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Wednesday,
January 13,
2021
"The
Defragmentation Of The Mind"
Message summary: May God
give us the grace to be still, to cease striving and
to know deep within our being that He is God, that
He is working out His will in our lives. Today we
urge each reader to draw near to God who wants to
defragment, renew and order our minds and inner
being for His glory!
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).
Like many, early in the year I spend some time cleaning out and arranging the papers in my file cabinet. Some get disposed of, others are placed into longer-term storage in a file cabinet in my storage barn. It helps to keep my active work space orderly.
Similar
to this, windows-based computer operating systems
have an interesting utility feature known as
"defragmentation". This feature automatically
rearranges files so that your machine will work more
efficiently. The dictionary defines "defragment" as
"to reorganize files on (a hard disk drive) so that
the parts of each file are stored in contiguous
sectors on the disk, thereby improving computer
performance and maximizing disk space".
On our current operating systems (Windows 10) this is done automatically on a schedule so I don't pay much attention to it but I recall older computers where you could watch this process. I sure wish I could arrange my paper files that quickly!
Today let us consider a defragging process like this for the mind that we do well to use regularly; when we awaken in the morning, throughout the day, then again at night before going to sleep. It does not occur automatically but rather we must purposefully give attention to it.
Such a procedure is available but it requires discipline. "Through His divine power God has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (1 Peter 1:3).
By His grace and through our spiritual disciplines we can still our minds, our hearts, and our activities in this driven, often calamitous world so that we listen for the voice of our Father and recognize His presence in our lives. By His grace we have a defragmenter and we need to use it. Perhaps it's a deep awareness of the verse that states, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). The NASB translates the first part of the verse, "Cease striving".
As we choose to "be still" God will speak to us as He is in the process of renewing our mind so that we no longer conform to the behavior or attitudes common to those living in the kingdom of darkness. His Spirit is at work renewing our minds so that our behavior and attitudes reflect His kingdom of light.
Listen
to this message on your audio player."Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1,2).
Like many, early in the year I spend some time cleaning out and arranging the papers in my file cabinet. Some get disposed of, others are placed into longer-term storage in a file cabinet in my storage barn. It helps to keep my active work space orderly.
Similar
to this, windows-based computer operating systems
have an interesting utility feature known as
"defragmentation". This feature automatically
rearranges files so that your machine will work more
efficiently. The dictionary defines "defragment" as
"to reorganize files on (a hard disk drive) so that
the parts of each file are stored in contiguous
sectors on the disk, thereby improving computer
performance and maximizing disk space".On our current operating systems (Windows 10) this is done automatically on a schedule so I don't pay much attention to it but I recall older computers where you could watch this process. I sure wish I could arrange my paper files that quickly!
Today let us consider a defragging process like this for the mind that we do well to use regularly; when we awaken in the morning, throughout the day, then again at night before going to sleep. It does not occur automatically but rather we must purposefully give attention to it.
Such a procedure is available but it requires discipline. "Through His divine power God has given us everything we need for life and godliness" (1 Peter 1:3).
By His grace and through our spiritual disciplines we can still our minds, our hearts, and our activities in this driven, often calamitous world so that we listen for the voice of our Father and recognize His presence in our lives. By His grace we have a defragmenter and we need to use it. Perhaps it's a deep awareness of the verse that states, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). The NASB translates the first part of the verse, "Cease striving".
As we choose to "be still" God will speak to us as He is in the process of renewing our mind so that we no longer conform to the behavior or attitudes common to those living in the kingdom of darkness. His Spirit is at work renewing our minds so that our behavior and attitudes reflect His kingdom of light.
Pastor John Piper’s reflections on this
verse are as follows: “In
Romans 12:2 Paul focuses on one essential means of
transformation— the renewal of your mind. “Do not
be conformed to this world, but be transformed by
the renewal of your mind.” Oh, how crucial this
is!- If you long to break loose from conformity to the world,
- If you long to be transformed and new from the inside out,
- If you long to be free from mere duty-driven Christianity and do what you love to do because what you love to do is what you ought to do,
- If you long to offer up your body as a living sacrifice so that your whole life becomes a spiritual act of worship and displays the worth of Christ above the worth of the world.
Years ago I heard this quote, "While you're trying to figure it all out, God is working it all out". That is so true! May God give us the grace to be still, to cease striving and to know deep within our being that He is God, that He is working out His will in our lives. Today we urge each reader to draw near to God who wants to defragment, renew and order our minds and inner being for His glory!
Be
encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, You have shown us through the
example of Your Son, Jesus, that we must set aside a
regular time and quiet place to meet with You, to
hear Your voice, to recognize Your presence and to
invite Your transforming power to renew our hearts
and minds every day. We want Your kingdom of light
to guide us through this world of darkness as You
stamp Your own image deep in our hearts. Amen.This
morning as I studied for this message I compiled
the following verses for consideration concerning
the mind.
Depraved minds - "Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done" (Romans 1:28). "Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected" (2 Timothy 3:8). This is the natural state of the unregenerate.
Where
we set our minds - "Those who live
according to the flesh have their minds set on
what the flesh desires; but those who live in
accordance with the Spirit have their minds set
on what the Spirit desires" (Romans 8:5). "Set
your minds on things above, not on earthly
things" (Colossians
3:2).
Blinded minds - "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).
Deceived
mind - "But I am afraid that just as Eve
was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your
minds may somehow be led astray from your
sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (2
Corinthians 11:3).
Alert
and sober mind -
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and
requests. With this in mind, be alert and always
keep on praying for
all the Lord’s people" (Ephesians 6:18).
"Therefore, with minds
that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on
the grace to be
brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at
his coming" (1 Peter
1:13). "The end of all things is near. Therefore
be alert and of sober
mind so that you may pray" (1 Peter 4:7). "Be
alert and of
sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion
looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Guarded
mind - "And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians
4:7).
Unspiritual
mind - "Do not let anyone who delights
in false humility and the worship of angels
disqualify you. Such a person also goes into
great detail about what they have seen; they are
puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual
mind" (Colossians
2:18).
Corrupt
mind - "Constant friction between people
of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the
truth and who think that godliness is a means to
financial gain" (1
Timothy 6:5).
Double-minded
and unstable - "Such a person is
double-minded and unstable in all they do"
(James 1:8).
Like-minded
- "Finally,
all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love
one another, be compassionate and humble" (1 Peter
3:8).
Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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