Do you desire to please God with your life? Do you also struggle with sinful thoughts and habits? In Gal. 5:17 Paul reminds us that the flesh is in conflict with the spirit – and the spirit is in conflict with the flesh. They are opposed to each other making it difficult to do what is right. In Romans 7 Paul talks about how the things he wants to do, he doesn’t; and the things he doesn’t want to do, he keeps on doing. Can you relate?
Welcome to the Point of Purity Podcast! I’m your host Steve Etner – author, National Speaker, Certified Professional Mentor TM and Purity Coach for The Pure Man Ministry and this is Episode #180. This week’s Episode is entitled “Understanding the Mind.”
David penned the words of Psalm 119 as he considered the great benefits of God’s truth. In verse 15 he writes, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.” In this verse, the word “fix” (some translations say “consider”) refers to having your thoughts focused; much like a laser beam is intensely focused light. Let me remind you in layman’s terms that a laser beam is far more powerful than a regular flashlight. This is what happens when we “fix” our attention upon God’s Word. When you focus your thoughts upon Scripture you can accomplish much for God’s Kingdom.
Later, in verse 97, the psalmist declares “Oh how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long.” Can you say this and mean it? Do you “love” God’s Word?” The word “love” in this verse refers not to simply enjoying or liking something a lot, but rather having a large veracious appetite for it. It is craving something so much that all you can think about is getting hold of it so you can have it. We should cry out as David did “I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold.” (Psalm 119:127) What earthy treasure do you value more than anything?
So, I have a few questions to ask you here, and I want you to seriously reflect on them. 1) How much do you love God’s Word? 2) Are you “considering” God’s Word throughout the day? 3) Are your thoughts always fixed upon Biblical truth? 4) Does the Word of God permeate your thinking like a laser beam all day long and into the night? 5) When you encounter an unplanned-for situation, what are your first thoughts? When a boss is demanding or a client is frustrating you, when the children aren’t obeying or the car breaks down in the middle of rush hour, what goes racing through your mind? 6) When you’re home all alone, what do you allow yourself to think about?
You see, when you choose daily to truly delight in God’s Word, the truth of Scripture begins to fill your mind and direct your thoughts which in turn impacts and influences your attitude and behavior. As you have heard me say often, whom you choose to worship determines what you choose to think about. What you choose to think about determines what you choose to do. And what you choose to do determines the consequences that will result. So, another way to put it is your consequences are a direct result of your worship. When you choose to delight in God’s Word you are seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness which brings about God’s greatest blessings (Matthew 6:33).
Again, in Psalm 119, I want you to notice in verse 148 that the psalmist says, “I stay awake through the night, thinking about your promise.” When you can’t sleep at night, what do you typically think about. The Psalmist encourages you to meditate on God’s Word, thinking about His promises. He reminds us to let the promises of Scripture occupy our thoughts. However, let me also remind you of this crucial point: you cannot meditate on God’s Word if you are not hiding it in your heart, choosing to memorize it (Psalm 119:11).
Throughout this podcast we have been discovering the power of Scripture in affecting lasting change in our lives. An “Extreme Mind Makeover” if you will. If that phrase (“Extreme Mind Makeover”) sounds familiar to you it should. It’s the title of one of the books I’ve written and is available on Amazon. This lasting change, this divine change enables us to live a life that consistently brings glory, honor, and praise to God in everything we say and do. God makes it abundantly clear that we are to fix His Word in our heart.
"You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul." (Deuteronomy 11:18a)
Do you want to be prosperous and successful? Do you want to build a godly life upon a solid foundation? Understand that when the law of God is firmly established in your heart, your feet will not slip (Psalm 37:31). When you choose to memorize Scripture, hiding God’s Word in your heart, you will not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). The fact is, we are to choose daily to “let the word of Christ dwell in [us] richly” (Colossians 3:16a). And as you choose to meditate on His Word day and night, then you will be prosperous and successful (Joshua 1:8); you will be the wise man who is building your life upon the Rock of Christ (Matthew 7:24-25).
“So Moses told the people, ‘You must be careful to obey all the commands of the Lord your God, following his instructions in every detail. Stay on the path that the Lord your God has commanded you to follow. Then you will live long and prosperous lives in the land you are about to enter and occupy.” (Deuteronomy 5:32-33)
In Bible times, the primary source of water were fountains and wells. These were watched over with extra special care. That water source was their lifeline. If something got into that well to taint the water, it could have a seriously significant impact upon all their lives. They cooked with it, they drank from it, they even watered their flocks from it. Nothing was ever allowed to enter that well, especially if it had the potential to be harmful. As long as the water in the well was clean and pure, life was good.
Let me once again remind you that godliness begins with your worship. Worship God and you will be godly. This is because your worship impacts your thoughts. Your mind plays a primary role in being godly. To allow sinful thinking is to pollute your entire life. Have you ever stopped to consider that the things around you, in your daily environment, have a direct impact and influence upon what and how you think? The things you see and the things you hear have a significant influence on the things you think. The things you think strongly determine the things you say and do. Therefore, what you see and what you hear affect your attitude, your choices, your behavior.
Remember what we learned from Colossians 3:17. Whatever you say and do is to always glorify God. Of necessity then, whatever you choose to see and hear must also glorify God. If it does not, you must choose to refuse to see it or listen to it because it will “taint the well” – leading you to make King Me centered decisions and actions. This, my friend, is not something to be lightly considered.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” The words “above all else” refer to having a faithful, unwavering, focused commitment to something – far more than you do to anything else. It means that this thing you are guarding is so important, so precious, so vital that it takes the highest and utmost priority over everything and anything else in your life. Simply put, nothing should be more important to you than to have a faithful, unwavering, focused commitment to guarding your heart.
Above all else (the most important thing is to) stand guard over your heart. What is the purpose of a guard? A guard stands watch. A guard protects. An effective guard is always on high alert. Why? Because there is an enemy lurking around the corner who wants to destroy that which is being guarded. The enemy of your soul is intent on your annihilation, and he is constantly looking for ways to effectively attack you. This is why, “above all else” you must always guard your heart. Satan knows if he can impress your thinking, he will impact your living.
God’s command is clear, “Above all else, guard your heart!” Your “heart” is so much more than the muscle in your chest that goes thumpity thump thump. The word for “heart” that Solomon uses refers to the place where your thinking and decision-making occur. It’s the seat of your knowledge and understanding. It is the place of your intellect and will. It is your mind.
Why is it so critical that our highest priority at all times must be to guard our minds? The answer is found in our verse. “For it is the wellspring of life.” Everything we do has its beginnings in everything we think. Just like the fountains and wells in ancient times could be tainted, so also allowing sinful, King Me centered worship will taint your thoughts which will in turn pollute your entire life. This is why it is of highest importance that you set a constant guard over your mind. If your thoughts are pure and holy, the things you say and do will be pure and holy. If you allow false worship to taint your thinking, your actions will not glorify God. From your worship come your thoughts, from your thinking spring the decisions and choice of life. And from those choices flow the consequences.
Equipped with that understanding, let’s look at Proverbs 4:23 again. “Above all else [with an unwavering and focused commitment], guard your heart [protect at all costs the place where your thinking, reasoning, and decision-making occurs], for it is the wellspring of life [how you live flows from what you think].”
At the end of every singly episode, I always close with these powerful words: “If we are going to glorify God in our daily living, He must first be glorified in our every moment thinking.” This isn’t just a quaint or cute little saying that I keep repeating over and over again. This comes from the very mouth of God as a mandate for every Christian – “above all else!” We are to faithfully, unwaveringly have a focused commitment on setting a guard of protection over our mind because from our thoughts come our actions. God is giving us a clear-cut warning to be constantly and consistently vigilant, on guard, ever standing watch over our mind.
“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” (James 1:22)
Every day of our lives we are faced with a choice. Am I going to be merely a hearer or a doer? If guarding your mind is not your highest priority, it needs to be – today, not tomorrow; now, not later. As you have looked into the mirror of Scripture and read Proverbs 4:23, has God revealed something in your heart that needs addressing? Are you seeing a blemish in your life that needs fixing? I challenge you to choose right now what you will do about it. Don’t just sit here and say, “Wow! Good point Steve,” and do nothing about it. Don’t be deceived. Don’t be deluded into thinking you’ll address it at a later time.
I encourage you right here and now to begin writing out a course of action using these three questions to help you.
1. How am I going to deal with this blemish that God has revealed to me?
2. What steps am I going to take right now to setup that guard of protection over my mind?
3. Whom am I going to ask to hold me accountable to this action?
Don’t wait. Don’t allow yourself to think, “I’ll do this ... later.” If you put it off, you are deluding and deceiving yourself (James 1:22-25). Guarding your heart, setting up a protective perimeter around your mind must always be your highest priority. Do it now. Don’t delay. Once you’ve written out a plan of action, take the next step and actually act upon the plan.
OK. Let’s hit the pause button until next week’s episode as we continue our miniseries on How to Glorify God. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about today’s study, or if you’re interested in learning more about The Pure Man Ministry (what we do to help men across the globe find freedom and victory over sexual sin), be sure to visit our website to see the multitude of resources we’ve made available to you – you can find our website at ThePurityCoach.com.
One of these powerful resources we are making available to you is my book called “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You see, saying “No” to temptation and choosing to live an upright and godly life is a daily decision you must make. Every time you are faced with a temptation, you are also faced with a decision: Do I give in, or do I stand firm in my faith and fight it? Do I yield to the leading of the Holy Spirit and live to glorify God, or do I focus on King Me and give in to my fleshly desires?
This book “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” presents, in a very clear and practical way, how to live a life that is holy and pure, how to say no to sin and live by the Spirit in a way that glorifies your creator, your Savior, your Heavenly Father. Again, the title of this book is “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory.” You can find it on Amazon.com or on my website (ThePurityCoach.com) in our Resources section.
So go to our website, ThePurityCoach.com, and check out our resources page, or go directly to Amazon.com and purchase your copy of “Overcoming Temptation: 4 Steps to Spiritual Victory” today.
And if you haven’t subscribed to this podcast yet, let me encourage you to do so today so you won’t miss any of our upcoming episodes!
So, until next time this is Author, Speaker, Certified Professional MentorTM and Purity Coach Steve Etner reminding you that if you are going to glorify God in your everyday living, He must first be glorified in your every moment thinking.
