Just a Thought
Usually, when people say, “Just a thought,” something amazing follows or something ridiculous follows. Usually, their opinion follows. When we say it, we might be contemplating, brainstorming, or giving our opinion. My point is: whatever follows isn’t “just a thought,” because it has profound implications; thoughts impact us. Someone can lift us up with a thought or tear us down with a thought. We can encourage ourselves during troubled times with positive thoughts, or we can help the enemy defeat us with negative thoughts. Thus, I introduce the “battleground of the mind.” My favorite author, Joyce Myer, wrote a book with those exact words as the title. For now, however, I would like to focus on the Helmet of Salvation because it is a piece of the armor of God that protects our minds from the thoughts of this world.
Romans 12:2 reads, “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 and pleasing and perfect will.”
“Whatever you do a lot of - you will do more of.” Nobody famous said that - just me. What I mean is, you will continue to do what you’ve always done, as if on automatic pilot. This is why we repeat certain things our parents did, this is why it’s so hard to break old habits; this is why we need God to help us. The great news here, however, is that if you want to take a negative habit and start doing the opposite behavior you can do it! And the more you do it, the more of it you will do. I sound like Dr. Seuss. What I’m trying to say is “Whatever you do a lot of - you will do more of!” and this can be a good thing if you decide to “not conform any longer to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
I love Webster. Transform means: “to give a different form to; change the character of.”
Butterflies transform from ugly, hairy worms to beautiful, flying pieces of art! Now that’s transformation!
Just like we take a shower every day to freshen up and face the day, so too should we constantly cleanse our mind, daily with thoughts of God, His grace, His strength, His love, His compassion, His forgiveness, His humor, and His hope. However, we must make the decision to do this.
I was recently reading “The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman, and in that book he said that the “honeymoon period” can last up to 2 years. You know that period where you are just infatuated and you can’t even eat or sleep because you keep thinking about that “special someone.” He said, however, that once that period ends, and it will end, because the reality of life sets in and we have to focus on our work, we have our own dreams and desires and interests, and it’s just reality. We can’t spend forever unable to concentrate (we’d never be able to balance a checkbook study for a test or complete a project if our hearts and heads stayed in the clouds), not eating and not sleeping. But, what I liked is his explanation of “true love.” He said true love is a CHOICE that people make. We don’t choose to whom we are attracted. That’s why love is explained as “falling in love.” It’s like fate pushes us over a cliff and the next thing we know we are “in love - by no choice of our own.” That’s the honeymoon period. But, true love is when we decide to remain committed once the butterflies have long since flown away. True love is about sticking it out during storms and sacrificing our own comfort for someone else’s - not because it’s easy, but because we LOVE them. And when we decide to do that, the beautiful butterflies are able to return. The cool thing is they aren’t fleeting butterflies of infatuation; they are butterflies of committed, bold, significant, strong, profound, unique, and grace-filled true-LOVE.
Jesus did this for us. He made a choice to stay upon that cross because He LOVES us. If He was merely infatuated with us, the reality of the dirt, blood and nails would have caused Him to go get infatuated with someone else real quick! But He LOVES us, and He decided to stay and endure pain for our sake, for our salvation.
It is beautiful how “just a thought” about God’s love for us can cause our spirits to soar above storms, help us be self-controlled, determined and steadfast. A Warrior can be transformed by simply deciding to stand instead of sit, praise instead of cry, hope instead of doubt, help someone else, instead of remain isolated and defeated, believe in the impossible, run instead of walk, and show up to the power and grace that God has set before you, waiting for you to claim it. It’s about making a decision to LOVE God and other people more than your pain. Once we trade our pain for praise the butterfly wings within our soul start to grow, enabling us soar above the storms…..” just a thought.”
Kristina Seymour loves to encourage and equip women through the Word and through community. She is the author of The Warrior Mom Handbook, The Warrior Mom Leadership Manual, and The Warrior Wife Handbook; they are available at Amazon.com. Kristina's Bible studies are for women who desire to live by faith in the midst of their everyday lives. She has learned that women can't survive on caffeine and animal crackers alone; women in the Word and in community are united and able to stand firm. To learn more about Kristina, please visit her website, https://kristinaseymour.com/. God loves to share His story of love and grace through us all, and Kristina believes that everyone has a story to tell.
Originally published Tuesday, 29 October 2019.
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