The last few months I have been faced with a lot of negative
attitudes and even actions resulting from those mindsets in my life. It’s
nothing that I felt I couldn’t handle, but I realize that I was not always like
this. There were days, years ago, when I
would have allowed the negativity and challenges in my life to bring me
down. I would have allowed it to drain
my own half-full glass and make it half empty.
There was a time I was unable to separate myself and my emotions from
those of others I interacted with on a daily basis. Thankfully, now a days, I can (95% of the
time) keep my glass half full no matter what is happening around me because God
has renewed my mind and taught me how to stay positive and find contentment in
whatever circumstances come my way. With that said, I want to ensure that I
continue to renew my mind and keep that mindset in the midst of current
challenging circumstances, so I am going to practice renewing my mind each day
with a set of versus from the book, More
Than A Bucket List, starting with the verse below:
I am casting down vain
imaginations. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
I have learned over my many years in church and Bible study
classes that in order to understand the meaning of any single verse, you must
put it in context of the chapter, book, or many times, the entire Bible. J This verse by itself makes me want to Google
the question, “What does the verse I am casting down vain imaginations
mean?” So, let me put it in context a
bit:
2 Corinthians 10: 1-6
Now I myself Paul
beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base
among you, but being absent am bold toward you: But I beseech you, that I may
not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be
bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the
weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every
thought to the obedience if fulfilled; and having in a readiness to revenge all
disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.
Paul is speaking to the church at Corinth, encouraging them
to set aside anything in their minds and lives that puts itself higher than or
above the knowledge of God. He exhorts the church to mind their thoughts to
ensure they are in the right place of obedience to God.
For me, that means being mindful of where I allow my thoughts
to go. I consider it a personal goal to put
a positive spin on the various comments and problems that those I work and live
with present to me. I try hard to be
successful in this because I know what a difference it makes for me. Being able to live life from God’s
perspective instead of my own decreases my stress level by 100%. Once I discovered how to let go of what I
can’t control and simply do my best with those things within my control, a huge
weight was lifted.
I think it’s so important to laugh on a daily basis and seek
out the positives in every situation and each person we meet. There will always
be those times the negatives will overpower us briefly, but we must be able to
find the source of peace to refill out glasses with so we can come back to that
life-giving positive perspective. For
me, that source is God and His Word, remembering all He has done for me
personally and the blessed life He has given me. I have peace because of God, and although I
can never really repay Him for this, I can at least allow Him to work through
me to provide peace and contentment to others by helping them renew their minds
as He renewed mine.
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