2 Corinthians 11:1-3
(1) Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me.
(2) For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
(3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The battle for our mind is a real battle that we all fight daily. We give in to the outside pressures or “Inside Persuasion” seeking to control it. The Bible talks about our minds being corrupted from the simplicity of Christ. The apostle Paul was one who was ever mindful of this battle. He was a man who suffered shipwreck; wrestled lions; was stoned to death; and yet, he was afraid of his mind being torn from Christ. He even wrote, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.”
The devil is crafty to corrupt our minds. Our minds are born naturally on a downward slope headed to gross corruption. Do you know how much is out there to corrupt our minds? One recent statistic reminded me of this very sobering fact: teenagers who listen to the wrong music, by the time they graduate 12th grade, will have consumed 10,500 hours of corruption! Wow! What are you feeding your mind? What am I feeding mine?
The idea for this blog came through a somewhat humorous situation in my own life. I recently changed my cell phone ring tone to tune of Jeopardy – the television game show theme. Since this change, I have traveled through six different airports. It has been extremely funny to me how that after my phone rings, and I am finished with a call, I notice that someone near me starts whistling this very catchy tune. They don’t even realize it! Just this week, I received one call while in the security line at O’hare airport. I then traveled from security all the way to the end of concourse B, where I entered the red carpet club (a benefit to excessive travelers – and one I enjoy!) to wait for my flight. Twenty minutes later, someone walked into this same room whistling the tune of Jeopardy! I asked him, “Where did you hear that tune?” He replied, “I don’t know…I think someone had a ring tone like it.” This man didn’t even realize that he was whistling the tune until I brought it to his attention! Our thoughts…what goes in….do matter! Do you understand that thinking wrong thoughts will affect you now and later? This truly is “double jeopardy”; but unlike like the game show, it will not be in your favor!
I recently read an article about fifteen college professors who studied the way that motivation and change happens. These scientists were watching the thought patterns and behaviors of individuals and concluded 3 points from the 5 year study:
1. When the mind attends to something…it considers.
2. When the mind does not attend to something…it dismisses
3. When the mind attends to something continuously…it believes.
I have had a simple habit since I was in high school. It was during this time in my life that I was challenged to not just go to church out of duty, not just attend the services, but to attain a real goal. I was challenged to train my brain to respond positively to the truth of God’s Word. This is the habit: when I hear a sermon, I summarize that sermon in one or two sentences. Then I write those sentences in the fly leaf of my Bible (or today, on my iPad). Then I place my finger on those statements and say these words, “I believe that.” I often say it out loud. This is a habit that I am very grateful for!
I remember 10 years ago, when Steve Curington explained the question at the end of challenges in the Stronghold’s Study Course. In this discipleship curriculum, there is a “yes or no question’ after each verse. It says, “Do you believe this verse to be true?” My heart confirmed with a hearty “Amen!” We must be careful what we feed our minds and what we meditate on as a result. What do you believe? Better keep feeding and confirming the mind or those who twist truth in the last days will draw you away. Better stick with the old paths and beat that path down even clearer in your mind as the winds shift.
Let your final answer be to the truth of God’s precious Word….I believe that!
Answer (Jeopardy style): What is confirmation?
– Benjamin R. Burks
