, ²³ and be continually renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh, untarnished mental and spiritual attitude], ²⁴ and put on the new self [the regenerated and renewed nature], created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth [living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation].’

Rom 12:2 AMP

‘And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].’

The BIG lie

Self-rejection and even self-hatred, I believe, is a nett consequence of the original sin.  It is the foundation, even the crucible of many other lies. As it were, self-rejection is the fertile ground in which many other lies find root in our lives. It’s like a ‘parent’ lie to many ‘child’ lies.

The Bible does not directly state that self-rejection or self-hatred is an effect of Adam’s sin, but it strongly implies that the Fall’s consequences—shame, guilt, alienation, and distorted identity—create conditions where such feelings can arise. The brokenness of human nature, the deceitfulness of the heart, and the influence of sin and satan, can lead to negative self-perception. And we know that the opposite of love is hate, of acceptance is rejection. We know we have an enemy who’s only real weapon is ‘the lie’.

Genesis 3:8 The Message:

‘When they heard the sound of God strolling in the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God.’

Why do we feel the need to hide from God?

The Fall distorted humanity’s understanding of its inherent value as God’s creation. Psalm 51:5, where David says, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me,” reflects the pervasive nature of sin’s influence on human identity. This awareness of sinfulness, without the redeeming knowledge of God’s grace, can lead to feelings of unworthiness or self-rejection.

Our Hope and Redeemer - JESUS!

Restored Identity: In Christ, we are “new creations” (2 Corinthians 5:17), redeemed and restored to our status as God’s image-bearers. Ephesians 2:10 declares, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” This truth counters self-rejection by affirming our inherent worth.

God’s Love and Acceptance: Romans 8:1 assures us, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” God’s unconditional love, demonstrated through Christ’s sacrifice, heals the wounds of self-hatred by affirming that believers are accepted and valued.

Renewal of the Mind: As discussed in previous posts, the transformation of the mind (Romans 12:2) allows us to reject lies about our self-worth and embrace our identity in Christ, making the resurrection life visible.

In essence, in my humble opinion, all of us have some basic questions that need answering, and two of the key questions are:

1.        Is there a God, and is He Good?

2.        Who am I, and am I loved(Valuable)?

From the very outset of every human’s life the ‘enemy of truth’ would seek to attack both of these truths. But we have a GOD in heaven that has made a way! Praise God.

Jesus is the way!

John 3:17 Berean Literal

‘For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.’

He saves us from every aspect of sin, even self-rejection.

Jesus comes to demonstrate, in the flesh, that yes there is a God, and yes He is good. And then through His ULTIMATE sacrifice, one that we scarcely can understand, Jesus demonstrates that we have a place in God’s world, and yes we are valuable and Loved!

This is a truth so simply, and a truth that we have heard so many times, but it is a truth that we barely understand. And in my opinion, it is the most transformative truth of them all! The truth that JESUS LOVES YOU.

Transformative.

It is the truth that we must most often wash our minds with. It is the truth that must scrub off every last evil and crooked lie of rejection and hate. It is the truth that can cleanse our mind and start preparing our minds for the other life giving truths that God has for us.

Summary

We treat others pretty much how we see ourselves. The more acceptance we feel towards ourselves, the more acceptance we can give to others. The more self-love we feel, the more love we can give to others. Yes, many people manage to put culturally acceptable filters on this, but when the pressure is on, our true self-image comes out.

Jesus has come to restore our self-image to what He created us to be. Let me be clear, only God can instil self-acceptance in us. Only God can instil self-love in us. Love and acceptance originate from God. He is the author of love! Agape love can only come from one source, it can not be manufacture. It is given. God alone is the source.

Often the mind can play a blocking role in this process. It can play ‘king maker’ between our carnal nature and the spirit. The reshaping and transformation of our minds is a key aspect to our whole-being transformation. Our minds were broken and corrupted by sin. The more we align with ‘the lie’ the more our minds will hold us captive, overlaying an incorrect reality upon us. The more we endeavour to have our minds transformed by the truth, and we apply courage to cling to the truth, the more our mind will align with our spirits, and thus we will more and more be able to walk in step with the Spirit of God. We play a key part in this transformation process. God never forces His love on us, He never forces transformation on us.

Now, as leaders, husbands and fathers, we play a key role in the lives of our ‘dependents’. We too have a tremendous effect on our dependents when it comes to their self-image. We can facilitate their transformation, or we can plant lies that hinder their transformation. And again, we can only give what we have received.

Get to the throne, get to the feet of JESUS, get into the the WORD OF TRUTH. Get to JESUS, the author and finisher of our Faith (Our intimate knowledge of God Himself).

Get it done!

Bless you brother!

Your Brother in Christ,

Stanley 

(Human author.)