The 3 Essentials: All You Need for Success in Life (21 page)
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Authors: Casey Treat
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The Five
D
s
D
s
Renewing the spirit of our minds takes a deeper level of desire and commitment to change than the average person possesses. But you and I are not average. We are filled with the life of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are like Caleb; we are set apart from the world. We don’t settle for mediocrity, and we are going for God’s best! There are five keys, five
D
s, that will help us stay focused on this journey of renewal and change:
D
s, that will help us stay focused on this journey of renewal and change:
1. Desire.
We must desire to experience a higher level of living, a deeper walk with God. Just feeling like we “should” will never produce long-term results. That should feeling is always accompanied by guilt and condemnation, and these two forces cannot produce motivation. They just make us feel bad about ourselves and think we are not good enough to go the distance. We must be compelled by a greater force of desire that comes from the inside, and this desire is not a feeling. It’s the thing that gets you out of bed to pray and study God’s Word when you
feel
like you would rather hit the snooze button for the fourth time. It’s the strength to keep your mouth shut when you
feel
like you want to criticize your spouse or your children. It sees ahead to where you are going and gives you the motivation to make right choices in order to get there.
We must desire to experience a higher level of living, a deeper walk with God. Just feeling like we “should” will never produce long-term results. That should feeling is always accompanied by guilt and condemnation, and these two forces cannot produce motivation. They just make us feel bad about ourselves and think we are not good enough to go the distance. We must be compelled by a greater force of desire that comes from the inside, and this desire is not a feeling. It’s the thing that gets you out of bed to pray and study God’s Word when you
feel
like you would rather hit the snooze button for the fourth time. It’s the strength to keep your mouth shut when you
feel
like you want to criticize your spouse or your children. It sees ahead to where you are going and gives you the motivation to make right choices in order to get there.
2. Discipline.
I know
discipline
is an intimidating word, but I need to be honest. It’s going to take discipline. It’s going to take a ruthless consistency to keep ourselves on the path of renewal. Many people think they are disciplined, but really they are just keeping themselves from who they truly are until they feel justified enough to take a day off and do what they really want to do. For instance, these are the dieters who eat sensibly for six days patiently waiting for the seventh day—“free day”! They really aren’t changing any habits because on that seventh day, they go hog wild and ruin everything they’ve accomplished for the six days prior. Discipline is making the changes. Period. No days off, no free days.
I know
discipline
is an intimidating word, but I need to be honest. It’s going to take discipline. It’s going to take a ruthless consistency to keep ourselves on the path of renewal. Many people think they are disciplined, but really they are just keeping themselves from who they truly are until they feel justified enough to take a day off and do what they really want to do. For instance, these are the dieters who eat sensibly for six days patiently waiting for the seventh day—“free day”! They really aren’t changing any habits because on that seventh day, they go hog wild and ruin everything they’ve accomplished for the six days prior. Discipline is making the changes. Period. No days off, no free days.
This is the kind of discipline it takes to be a different person and to renew the spirit of our minds. Obviously, there will be days when we slip and fall back into negative mind-sets and habits of thinking, but we don’t plan for them. We don’t set aside a day a week to allow ourselves to be depressed, angry, and weak. When we fail, we simply give ourselves grace, encourage ourselves in the Lord, and get right back up again.
3. Decisions.
We need to decide to think thoughts that line up with God’s Word. We don’t have to sit around and be a victim to every negative thought or worldly whim that floats across our minds. We can choose to think whatever it is we want. When we find ourselves meditating on worry or fear we can stop and decide to think on God’s promises and His life-giving Word. We can set our minds on joy, on faith, on abundance, and on peace.
We need to decide to think thoughts that line up with God’s Word. We don’t have to sit around and be a victim to every negative thought or worldly whim that floats across our minds. We can choose to think whatever it is we want. When we find ourselves meditating on worry or fear we can stop and decide to think on God’s promises and His life-giving Word. We can set our minds on joy, on faith, on abundance, and on peace.
4. Determination.
Don’t waver! Because you have been living one way for ten, twenty, or fifty years, it’s going to take serious determination to renew the spirit of your mind. We cannot expect to change in two weeks habits of thought that we have been practicing for decades. It’s going to take some time, and it’s going to take determination to discover God’s perfect will for our lives.
Don’t waver! Because you have been living one way for ten, twenty, or fifty years, it’s going to take serious determination to renew the spirit of your mind. We cannot expect to change in two weeks habits of thought that we have been practicing for decades. It’s going to take some time, and it’s going to take determination to discover God’s perfect will for our lives.
5. Diligence.
To renew the spirit of our minds, we can never quit. This renewal is not an event; it’s a journey. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul writes
,
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Working out our salvation is an eternal journey. Remember, when we became born again, the salvation of our spirits was instant, but the salvation of our souls is a continual process. Read this passage from the Message Bible: “What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.” Selah.
To renew the spirit of our minds, we can never quit. This renewal is not an event; it’s a journey. In Philippians 2:12-13, Paul writes
,
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” Working out our salvation is an eternal journey. Remember, when we became born again, the salvation of our spirits was instant, but the salvation of our souls is a continual process. Read this passage from the Message Bible: “What I’m getting at, friends, is that you should simply keep on doing what you’ve done from the beginning. When I was living among you, you lived in responsive obedience. Now that I’m separated from you, keep it up. Better yet, redouble your efforts. Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God himself willing and working at what will give him the most pleasure.” Selah.
17
The Garden of Your Mind
W
ho is in control of your mind? As you go throughout your day, who or what is the controlling factor of how you think? If we all would stop and honestly assess the source of our thought patterns and mind-sets, I think we’d be a bit surprised. So often I hear people say, “I can’t help it when I get so mad.” Or “I just can’t stop worrying. If I don’t worry about everyone, who will?” If you cannot help it that you just put your fist through the wall, or if you cannot help it that you are depressed most of the time, then who
can
help you? If you are not in control, who is?
ho is in control of your mind? As you go throughout your day, who or what is the controlling factor of how you think? If we all would stop and honestly assess the source of our thought patterns and mind-sets, I think we’d be a bit surprised. So often I hear people say, “I can’t help it when I get so mad.” Or “I just can’t stop worrying. If I don’t worry about everyone, who will?” If you cannot help it that you just put your fist through the wall, or if you cannot help it that you are depressed most of the time, then who
can
help you? If you are not in control, who is?
The truth is, you
can
help it. You can because Paul writes in Colossians 3:22 that we are to set our minds on the things of God, not on the things of the world. If Paul wrote this in his letter, and the Holy Spirit included it in the Bible, then it must be possible for us to do what the Word says: to set our minds where we want them and to fix our thoughts on God’s Word. Remember, the process of renewing our minds involves taking all of our thoughts that do not line up with scriptures and exchanging those thoughts for the truth of God’s Word. Every Christian has the ability to decide exactly what and how he or she will think throughout the day. To believe otherwise is to reject the truth of the Bible.
can
help it. You can because Paul writes in Colossians 3:22 that we are to set our minds on the things of God, not on the things of the world. If Paul wrote this in his letter, and the Holy Spirit included it in the Bible, then it must be possible for us to do what the Word says: to set our minds where we want them and to fix our thoughts on God’s Word. Remember, the process of renewing our minds involves taking all of our thoughts that do not line up with scriptures and exchanging those thoughts for the truth of God’s Word. Every Christian has the ability to decide exactly what and how he or she will think throughout the day. To believe otherwise is to reject the truth of the Bible.
When I first became a Christian in the early 1970s, I didn’t think this truth could really apply to my life. My mind was so out of control. Trying to grab any one of the worldly thoughts swimming around in there was about as easy as trying to hold on to water. In fact, once, when I thought I’d gotten fairly good at this renewing the mind deal, my mentor, Julius, challenged me to try and focus my mind on one topic as long as possible—to not think of anything else except that one thing. He told me I probably couldn’t do it for longer than a few seconds. Of course, I didn’t believe him. I knew I would easily be able to focus on only one thing for much longer than a few seconds. I tried it. He was right.
Julius wanted me to realize how powerful my mind really was and how difficult it was going to be to discipline it. That’s when I understood renewing my mind was going to be a lifelong process. But through the years, I have seen my life become transformed as I have learned to set my mind on the ways and thoughts of God. Although renewal is a lifelong process, every Christian can engage and learn to discipline their mind and progress. To say “I can’t help it” goes against scripture, and it is untrue. Rather than tell ourselves this lie, we should say, “I’m mad, and I don’t want to change.” At least then we are being honest. We should say, “Today I’m worried and depressed because I want to be. I like being depressed because it’s an excuse to not get things done and it makes people feel sorry for me. I like being sad because, that way, I get lots of attention.”
The “I can’t help its” come out of our mouths because we don’t really want to take responsibility for our negative thoughts and behavior. Many people would rather stay the way they are rather than exert the effort required to change. Most of us Christians, who desire to see God’s perfect will evident in our lives, need to realize this is not going to happen only by shouting “Amen, Pastor!” at a sermon. It won’t happen just by warming a pew. God’s perfect will can only be experienced by those who choose to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, and this renewal is the key to maturing spiritually.
To the degree we will renew our minds is the same degree we will discover the peace and the promises of God. If we decide to renew our minds by devoting 50 percent of our attention to God’s Word and dividing the other 50 percent among CNN,
People
magazine, our secular education, and our depressed and negative relatives, then we are going to be frustrated as we find ourselves living day to day in and out of God’s blessings. But if we will engage in this renewal daily, as our lifestyle, then as we grow in the knowledge of God’s Word, we will see more and more of His prosperity flowing out of every area of our lives. Let’s go for 70 percent, then 80 percent, until we get as close as possible to 100 percent during our lives on Earth!
People
magazine, our secular education, and our depressed and negative relatives, then we are going to be frustrated as we find ourselves living day to day in and out of God’s blessings. But if we will engage in this renewal daily, as our lifestyle, then as we grow in the knowledge of God’s Word, we will see more and more of His prosperity flowing out of every area of our lives. Let’s go for 70 percent, then 80 percent, until we get as close as possible to 100 percent during our lives on Earth!
Every Thought Is a Seed
Possibly one of the most essential truths we can grasp in the process of renewal is this: Every thought is a seed that produces an emotion and then an action. I’m going to repeat this because it is so important: every thought you have is a seed. That seed produces an emotion and then an action, which in turn produces fruit in our lives. Seed, then emotion, then action, then fruit. The resulting fruit, whether it is good or bad, depends entirely upon the seed. If the seed is good, the fruit will be good; if the seed is bad, the fruit will be bad.
In chapter 12, we read Romans 8:5-6, which says
,
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Not only does this passage reiterate our ability to choose where we will set our minds, it also explains what kind of fruit will be produced.
,
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Not only does this passage reiterate our ability to choose where we will set our minds, it also explains what kind of fruit will be produced.
If we set our minds on the flesh, on worldly things, those thoughts are the seeds that will lead us to feel worldly emotions (jealousy, insecurity, lust, greed, etc.) and to act in worldly ways. The fruit of these responses will be death or separation from God. Again, for us Christians, this is not referring to our position in Heaven once we die; it is talking about our lives here on Earth. If our thoughts are always based in the ways of the world, then we will exclude God from our day-to-day activities—along with His protection, provision, and presence. But, Paul teaches, if we set our minds on the things of the Spirit, then our emotions and our actions will produce life and peace. Simply by how we live each day, will move us closer to God’s perfect will for our lives.
It’s all about the seed we are sowing in the garden of our minds. Just by looking at the fruit of our lives, we can clearly see what our thoughts are set upon. We all need to take a look at the garden of our lives every once in a while and determine what kind of fruit we are producing: our marriages, children, friendships, finances, health (physical and mental), career, and our relationship with Jesus. If you like your garden and it is producing God’s life and peace in every area, then keep thinking the way you are thinking. However, if you see parts of your garden you don’t like, that are not bringing forth the kind of fruit you want, you can plant new seeds—you can change your thoughts! By changing the thoughts, you will change the emotions, then the actions, and ultimately the fruit will be transformed as well.
One simple way to recognize the type of fruit you are producing is by listening to the words coming out of your mouth. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he.” And Matthew 12:34, “For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Your words easily reveal your thoughts. If your thoughts are seeds of death, you will say things like:
“I’m so sick and tired of my back hurting all the time!”“How come you always make such stupid choices?”“Why haven’t you kids done your homework? You’re so lazy!”
“I don’t know why I ever married you.”
But if your thoughts are seeds of life, you will confess:
“Thank God Jesus has healed me from this back pain!”
“That’s not like you—you are smart, and you always make good choices.”
“You kids are hard workers and great students—so let’s get the homework done!”
“God blessed me when He brought you into my life.”
Each day, are you sowing godly seed or worldly seed in the areas of your life? If you listen to yourself talk throughout the day, your confession will give you the answer.
The Seed Source
At the beginning of this chapter, I asked the question, who is in control of your mind? Obviously, you are the one in control, but sometimes we give that authority over to other forces or we allow ourselves to be greatly influenced by other things. The thoughts in our minds come from four different places: (1) God and His Word, (2) Satan and evil, (3) the world and what is carnal, and (4) self. If we could stop ourselves at every thought, we’d be able to see which of these four initiated that thought. We could easily identify whether that seed was good or bad and, at that very moment, decide to accept it or to toss it away. However, usually we are unaware of our thoughts, let alone the source of our thoughts, and it isn’t until our fist punches into the dry wall, or until we find ourselves popping another tranquilizer, that we notice something might be wrong. But if we could get to the source of our thoughts and identify where they are coming from, now we really would find some serious power.
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.(2 Corinthians 10:3-5)
In this scripture, Paul teaches the war we fight from day to day is not of our flesh. This means the issue is not how we are feeling, or what we did, or even the person or thing that tempted us to act in a certain way. Emotions, actions, or other people are not the sources of our problems. The true war occurs in the mind. Our mind is the battlefield and our thoughts are the weapons. Paul is telling us our success in life, whether we win or lose the daily battles we face, depends upon how we choose to think and what we decide to believe.
The “arguments” Paul refers to are any areas of our mind that are trying to compete against the Word of God, any thought we receive that disagrees with the principles of God. The scientist, the college professor, the news reporter, the Holly wood screen star, and the advertising copywriter are all attempting to give us their thoughts, opinions, attitudes, and ideas. The talk-show host or movie producer may present knowledge that is contrary to the Bible, but we cannot just sit passively and allow these thoughts to influence our minds. We must choose to recognize the fallacy of these ideas and not allow them to become part of our belief system. What we believe will determine if our lives will produce fruits of life and peace or fruits of death.
Some of us think we can agree with the world some of the time and then turn around and agree with God at other times. Not so. No matter how nice people might be, no matter how many good works they might achieve, at the end of the day, the influences we allow in our lives are either for Christ or they are against Christ. Beliefs either line up with the Word, or they don’t. As Christians, we must get sincere in our walk with God and take a hard look at where we are getting our mind-sets and attitudes. If we don’t, and we just stay lukewarm in our relationship with Jesus, then we will allow these beliefs to run our lives and we will never experience God’s perfect will for us here on Earth.
If we want to produce great works in our lives and leave a God legacy for the next generation, we can’t just play church and be nice people. We cannot go through life agreeing with everyone and everything so that we won’t rock the boat. We must decide there are some things in this world that are right, some that are wrong and completely against the knowledge of God, and then act according to what the Bible says. These actions are the fruit of our thoughts, so we must always be asking ourselves, “Where are my thoughts coming from?” We don’t need to spend much time trying to figure out which of the four sources I listed above are the ones responsible for every one of our thoughts. Just focus on number one: God. If our thoughts don’t agree with God and His Word, then they’re not going to produce the kind of fruit you want in your life. Life or death? You decide.
If we want to produce great works in our lives and leave a God legacy for the next generation, we can’t just play church and be nice people.
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