3. Mental blessing
“…take every thought captive to obey Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5
Our emotions are influenced a lot by what we are thinking in our minds. Trials can either push us to despair or to a new delight as we gear our attention above. This life is short, very very very short, as compared to eternity. We spend a lot of time going through motions and routines without thinking much or simply allowing our thoughts to
wander. At times, our minds seem filled, so filled that we could hardly fit in anything emotional, only logic is left. At other times, our minds seem empty, so empty that we could function like a robot. We could be efficient in our work but not effective in our relationships. We could use our minds to numb our hearts, feeling like living a double-life. I have been there! Not a fun place to be. What if we set aside a certain amount of time regularly to concentrate and think about why we do what we do? What if we keep the end in our mind as we start anything? What if we search our hearts and listen to our soul’s yearning? What if the crises we are facing right now are the very things God has ordained to capture our hearts and mind for His Glory and for our own good?
I am grateful for this soul searching time along with the toil of building a home rather than just a house. This was also the trial year for our homeschooling, the time to think about some big “why” and “how” questions in this new endeavor the Lord has led us on. In retrospect, the Lord made it clear to us to have homeschooling as a lifestyle to rely on Him daily as a family instead of simply doing school at home.
The secret to experiencing true joy in the storm is to be connected to the Creator and His Word. I believe in this world we can never truly be satisfied with what we do, what we want, or what we have, apart from connecting to our Creator. He knows our names, our individual needs and tough situations, and He wants the best for us while in His presence. That deep longing for happiness can only be filled when we have a relationship with the Savior. As a Child of God, we are gifted with the Spirit to guide us to walk in faith and live this life on earth abundantly. Heavenly joy can be foretasted here on earth!
So, you may wonder, how does this logic and reasoning connect to our house projects, to the mental blessing? Well, without a set place for my quiet time with the Lord or a regular place, God gave me a renewed mind to discover the blessings in disguise in the midst of chaos. I was frequently reminded of what was on my mind and heart without a set routine. His Word shone deep into my soul, into my anger, jealousy, unforgiveness, bitterness when things didn’t turn out the way as I had expected. I was convicted and comforted by my Heavenly Father in my ordained role as a wife and mom. My desire to serve Him from where we are has pushed me to look for ways more intentionally to serve my family. Along with God’s Word, I was also blessed with many books by Christian authors in the area of organization and homemaking for His eternal glory (The Nesting Place is one of them). I am grateful I am a masterpiece in the process for my Father’s glory!
As an outcome of searching for inner true joy, I started writing to capture my thoughts more effectively. This blog became a reality because of the thinking and transforming process (Read “Why this site”). Writing is just one very effective way I have experienced to take my thoughts captive. I still have a long way to go to continue this practice. I also desire to explore other strategies by the power of the Holy Spirit, such as praying God’s Word, to take my thoughts into obedience to my Perfect Lord. I would LOVE to hear how your mind is renewed in this journey to the Kingdom above.
3rd Culture Living 