Part 8 (2/2)
Pa.s.sive or Pa.s.sionate?
The apostle Paul said, ”Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him]” (Ephesians 4:27). Perhaps the best way to summarize these words is: When the devil knocks on the door, don't open it and invite him in. There are many ways we actually give the devil an opening to pounce on us. One of those ways involves being pa.s.sive.
To be pa.s.sive is the opposite of being active. This can be a dangerous problem because it means you aren't on guard or aren't actively standing up, and you aren't alert. One of the devil's most deceitful tricks is to get you to do nothing and to feel content about it.
I have found a wide variety of definitions for the word pa.s.sive, but I describe it as a lack of feeling, a lack of desire, apathy, laziness, and lukewarmness. It is what John referred to when he wrote to the church at Laodicea: ”I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot!” (Revelation 3:15).
That statement reminds me of something someone told me years ago. ”I've been a good Christian today,” he said. ”I haven't hurt anyone or done anyone any harm.” In a moment of insight, I said, ”But have you done any good for anyone?” He stared at me for several seconds before he said, ”I guess I never thought of it that way. I was so concerned about not doing anything wrong, that I never thought about doing anything good.”
This ill.u.s.trates one of the tricks the devil plays on our minds. All we need to do is read the Bible to find out what G.o.d says. Paul wrote Timothy to stir up the gift of G.o.d in him (see 2 Timothy 1:67). Paul told his young disciple to shake himself up and do something-which is good for us to consider as well. This pa.s.sage urges us to get moving and start using the gifts G.o.d has given us. Timothy was becoming fearful and Paul told him to get stirred up because fear was not G.o.d's will for him.
The devil knows inactivity, laziness, or failure to exercise our will for doing good can throw us into ultimate defeat. As long as we take action against the devil, we can win the battle. When we do nothing, we are on dangerous ground. When we are stirred into action, pa.s.sionate about faith, and zealous to follow G.o.d, we can destroy all the devil's influence.
Peter wrote to the persecuted believers of his day to be well balanced-meaning temperate, sober of mind-and at all times vigilant and cautious. He warned them the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, and to resist him, firm in their faith (see 1 Peter 5:89). I emphasize this because I see many believers who don't feel pa.s.sionate about anything, so they don't do anything. They attend wors.h.i.+p services and praise the Lord if they feel like it. They read their Bibles if they have the energy and time. If they don't feel like doing something, they just don't do it. They don't finish what they start.
When we are stirred into action, pa.s.sionate about faith, and zealous to follow G.o.d, we can destroy all the devil's influence.
That's not G.o.d's way. We need to stir ourselves up-the way Paul urged Timothy. I'll use myself as an example to ill.u.s.trate what I mean. I always intensely disliked physical exercise, so I never did much of it. G.o.d convicted me that I really needed to get on a good exercise program if I wanted to be strong for the rest of my journey here on earth. It was a hard decision for me to make, but once I got started I learned that I actually really liked it. Now I look forward to it and am really disappointed if for any reason I have to miss one of my sessions. When I first started I ached all over. Because I had been so inactive (pa.s.sive) for so long, the physical exercise was painful! If you are accustomed to being pa.s.sive and inactive in your spiritual life, it may be difficult to begin, but once you do you will like the results you see.
Let me encourage you to stir yourself up. Get active. You don't want to give place to the devil by doing nothing. If you make the effort to praise G.o.d and to read the Bible, you give G.o.d the opportunity to bless you. If you don't make the effort, you are inviting the enemy into your life. Get moving! Start today. You have hundreds of joints in your body and G.o.d gave them to you because He expects you to move!
CHAPTER 35.
The Mind of Christ First Corinthians 2:16 tells us we have the mind of Christ. This statement overwhelms many people. If these were not the words of the Bible, they wouldn't believe it. As it is, most people shake their heads and ask, ”How can this be?”
Paul was not saying we're perfect or we'll never fail. He was telling us, as believers in Jesus, the Son of G.o.d, we are given the mind of Christ. That is, we can think spiritual thoughts because Christ is alive within us. We no longer have to think the way we once did. We can begin to think as He did.
Another way to look at this is to point to the promise G.o.d spoke through Ezekiel: ”A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you” (Ezekiel 36:2627).
G.o.d gave that promise through the prophet when the Jews were in exile in Babylon. He wanted to show them their present situation was not the end. They had sinned and failed Him in every conceivable way, but He would not abandon them. Instead, He would change them. He would give them a new spirit-His Holy Spirit.
When we have the Holy Spirit living and active within us, the mind of Christ is in action. The mind of Christ is given to us to direct us in the right way. If we have His mind, we will think positive thoughts. We will think about how blessed we are-how good G.o.d has been to us. I am not sure enough can ever be said about the power of being positive and looking at things the way G.o.d sees them.
Jesus was positive-in spite of facing a mult.i.tude of negative experiences that include being lied about, lonely, misunderstood, and deserted by His disciples when He needed them most-and was always able to offer an uplifting, encouraging word. Just being in His presence would suggest that all fear, negative thoughts, and discouraging hopelessness would evaporate into thin air.
The mind of Christ in us is positive. So when we fall for the opportunity to be negative about something, we should instantly discern that we are not operating with the mind of Christ. G.o.d wants us to be lifted up. It's the enemy of our soul who wants us pressed down-depressed. Except for a medical reason, I do not think it is possible to be depressed without being negative. We have many opportunities to think negative thoughts, but that is not the mind of Christ at work in us. We don't have to accept those thoughts. They are not His!
Every situation gives us an opportunity to make a choice. It is obvious, of course, we can choose the good or the bad. What we often forget is that we choose the bad or the wrong without conscious thought. We follow old patterns-or the old mind-and not the mind of Christ. As G.o.d promised the Jews through Ezekiel's prophecy, He will give us a new heart and a new spirit, but we still have the power to choose which mind-the mind of the flesh out of habit or the mind of Christ-we want to follow.
We have many opportunities to think negative thoughts, but that is not the mind of Christ at work in us. We don't have to accept those thoughts. They are not His!
CHAPTER 36.
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