Today : Mind Your Mind and Heart
TODAY’S VERSE
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:15-16 (NIV)
TODAY’S THOUGHT
William Backus, in his book “Learning To Tell Myself The Truth” writes, “Sadly, misbeliefs, whether verbal or visual, are the direct cause of emotional turmoil, maladaptive behavior, and most self-destructive behavior, such as overeating, smoking, lying, substance abuse, or adultery, to name a few.” It is true, the consequences of misbeliefs, misinterpretations of events and skewed predictions about outcomes all to often lead to us to despair and the dysregulation of our emotions. Therefore it is crucial that we protect our heart and our mind. Paul shares how can do this. First he says that we are to let the peace that comes from knowing Christ rule in our hearts. The heart is where our emotions, imagination, visualizations, dreams and aspirations come from. We need to let Christ rule in each of these areas. He should fill our imaginations, dreams and visions with His peace. Satan uses our imagination. Have you ever noticed that you fear in technicolor, surround sound and 3-D? It is the same with anger, hopelessness and any other of our painful emotions. Our imagination goes wild. Instead, we need to let Christ’s peace fill our hearts. We need Him to be the Lord of our imagination. Second, Paul writes, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.” It is the word of God that challenges and helps correct any negative core belief. As His word dwells in our minds we will begin to see it spill over into our belief system. This happens through admonishing one another with all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.” Today give God both your heart and your mind. Let Him be the Lord of your thoughts and imagination.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, please let Your peace rule in my heart. Let Your word dwell in my mind. Help me grow with others as we admonish each other with all wisdom. May I be blessed through the singing of psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. And may I be filled with gratitude in my heart to You dear God. In Jesus’ name I pray.
AMEN
TODAY’S AFFIRMATION & MEDITATION
God’s peace resides in my heart
Today meditate on God’s peace. Take a deep breath and relax. Picture yourself in a quiet place. Let yourself relax as you continue to breathe deep. As you relax ask God to help you sense His peace. Invite the Holy Spirit to come and give you the peace that, “passes all understanding!” Let His peace fill your mind, your body and your emotions. Visualize yourself reading the scriptures and extracting peace from it. See yourself fellowshipping with others in worship and enjoying the peace of God. Affirm deep in your soul that “God’s peace resides in my heart.”