WHERE YOU REALLY LIVE

Tuesday 4 February

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:23-24 (NJKV)

Have you ever heard of the scenario where a family from a blue collar background wins the lottery worth tens of millions of dollars thinking that it is going to change their life? They usually move into a mansion, buy some luxury cars, stop working at the factory and start ‘living the dream’.

More often than not the money soon runs out as they spend more than they can afford to maintain and end up back in exactly the same financial position if not a worse situation than before. What happened? Their bodies were living in the mansion and driving the fancy cars but where they really live had not changed. Why?

Man is a spirit, who has a soul and lives in a body. Both your soul and spirit are virtually intangible. What we need to understand is our soul functions for our spirit. In the realm of the soul there are three primary components. The mind, the will and the emotions which are controlled by our thoughts. Our predominant thoughts are the result of our beliefs. In all reality we don’t live in our houses, we live in our minds!

The Bible says ‘guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the issues of life.’ The word heart many times is used interchangeably for mind, soul or even spirit. In other words, our life flows from the thoughts we constantly give our focus and attention to. Those thoughts become words which in turn become actions.

The thoughts that we think determine the quality of the life that we live. Negative thoughts can become a mental prison that is created in our minds which limits us from experiencing the freedom which Jesus came to bring. Conversely, positive thoughts that are based in the reality of God’s word have the ability to take away the prison bars and allow us to live in the ‘liberty of the sons of God.’

Your body lives in your physical domicile i.e. your house, but your spirit and soul are housed in your body. Your soul is influenced chiefly through your mind. It has been said that you are the product of your thoughts which is true. It goes beyond that. You are the resident of your thoughts. That’s where you really live, not in your house.

If you don’t like where you live internally the good news is you can renovate it. What is both the wrecking ball and the building material to ‘change your mind’? The Word of God.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says ‘We DEMOLISH arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’

In Acts 20:32 Apostle Paul encourages us. ‘So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to BUILD you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.’

Don’t live in a dilapidated, rundown shack mentally speaking. Begin to think about your life and expand your vision according to what God has said about you in Christ. Create space in your mind to be able to live in a house that is fitting to who He has made you. Your internal world has the power to shape your external world. It’s time to be renewed in the attitude of our minds. Dream big, think big and refuse anything less than to live life to the full.

APPLICATION

Whenever you are tempted to think thoughts of doubt, despair or defeat, remember whose you are, who you are and what He can do through you by His amazing grace.