Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Safety of a Sound Mind

There is safety with a sound mind!  Solomon observed - "A man who can not control his own spirit is like a city without walls" - In our day  we would describe this state as being "a sitting duck."  Outbursts are no laughing matter - lack of self control leads to more than mere  personal embarrassment;  it destroys people!  
 
Uncontrolled anger is like keeping a loaded gun in the heart - it's very dANGERerous!   Uncontrolled passion turns tongues into swords,  words  into weapons and friends into enemies.  Lacking self control is a spiritual condition similar to a very dry forest, a tinder box  -it's  only a small spark away from becoming a raging inferno.
 
Thankfully,  God has made provision for this sin-caused inherent weakness - "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a SOUND (safe) MIND."  Some versions use - "self control"  - the Greek word literally means "the ability to rein in thoughts."  An agitated mind is just like a wild horse that gets spooked and bolts into a gallop so fast that the rider's life is endangered.  Only sound minds are safe minds - unstable minds have an explosive "hair trigger".  
 
The Holy Spirit imparts divine power that gives us the ability to "rein in" our thoughts and emotions.  This power will keep us from becoming captives of our own thoughts; instead, we are enabled to take "every thought into captivity".   Succumbing to surging thoughts is the inevitable result of lack of self control.  This is why we need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit so that we can enjoy the blessing of having a sound - SAFE - mind!  The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is LIFE and PEACE.  Those who walk IN the Spirit enjoy the SAFETY of HIS SOUND MIND!

No comments:

Post a Comment