In Captivity

Do your thoughts ever run wild on you?  Seeming like a charging herd of buffalo running wildly across a prairie range?  Nothing is going to stop them?

Surely, I am not the only one in whom this activity of stomping through my mind takes place.  The powerful storm in the realm of our thoughts must be a common event since Scripture addresses it by the Apostle Paul as he admonishes the Corinthian church.  As he does spiritual battle on behalf of the people of Corinth, he details that he is taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  

In Phillipians, Paul again discusses 'mind control' by encouraging the residents of Phillipi to think true, just, lovely, valuble thougths when their hearts and minds are suffering anxiety.  

How does this help us, you and me today, when our thoughts run amuk?  

First, let's look at the anxious thinking 'cure'.  Anxiety is a major issue for a vast number of us.  Our thougths take us down roads that do not build us up at all.  We imagine scenarios of all sorts and get even more anxious as we consider the end result of those made up scenes in our minds.  We let fear ravage us.  We let our minds conquer our spirits.

But, what does Paul command us to do?  Practice this as I have taught you, he writes.  First, give thanks IN everything.  Commit your mind to knowing God is sovereign, give thanks for that truth, give thanks for His knowledge of every situation you are enduring.  With this thankfulness for his care, make requests to him.  Peace truly does come when you sit inside a situation fully accepting God's faithfulness in it.  Then, concentrate on a particular type of thinking - the list is easy - think on things that are lovely, true, pure, honorable, right, of excellence, great value, and worthy of praise.  Practice this kind of thinking, let it override the anxious thoughts, and peace will truly shroud your mind and heart.

The other mindset Paul mentions as he wages war in matters of faith is to actually take thoughts captive.  It is how he mininstered for and to the saints in the New Testament Church.  What does this mean, though?

I studied the word 'captive'. Its roots are Latin in foundation from 'captivus', meaning 'taken' or 'captus', meaning to take.  By definition, as an adjective, it means made or held prisoner, held prisoner in restraint, and dominated.  These words all create an ambience of power exerted over something else.  The imagery created in the mind seems to be battle, war, good vs. evil, fighting, a definite power struggle.  

So, taking thoughts captive seems to take some concerted effort on our part.  As I think on this, the word 'warrior' comes to mind.  I believe the best way to approach this idea is to consider myself a warrior, doing strong battle against any thought that takes me down wrong roads.

A precious friend always asks me, "Did you do the litmus test on that thought?  Does it build up or tear down in your life?"  

Right there is a good guage to let me know when I need to enter into battle for my mind's direction.  Approaching one's thinking as a warrior, taking the thoughts as prisoners restrained by self control, by redirection to truth, loveliness, purity, honor, goodness, is all work needing to be done, and effort that will bring results that bring peace to us and glory to God.  The action can be as simple as praising God, thanking him that He knows just what you are experiencing, thanking him for everything you can think of to give thanks for at that moment, and even just thinking on the wonderful love of Jesus.

Be a warrior.  When your mind begins the rollercoaster of madness, speak to yourself about being a mighty soldier, fighting a worthy battle for healthy thinking, peace, and calm.  Each of those is worth the work.  Your serenity is worth doing the work of the warrior for your mind's control.  Take thoughts captive, Warrior.  I'm cheering you on from the sidelines.  

Take Up Your Cross - Do I Have To?

Luke chapter nine tells the portion of Jesus' life when he asks his disciples who they say he is - 'Who do you say that I am?'  They testify that he is the Christ, the anointed one, sent from God in heaven.

Then, Jesus goes on to say he must suffer many things and if they want to follow him, they must 'take up their crosses' and follow him.  He goes on to challenge the core of their thinking by telling them that people who want to save their own lives will most certainly lose them, but those who lose their lives because of him will actually save them.

What does this mean to me? To you? Single mom, single dad, betrayed spouse, hurting parent?

Often, when reading this passage, we are led to think of being called to participate in missions overseas or some such sacrificial service to the kingdom of God.  We think of denying ourselves when asked to teach Sunday school, or lead youth group, or work in a nursery.  

Taking up our cross is frightening talk when we really consider what it means to do so.  The cross was a horrid method of death.  It was, and is, NOT like the pretty jewelry we wear on our necks or wrists.  The haloed imagery of Jesus, with calm face looking down, like we see in many artist renditions of the crucifixion, is also not the truth of its horror.  

The cross was not lovely. In fact, the cross is called foolishness to those that are perishing.

I Corinthians 1:18 - The message of the cross is foolishness to them that are being destroyed, but it is the power of God for those of us who are being saved.

Many of God's people, during Jesus' day, thought he was coming to save the world from its troubles and traumas using strength, might, glory, power, and strategic wisdom against those who made them suffer.  Instead, God used a cross to save them.  A miserable, shameful, tormenting tool which, in the beginning, made it look like God lost. Jesus was gone.  But, he rose victorious.  He won.  And he saved the world by doing so.  But, he suffered to do it.  Legitimately, this seemed ridiculous to many then and still today.

Jesus did not stand and fight over whether he deserved such torture.  He didn't protect himself.  He didn't rip and tear away from the hands of those who led him to the rack for the cat of nine tails that would gouge flesh from his rib cage and shoulders and sling blood all about his face and those of onlookers.  He entrusted himself to the one who judges righteously and submitted to what looked like ultimate loss.

It is this submission to what looks like loss that I am wondering about today as I consider taking up my cross and following after Jesus.

What if doing this in life today stands in the context of walking in the pain of the betrayals brought to us by the sins of others?  or divorce?  or lies told to us or about us by folks who can do a great deal of damage with them? or severely disappointed hope?

Is God asking me to take up my cross, accept what has happened, entrust myself to the one who judges righteously in my life, submit to the sovereignly planned events of my life that can come at the hands and choices of others, and let God build my life in him through those things?

I'm having an inkling that applying this scripture to today, without taking it too far out of Biblical context, means just that.  God is at work  - truly at work - empowering the spirit in me, and you, to trust him, love from his love, give from his mercy, and shed anxiety of this world by the events of our lives that, when yielded to his trustworthy hands, will bring glory to Him. And isn't that the ultimate goal of living on this earth, yet dwelling in his kingdom?

The ultimate gift to us in all our 'crosses' is Christ in us, the hope of glory.  This is what is being built in us.  When you are willing to take up your cross, carry the pain of it, walk in the anxiety that might come with any given situation, entrust it to God rather than wallow in it without trust, glory in the weakness it brings because the power of Christ rests upon you for handling it - THEN, the wisdom of God rests on you, then, Christ's power and strength are being shown in you, then, Christ is shown in you as the great savior and redeemer and refuge he is for this world.

Commit with me to considering this admonition from Jesus. Take up your cross and follow him.  Take up the pain and disappointment in your life - from divorce, betrayal, lies, lost relationships, children making bad choices - and entrust yourself to the one who judges righteously, as Jesus did.  Let the power of Christ rest upon you as your let all those things have their perfect work in you. 

Praying for you brothers and sisters in Jesus.