High Things!

            An eighty-year-old couple was worried because they kept forgetting things all the time.  The doctor assured them there was nothing seriously wrong except old age and suggested they carry a notebook and write things down so they wouldn’t forget.  Several days later the old man got up to go to the kitchen.  His wife said, “Dear, get me a bowl of ice cream while you’re up.”  “OK,” he said.  “…and put some chocolate syrup on it and a few cherries on it and some whipped cream too.”  Then she added, “You’d better write all this down.”  “I won’t forget,” he retorted.  Thirty minutes later he came back into the room and handed her a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon.  She glared at him.  “Now, I told you to write it down!  I knew you’d forget.”  “What did I forget?”  he asked.  She replied, “My toast!” 
            Of course this is a funny, but in reality there are things that we need to let go of and forget, especially bad memories, hurts, offences, and not write them down.  We need to bury them in the bone-yard of the past so we can move on with our lives.  It amazes me to see how many people are being controlled by bad experiences that hold them back from living their full potential. 
            Listen, the enemy knows that if he can keep us dwelling on the past we will be locked down.  His objective is to steal our personality, kill our destiny, and destroy all of our dreams.  It appears to me that one of his most effective weapons against us is called bitterness.  This weapon gives him the ability to manipulate and control us.  It is haunting.  It is mean and unforgiving.  We must be aware of his tactic of waging war against our minds.  Also, commonsense tells us that we are the gate-keepers over our minds and that the enemy cannot put anything on us that we will not allow. 
            Nobody can make us think badly about someone without our consent.  The choice is ours.  The Word of God says, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners” (I Corinthians 15:33).  By hanging out with negative talkers we are influenced to think like them. Negative thinkers gravitate to themselves negative thinkers, but on the other hand, positive thinkers are influenced by positive thinkers.  We can’t complain about what we allow to influence us.  We must choose to set our minds on high things.  So, no matter what we are going through, we have the ability to persist keeping the right attitude and finding something good to say. 
            Our lives always move in the direction of our most dominate thoughts.  So, if we care about our future, our family, and friends, we must choose the right influences.  It is imperative to surround ourselves with honesty, morality, praise, thanksgiving, and wholesomeness.  These help us to not dwell on the hurtful things in life. Yes, the influence of God’s Word directs our forward movement in a most productive way.  If we fill up our minds with His Word we will think the way He wants us to.   Yummy!  For more information you can visit us online at www.JoyChristianMinistries.com.