“Anxiety in the heart causes depression, BUT a good word makes it glad.”- Prove 12:25
THINK on this, the FRUIT of Anxiety LEADS to Depression…an anxious heart leads to one place – depression! The word Anxiety comes from two Greek words which mean”divide’ and the “mind.” The ultimate purpose of the MIND is to LOVE God with. {Read Luke 10:27}. Anxiety is to have, and hold a THOUGHT that is usually accompanied with fears {Read Luke 12:22-32} and cause the mind to be diverted and divided from devotion to loving God and others and leads to…depression. Also A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. – {Read James 1:7-8}.
IS THERE ANY HOPE?
“…But a GOOD WORD makes the heart GLAD.” God’s alternative? “… a GOOD WORD…”
Where will you find “…A GOOD WORD?”… Try God’s Word…consider …
THINK on THE TRUTH Continually – {Phil 4:8}…
the Truth sets us Free – {John 8:38}….
the Truth Builds us up – { Acts 20:28}…
the Truth Gives us Discernment -{Heb 5:13}…
the Truth Grows us up { 1 Peter 2:1-3}….
the Truth Encourages us – {Rom 15:4}…
the Truth reveals Jesus Christ to us -{Luke 24:27}….
“As a man THINKS so he is”- {Prov 23:7 }…
What we CHOOSE to THINK on determines where our mind goes and dwells on, either the FRUIT of Anxiety which leads to despair, depression… OR we can CHOOSE TO THINK ON WHAT GOD SAYS about Himself, His Promises { 2 Cor 1:4}, and who you are “IN CHRIST”- {Eph 1:3-13} – TO THINK ON TRUTH AND IT LEADS TO… “A GLAD HEART”
What or whom you CHOOSE to THINK on CONTINUALLY today, will determine your Destination… Depression or a GLAD HEART!
TRAIN YOUR MIND TO ….THINK …THINK …THINK ON THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD! You are in charge of what you choose to allow your mind to dwell on! You cannot stop a fleeting thought come to mind but YOU are in charge whether you allow the thought to take hold of you. It is a battle for the mind and TRUTH is what is to determine what you dwell on. Jesus Christ is Truth – { John 14:6}. His Word is Truth -{John 17:17} and we are to dwell on Truth!-{Phil 4:8.} The TRUTH about Him, His promises, his forgiveness. his character and the Hope He offers to us. We are to renew our minds with His Word to see things from His perspective.
LIVING EMOTIONAL ROLLER- COASTER;
Have you ever noticed in your own life that we often respond to what we FEEL…. and we get into a cycle of what we “FEEL” determines what we Think on and leads to what we DO… and sometimes that can be dangerous and destructive if what we “FEEL” is not in alignment with the truth about God and His Word.
The order to cultivating a Godly mind is to
THINK on Truth – {Phil 4:8}
PRACTICE the Truth -{Phil 4:9}
The Feelings will accordingly catch up and result in peace as we CHOOSE by faith to do things God’s way!
You do not have to LIVE a life of despair, you do not have to CHOOSE to be anxious… you can CHOOSE to have a GLAD HEART… CHOOSE TO THINK on The character of God and the Promises of God… and your heart will be GLAD.
THINK…. ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE THINKING UPON!
“SET/FIX your MIND ON THINGS ABOVE WHERE CHRIST IS SEATED…”- {Colossians 3:1-3}.
Its been said you can’t stop a bird flying over your head BUT you can stop it building a nest in your hair. The same with thoughts…. they fly at you. Ephesians 6 speak of “fiery darts,” and the way to deal with them is to hold up the shield of faith and the “sword” of the spirit- which is the Word of God. The word used here for “sword” is used of a dagger- which speaks of up close contact. The battle is for YOUR THOUGHT LIFE.
You have the power to CHOOSE what you will Continuously THINK upon { 2 Peter 1:3, Phil 4:8} Even your work you can “…do heartily as unto the LORD.” THINK why you work and for WHOM you work for,”… as unto the LORD.”…THINK ON HIS CHARACTER, HIS WORD… you have the capacity -{ 2 Pet 1:3}, You have the command {{Phil 4:8}… now CHOOSE THE TRUTH AND HONOR and express LOVE to the Lord Jesus in doing so and obeying Him {John 14:21}
THINK ON TRUTH
“Finally, brethren,
whatever is true,
whatever is honorable,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” -Philippians 4;8
As you take the “thoughts” that come to you and see if they pass the six “whatever’s ” mentioned in this verse. For example, when a “thought” of anxiety, which comes from two Greek words which means “divide the mind” when put together, comes to mind, you know if you embrace, meditate and act upon it by allowing it to crowd out the truth about God. His Son. His promises. His care for you. His love for you. His Son’s cross on behalf of you.
If you CHOOSE to ignore Philippians 4:8- YOU WILL END UP IN DESPAIR because you BELIEVE YOU ARE WISER THAN GOD- THAT HE CANNOT BE TRUSTED, so you continue to allow anxious thoughts to take precedence over His Word which He says will ultimately bring gladness to your heart. It is an issue of FAITH. Faith in the LORD. Faith in what He says.
PRACTICE THE TRUTH
“The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9
Its not enough – to read the truth, listen to the truth but to PRACTICE the truth and Paul in the above verse says the “FRUIT” will be “PEACE.” So THE FRUIT OF “ANXIETY IS DEPRESSION.” THE FRUIT OF OBEYING GOD IS “A GLAD HEART AND PEACE.” So which do you want to embrace, own and live under? The CHOICE is yours. The warning is given in Proverbs 12:25 also the alternative. Philippians 4:8-9 shows us how to deal with thoughts that would seek to demoralize us and what we need to train ourselves to think and practice!
THE BATTLE FOR YOUR FAITH
Is it a battle? Absolutely, some times it is a real spiritual battle for your mind and ultimately to attack your faith in the LORD. This is why we must learn to take the “thought” captive as quickly as possible and if it is not “true…lovely…praiseworthy etc…” then we must CHOOSE to REPLACE the thought with that which is true of God, and who you are “In Christ.” You have to keep speaking TRUTH to yourself and live by faith in God and not how you “feel” as though those “feelings” are master over you and have the final say.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE IN THE FIGHT
The Holy Spirit lives within you to enable you to THINK and PRACTICE the truth. You need not be enslaved to sin or responses which are sinful, you are a child of the King . Hold up the shield of faith and use the Sword of the Spirit- His Word to combat lies, anxiety, despair which seeks to beat you down.
- Choose to THINK and REST in the Lord Jesus Christ- {Colossians 3:1-3, John 15:10}.
- Choose TRUTH -{John 17:17 }. Hide His promises in your heart
APPLICATION;
WRITE on a 3 by 5 card and write Prov 12:25 on it and God’s alternative to yielding to anxiety- His “good Word…” Place somewhere you will see regularly, like a bathroom mirror and each morning, night when you brush your teeth you can read it, word for word, phrase by phrase, and if you do it for a month you will have read it approx 60 times and before you know it you will have memorized it and the Holy Spirit can bring back to remembrance when you need it when tempted to anxiety, despair. or to help you gently share with others.
WRITE Philippians 4;8 on another card. On the opposite side WRITE Philippians 4:9 on it and THINK on each word, each phrase, meditate upon it and PRACTICE THE TRUTH BY FAITH- and you are Honoring God and you will get off the emotional roller coaster!
Encourage someone today…