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I Like Mine Black And A Little Bit Strong
by Jeff Todd Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12: 1,2 (NIV) I woke up early this morning with a thought on my mind. Normally when I get up this early either the Lord puts something on my heart to write about or my wife has been tossing and turning all night and I am forced to get up. But today is sorta strange because I have one thought on my mind. I am thinking about a nice cup of home-brewed coffee. Now that's a weird thing to think about! I make it to the coffee maker, dump out yesterday's mix and rinse everything out. I start a fresh new brew. I have been doing this for so long that I know exactly how many scoops to put in it and how much water to add. I like my coffee black and a little bit strong. It may not be good for me, but it gets me going. It's like an energy drink for old folks. Have you ever wondered what your coffee would taste like if you used yesterday's coffee grounds? I'm talking saving time by using what you used to make coffee with yesterday? It's a gross thought and I imagine it would be all watered down and weak. Wouldn't it? This got me thinking spiritually I have heard it said that the mind controls the body. I know people that have made themselves sick by thinking about 'being sick' all day. They were fine earlier, but because they focused on a potential ailment they may have, they eventually got the symptoms. I have even read in self-help books that your success in life is determined by what you think of yourself. If you think positive all the time, then positive things will happen. There could be some truth in all of this. For many of us, we tend to be a little self-centered. I know I am and the Lord is still working on me. Our thoughts tend to be more on ourselves, our feelings and what we want out of life. So, for the Christian that is 'all about me' and trying to live for Jesus, there will be a conflict. We may get a spiritual high on a Sunday and be praising God, but during the week a slow decline begins taking place. We unintentionally begin thinking about ourselves, our problems, and the things we don't have. By the end of the week, we have reached a spiritual low and can't wait until Sunday morning rolls around so that we can get fed God's Word again. So, how do we maintain it through the week? The first step is recognizing where our thoughts are. Are we thinking more about ourselves? Or are we focused on Jesus and how we can serve Him from day to day? We have to let go of 'me' and put Him in there. It's all about Jesus! Second, renew our minds.daily. We can't expect to go a week without putting God's Word into our lives from day to day. This would be like making coffee from last week's coffee grounds. It will get weaker and weaker. If the mind controls the body, then we need to think with the mind of Christ. Every day we should let Him have control by offering ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice. Don't just give Him your problems. Give HimYOU!! Let Him have it - all of it! Now that's a little thought to chew on. God bless you! Jeff Harbor Of Light Ministries Jeff Todd was born in Newnan, GA forty years ago. He is currently a minister and teacher of the Word through his ministry, Harbor Of Light Ministries. You can visit them on MySpace (add url plus harboroflightministries) Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |