Day 195: It is Hard Work

 DAY 195

Faith in the Midst of a Pandemic

A series of daily reflections for people of faith

by Rev. Robert Bayley, Interim Pastor

Patuxent Presbyterian Church, California, Maryland

pastorrobert@paxpres.org

Week Twenty-eight    Friday 25 September 2020

It is Hard Work

“What we think is as important as what we speak. How often have we entertained a daydream or meditated, and our thoughts end up going to something that disturbs us? What is even more disturbing is that perhaps our thoughts were out of our imagination and were not based on reality or things that had not happened or are unlikely to happen… . It is hard work not thinking in fearful or negative ways about what is happening in our families, our homes, our relationships, our work, our churches, our grocery stores, and so on. The world is full of information that is bad and dark. But 2 Timothy 1:7 says, ‘For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.’”  From the current issue of a Christian magazine devoted to the healing ministry of the local church.

There’s a country western song that came out in the early 1990’s sung by The Flatlanders of West Texas, “My Mind’s Got a Mind of Its Own” - 

My mind’s got a mind of its own,

It takes me out-a-walkin’ when I’d rather stay at home;

Takes me out to parties when I’d rather be alone,

My mind’s got a mind of its own.

I like the obviousness of these lyrics because that’s exactly what our minds are too adept at doing, taking us places where we’d rather not go. So why do we let our minds take us there? At times there is a sense of despairing helplessness when it comes to where our minds take us but where we’d rather not go, and many, perhaps most of us simply capitulate. So yes, it’s hard work, but God is on our side. His Word to us:

“For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strong-holds…and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  2 Corinthians 10:3-5.

Reflective question:  Does your mind ‘take you out a-walkin’ where you’d rather not go? Will you ask the Holy Spirit to change your mental walking habits? He will if you ask.

Reflective Scripture: Romans 8:6 – “The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.”

Reflective hymn:

“Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord” – William Foulkes (1874-1938)

Take Thou our minds, dear Lord, we humbly pray,

Give us the mind of Christ each passing day;

Teach us to know the truth that sets us free;

Grant us in all our thoughts to honor Thee.