Mark 10:42-45
I'm sure it comes as no surprise to most of us that we act out precisely what we take in. In other words, we become what we think. Long before that familiar line found its way into Psychology 101 and hyped-up sales meetings, the Bible included it in one of its ancient scrolls. It just said it in a little different way: "For as he thinks within himself, so he is" (Proverbs 23:7).
The secret of living a life of excellence is merely a matter of thinking thoughts of excellence. Really, it's a matter of programming our minds with the kind of information that will set us free. Free to be all God meant us to be. Free to soar! It will take awhile, and it may be painful—but what a metamorphosis!
Let me get to the heart of the issue. Since the mind holds the secrets of soaring, the enemy of our souls has made the human mind the bull's-eye of his target. His most insidious and strategic moves are made upon the mind. By affecting the way we think, he is able to keep our lives on a mediocre level.
Don't forget: Our minds were originally enemy-held territories. We were blinded by the power of the enemy. The mind was his "base of operations" until the light shone within. At that time, the veil was lifted and we were no longer blinded. It was a supernatural event in which new life was given, and the enemy was relieved of his command.
But I am increasingly more convinced that Satan doesn't want to give up his territory. He is a defeated foe who knows his future. Yet he fights to the last degree to maintain the hold he has had on us. God is interested in our breaking free from such locks.
And what is God's ultimate goal? To take "every thought captive." When He invades those lofty areas, His plan is to transform the old thoughts that defeat us into new thoughts that encourage us. He has to re-pattern our whole way of thinking. And He is engaged in doing that continually because old habits are so hard to break.
God's offer is nothing short of phenomenal! Remember it? It is "taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).
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Excerpted from Dear Graduate: Letters of Wisdom from Charles R. Swindoll, Copyright 2007 by Charles R. Swindoll Inc. (Thomas Nelson Publishers). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.