A little food for weekend thought--
Time for a quick reboot.
Anybody else out there need that right about now? Maybe not, but yours truly does....because for a short month, February sure is a mighty looooong month. Somehow, these 28 days always seem to be the doldrums of the calendar year.
I know, I know, totally wrong attitude. Totally wrong mindset. As our youngest son so often reminds me--"Mom, February is the greatest month of the whole year--it's got Valentine's Day and my birthday!!" And I do need that reminder--thank You, Lord Jesus, for the priceless gift of our dear Peter who has brought so much joy and laughter and love into our lives. And thank You for the Valentine's Day--after all, not only is it a day that rejoices in the irreplaceable gift of love in our lives, but also it celebrates the treasure of chocolate! Geez, in light of all that, I clearly need a reboot if I've misplaced my joy!
But here's what C.S.Lewis says: "As Dr. Johnson said, 'People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.' The real job of every moral teacher is to keep on bringing us back, time after time, to the old simple principles which we are all so anxious not to see; like bringing a horse back and back to the fence it has refused to jump or bringing a child back and back to the bit in it's lesson that it wants to shirk."
So here's the "old simple principle"--"Set your minds on things above not on things on the earth." (Col.3:2) So simple...but so true and so powerfully life-changing.
What's our mindset? Where is our mind set?
And are we responding to life based upon our moods or our mindset?
Because here's the thing--if our minds are set above--upon the risen Savior whose grace saved us, whose love surrounds us, whose power sustains us, and who even now sits at the Father's right hand interceding for us--well then our moods will not, not, not control us. Nor will our circumstances...nor our challenges...nor our hardships...nor our heartaches.
And people, we have heaven just ahead! Good night, sometimes we forget all the glory and wonder and celebrating and perfection and joy that's just around the corner!
No, it's not a matter of mood. It's a mindset--a mind set upon Christ and His glory.
February's behind us. Those 28 days are done and gone. But now God has given us a new month. A fresh new start and a new opportunity to live with the right mindset. With our minds set on things above and not below. With a heart controlled by our mindset and not our moods.
Oh how many countless times have I quoted it, but I need to be reminded again and again: "All our problems come from looking around rather than up." (Mother Teresa).
This new day, this new month, "The joy of the Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him." (Ps.28:7)
Go forth this day in the sweet words of Nehemiah: "For the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Neh.8:10) Just in case you needed reminding...and don't we all?
To God be the glory.
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