Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I got out of bed with no aches or pains and more energy than most people my age only dream of having, and I gave thanks to the Living God for a body still willing to cooperate wth my Heart. But it’s not having an able body that matters the most – it’s having a Sound mind and a Willing Spirit too – and that’s where my morning time with the King of all kings comes in. When we meet, my Heart overflows with Gratitude for all that He is and all that He does for me; and when we meet, it’s time for us both to work on the Condition of my Heart. But the condition of my mind is an entirely different thing – it’s my Responsibility to do that part on my own. If I allow destructive thoughts to take up residence in my mind, I can easily destroy all the Work that has been put into my Heart! Destructive thoughts can easily thwart all the Plans He has for me today…and even for the rest of my Life! He shields my body and gives me Strength. He nurtures my Heart and Tenderizes it for Good, and I make sure to do my part with my mind. Isn’t that the way the Journey of Faith is for you, too?

It doesn’t do much good to work on the Heart, only to leave the mind on autopilot, which gives our Adversary a free pass to torment the mind. He’s always ready to whisper thoughts of defeat, failure, heartbreak, judgment, criticism, bitterness toward someone else, or bitterness over our circumstances – ALL these things work against the flow of a Mighty God and His Plans for each of us. The mind is like a digital recorder that can conjure up the worst memories and the most discouraging or destructive thoughts in the blink of an eye, and when it does, all of the Work that we put into the Heart can be slowly snuffed out. God doesn’t just watch our Actions, He sees inside the heart AND the mind, and He knows our thoughts without us speaking at all. It’s not His fault if we have a head full of junk, and He’s not going to be the one to fix it. It’s our job to do our part on the mind, to be sure that the Heart can do all the Good that He has Planned for us. This is the KEY to the sound mind God has given to each one of His children! “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.

How many times have we heard someone say, “I can’t help it” or “I can’t get it out of my mind”, but that’s not true! We have the POWER to “take captive every thought” and clean up the mind this very minute. How many times have we heard someone say, “I’m asking God to help me with my thoughts”? – but He CAN’T control your thoughts – YOU have to do that part on your own. The good news is that the more time we spend in His Presence of the Most High God and the more Time we spend on the Heart, the more manageable the mind becomes. Eventually, we begin to recognize dangerous and destructive thoughts the minute they come knocking, and we take immediate ACTION to evict them before they take up residence. This is the Key to Strength and Growth.

There are countless examples in the Bible of the importance of our thoughts, and it’s pretty clear that WE are expected to control them. We’re instructed to FOCUS on good thoughts – “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things”. We’re offered encouragement about how everything CAN change IF we do OUR PART on the mind – “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind…THEN you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is”. We’re even warned about how our thoughts reveal the truth of who we really are – “As a man THINKS in his heart; so is he”. We’re shown the way to Hope – “With minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the Grace to be brought to you”. And we know that the heart follows our thoughts “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The List could go on and on and each example that we’re given is ABUNDANTLY clear that WE are responsible for our thoughts and nobody else is to blame for what whirls around in the head.

I rejoice over strength, stamina, and a healthy body. My heart is consumed with love for the Living God, and I’m ready to do battle within my mind so that I can be ALL that He created me to be and so that I don’t become my own “worst enemy”.

I’m laser-focused, tenderized by the King, and ready to do battle..beginning with me.

How about you?