Friday, September 25, 2009

Mind of the carpenter

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies” (Phil 4:8–9 MSG).

My oldest son is a carpenter, and the unfinished basement of our home drives him crazy! He’s forever on our case to buy the materials to finish off the basement. “After all,” he reminds us, “the labor would be free!” My husband and I keep patiently reasserting that even with free labor, one still needs the money to purchase the required supplies, and we simply do not have the funds.

One day he made an astute observation: “You know, Mom and Dad, the worst part about not finishing off your basement, is that you’re not using that space, and unused space very easily becomes a dumping grounds.”

Yes, he was referring to the massive accumulation of “stuff” down there that has gotten totally out of hand. If ever there’s something we don’t know what to do with, we just “put it in the basement.” But if we were using that space (a family/rec. room, bedrooms and a bathroom – all complete with closets/storage areas), things would be put away or thrown away, not just left to take up unused space.

It’s the same way with our minds. Perhaps you’ve heard “An idle brain is the devil’s workshop.” We’re called to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5b) and to fill our minds with His thoughts (Phil. 4:8).

If we let our thoughts simply wander where they will, the devil will gladly start throwing all kinds of junk in our space. He’s going to stir up strife among loved ones. He’s going to make us feel worthless and miserable. He’s going to put all kinds of thoughts in our heads that do not belong there and would not be there if we were filling our minds with God’s thoughts.

Start paying attention to your thoughts. Jesus said, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, NLT).

Do your thoughts depress you or lead you to anger, frustration, or anxiety? Those thoughts are not coming from our Lord. He said He wants you to have “a rich and satisfying life.”

Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:2). He’s our finish carpenter! See what happens when you give Him your thoughts and let Him transform your mind from an unfinished, cluttered mess to one of beauty and order.

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