My mom discovered Christ when about twenty-nine years of age. But because of some family circumstances, her walk with Jesus didn’t center around church services. Instead, she made our home a haven of compassion and spirituality. Our bodies were God’s temple and our spirit was Christ’s sanctuary. And the mind was the gateway to the soul. When conversations around the dinner table or in the car turned negative, Mom would regularly offer this insight: “Negativity poisons the mind.”
Just as a vehicle runs on fuel, those created in God’s image are designed to “run” on the Word and Spirit, on worship and prayer. As new creations, the thoughts of God and presence of the Holy Spirit are the igniting agents providing kingdom power and energy for living. Just as we would not put sand in a car’s gas tank, so also, negative, critical and judgmental thoughts and words introduce foreign substances into the “engine” of our mind. The Good News translation renders Proverbs 4:23, “Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.”
Are you feeling drained and disjointed or agitated and anxious? Is it possible that you’re feeding your mind poisonous thoughts? Much of today’s news is presented in a way that makes us angry or afraid. Both act as poison. Jesus said “the cares of this world choke the Word.” And this chokes our compassion and creativity. Some people constantly ruminate on past negative interactions, failures or inadequacies. These, too, can act as subtle, yet progressive poisons that create destructive mental strongholds.
But Scripture offers prescriptions to heal our minds from the poison of negativity. Here are three verses given by the Great Physician. They come from Rom. 12:2, 2 Cor. 10:5 and Phil. 4:8: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…; Take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ; Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.”
Just as we would take daily medicine prescribed by a doctor, these verses are given as “gos-pills” for the soul. If we take them everyday, we’ll begin to experience one of my mom’s favorite verses. It comes from Isaiah 26:3: “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are fixed on You.” So say no to the poison of negativity, and yes to the peace of God. Shalom.
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