'Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ' Colossians 3:1-2
You’ve left the room, but the argument is not over. Your thoughts are stuck in a loop. The same hurtful exchange of words flashes across your mind over and over and over. You can’t seem to reset your inner replay. All the emotions that should have stayed in that room follow you everywhere you go. Hurt and anger continue to shout in your ears. Your heart rate is through the roof. Hot anger rises in your flushed face. The war is far from over.
Your inner screening room then begins playing out possible outcomes for a future exchange. You don’t really know what will happen, but your mind is already strategizing your next offensive in the war of words. Your emotions rise and fall with every imagined interaction. When you hurl an imagined barb at your intended target proud and triumphant vindictiveness rises to the surface. You feel all the emotions of a situation that hasn’t really happened and then you carry that resentment into the next conversation which turns into another altercation. Your emotions have become attached to an unreality. Nothing actually happened before you walked into the room. Do you truly want to spend your emotional energy on something that isn’t even real?
My friend, our brains are wired for problem-solving. That’s part of the creative reflection of God within human beings. Your inner attempts to resolve the war of words in your own favor is part of that. However, as followers of Jesus, we need to take ownership of where our brains go because where our minds go, our hearts go. God wants our hearts. The way to ensure that our hearts are fully focused on Him is to discipline our minds to be set on Him. How are you doing with that?
What my mind focuses on affects my emotions. Imagine you recently had an altercation with a co-worker or family member. Some hurtful words were hurled across the room…by both parties. Some of those words found their target, you, and you feel the sting of rejection, anger, and hurt. You are also experiencing regret for the word missiles you launched. You saw them hit the target causing pain and igniting another onslaught of word weapon exchange. You look back at the battlefield, the room you just left, and you see damage, maybe even devastation. What do you do now?
Do you replay the scene in your mind repeatedly reliving the battle? You feel every word weapon hit the target again and again. Anger rises up and you imagine launching a more damaging retaliation than you achieved in the moment. Reliving the conflict keeps the wounds fresh and the emotions raw. Is that how you want to live?
Where my mind goes my heart follows. Where do you want your heart to go? Why not keep Jesus as your primary thought? When you set your mind on Him you let His character guide your response.
If my heart is set on Christ, then I must discipline my mind to be set on Him. It isn’t easy to discipline our minds. Like you, I’ve experienced the rush of runaway thoughts that speed past me stirring up a swirl of anxiety, anger, or fear. Life is full of the unknown and unexpected. People are unpredictable and often unfiltered causing us to have to adjust or protect. I can’t control what happens to me and I can’t control how other people treat me, but I can control how I respond. My response begins with how I choose to think about those things.
There was a time in my life when I decided I was only going to speak positive words. Although that was a good discipline, because those positive words were not rooted in an honest evaluation of my reality, they had no weight and lacked power. Positive words were only on the surface. I had to learn to first acknowledge the reality of my emotions —the good the bad, and the ugly— and then I had to choose to bring Christ into dealing with my emotions. I had to practice thinking about the truths I had learned from Scripture and then consider how to apply them to my response. My heart was set on honoring Christ in the way I responded, and as my heart guided me to set my mind on His truth, my responses were shaped by Him rather than my emotions. Where my mind is set, my heart will follow.
When I set my mind on the truth of God’s Word, my heart finds peace. In the swirling rush of hurt, fear, or anger it is difficult to stop and take control of emotions. Emotions are so powerful and loud that they can just take over if we allow them to, but they don’t have to. The fruit of God’s Spirit, the evidence of God at work in me and in you, is self-control. When I set my mind on Jesus and my desire to honor Him, then I give the Holy Spirit access to my emotions. When I set my mind on an eternal reward rather than winning a war of words, I allow the Holy Spirit to shape my responses. I want the Holy Spirit to control my tongue. I want the Holy Spirit to disarm the mouth missiles and let His words of peace flow out of me.
When He disarms my arsenal and I choose not to retaliate but to focus on honoring Christ with my words something amazing happens. The war may not be over as far as the other person is concerned, but I find that my heart has already signed the peace treaty. I am at peace and no longer add to the conflict. I find myself unable to launch any more word weapons. There is one word I want to speak that makes a difference: Jesus.
Dear Friend, it’s time to make an agreement with your mouth, but it starts with your mind. Decide to set your mind on Jesus. When He is your primary thought and you decide to honor Him above winning any word war, you will find yourself at peace. Let Him be your defense strategy. You’ll have peace within yourself and be able to initiate a ceasefire that keeps the situation from escalating. You will stop the war within you and carry His peace with you and honor Him. Isn’t that a war worth winning?
Key Thought: When I set my mind on Christ, my heart finds peace.
A Scripture to Consider: 'Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ' Colossians 3:1-2
A YES Challenge: What situation keeps replaying in your mind? How could you reframe that situation based on God’s truth? What Scripture could you apply to that situation? What will you do to keep that truth in your mind?
Prayer: Father, I get worried and bothered by things that are temporary. Help me to focus on the things that are eternal. Help me to discipline my mind to focus on Christ instead of my own hurts and worries. Help me to choose to focus my mind on Christ so that my heart can find the peace that only comes from You. I love You and want my heart to be totally set on You. Amen.
