Renewing Your Priorities 3

Illustration: A recently licensed pilot was flying his private plane in a cloudy day. He was not very experienced in instrument landing. When the control tower was to bring him in, he began to get panicky. Then a stern voice came over the radio, “You just obey instructions, we’ll take care of the obstructions.”

Illustration: An exasperated husband asked his wife, “Why are you always worrying when it doesn't do any good?”

She quickly piped back, “Oh yes it does! Ninety percent of the things I worry about never happen.”

We often think of the old slogan created to promote awareness and funds for the education of young people; “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” However, have you ever considered this slogan, “A mind is a terrible thing to overuse?”

I am referring to while we live in the greatest age of information (you can have God’s Word in any format) we still choose to allow our minds to be flooded with stress and anxiety.

LISTEN…we’ve all done and maybe even doing it right now! It was the test result day, the loss of a job, money to fix the car, children being sick, the election, other uncontrollable events, the all-nighter due to your procrastination, or the extra part-time job to cover your over-spending, etc.

There are signs to look for that identify this happening in your life: critical of others, hiding away in your work, always expecting sympathy from others, some kind of substance abuse, never finding balance or margin to rest...

Romans 12:2 “2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

A Christian doctor was reported, “The sickest people I have encountered—those who were ill not only in their bodies but also in their emotions—were those who were harboring long-term resentment, bitterness, anger, and even hatred against another person, against God, or against themselves.” He continued with an incredibly significant statement, “I have found that stress levels change dramatically when a patient changes his perceptions.” Chappell, Paul. Stewarding Life: One Lifetime, Limited Resources, Eternal Priorities (p. 84). Striving Together Publications. Kindle Edition.

Context surrounding this passage — (Initially speaking to his fellow laborers due to their disputing) The Philippian church was surrounded by circumstances where they could easily waste their minds away with stress and anxiety (Romans culture, shunned, ridiculed, condemned due to their faith, hated, accused of being stupid, imprisoned, crucified, burned alive, fed to wild beasts…)

What was Paul best council on how to live with peace while living a life among circumstances that are out of our control?

1) Prioritize A Thought-Life Of Praise

I can tell right off what kind of people you all are… You are the kind who jumps out of bed early in the morning with songs of praise on your mind.

Honestly, we probably get up with things on our mind driven by life’s circumstances.

Q — What are the typical things that make you rejoice? (hobbies, raise, new relationship, new toys…)

You and I have the option to wake up each day and rest our minds on Someone who is an unchanging object of our praise!

Deuteronomy 10:21 “21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.”

The Christian’s joy comes from living a life of obedience to their Lord!

A. Hinges on your concept of who God is.

Quote: (A.W. Tozer) “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man’s spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God. For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his deep heart conceives God to be like.”

It’s not about everything going good, but rather about how GOD IS ALWAYS GOOD!

B. God has given you many opportunities to praise Him.

“Rejoice in the Lord ALWAY...”

How many of you would agree that the Devil fights us at this point right here???

Some people are so swept up by the devils lies, they have gotten to the point of enjoying expressing their grumbles and struggles.

However, out of the same mouth they will say, “But I am trusting the Lord all the way.”

Paul knew exactly how to rejoice in the Lord!

They were ordinary guys.

I”m talking about rejoicing in the Lord after being physically beating.

They felt every aspect of pain that came with it.

The beatings they took could easily take someone into a stretch of self-pity.

Acts 5:41 “41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.”

What made the difference? Their high view of Christ Jesus.

Quote: (Archibald D. Hart) “Anxiety and laughter cannot coexist.”

Psalm 28:7 “7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in him, and I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him.”

2) Prioritize A Thought-Life Of Moderation

A. Sometimes it is hard to not let the circumstances change how you treat others.

Moderation = forbearance or yieldedness

Speaks of a spirit ready and willing to yield in anything for the Lord’s sake.

Example: Genesis 13:8 “8 And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren.”

Satan’s objective is to bring destruction while God’s desire is to refine you.

Q — Have you ever known someone that no matter the pressure they were under, seem to remain calm?

Quote: (Paul Chappell) “It is a sweet reasonableness that maintains contentment and joy regardless of circumstances.”

B. Paul is instructing us to leave the restless mind behind

Most of us today are less concerned about being content with God and more concerned with the opinions of others.

You allow your own insecurities (lies from the Devil) to consume you.

Quote: (A.W. Tozer) “The heart’s fierce effort to protect itself from every slight, to shield its touchy honor from the bad opinion of friend and enemy, will never let the mind have rest.”

C. “The Lord is at hand”

Find your contentment in God!

Illustration: When Henry is frightened, he will rush to find me. Why? He finds rest knowing I am near.

God’s presence always gifts you with a gentle mind if you will prioritized the reality of His presence in your life over that of the circumstance.

The Lord who is always present is Sovereign over all things…that includes the very things you believe to be out of control in your life.

3) Prioritize A Thought-Life Of God’s Security

Notice God’s promise in verse 7

A. Keep Biblical prayer active in your daily life

You have to ask, “What does a biblical and peace giving prayer life look like (this truly requires a deeper study).

God is instructing these believers to not approach life issues with worry of anxiety, but turn to God!

God is in no way asking anyone to pretending that nothing in life bothers them. God the Father wants His children to turn their cries up toward Him.

Illustration: Upping your medication potentially has negative side-affects. Increasing God’s prescription only provides stronger peace.

a. Pray without the baggage of worry

What does “nothing” mean? NOT ONE THING!

Quote: (Peanuts Charlie Brown) He would say a couple of things about his worrying and anxiety: “I worry about my worrying” & “My anxieties have anxieties.”

Quote: (Archibald D. Hart) “High adrenaline, caused by overextension and stress, depletes the brain’s natural tranquilizers and sets the stage for high anxiety.”

Does this mean God won’t ever allow anything overwhelming enter my mind? NO!

God a times allows the potentially overwhelming circumstance to enter your life to remind you to keep trust Him.

People in the Bible dealt with this: David said in Psalm 56:3 “3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.”

Illustration: There is this kids movies called “Inside Out.” There are characters on the inside of this young girl (Joy, Shy, anger, anxiety…). Anxiety determines that the young girl only needs her to run the show. Long story short, anxiety helps the girl be someone she is not, almost wrecks the girl’s closest friendships, even takes her to a full blown panic attack. It wasn’t until Joy was permitted back into the control room did this girl start thriving again!

b. Pray with gratitude

What does this look like?

Praying with gratitude means that you can pray with confidence that God is going to handle your situation in the best way (a greater purpose than you could imagine) possible.

Quote: (Randy Alcorn) “Gratitude never comes from avoiding difficulty, but from finding yourself sustained through it.”

Hebrews 13:8 “8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

1 Thessalonians 5:18 “18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

B. Keep Biblical meditation active in your daily life

Notice verse 8

a. God always gives you the best choices to steward your thoughts on!

True (Greek: alethes)—loving the truth, speaking the truth; true in character.

John 8:44 “44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

2 Corinthians 11:3 “3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Honest (Greek: semnos)—to be venerated for character, worthy of respect, honorable

There are some things that are dangerous for a Christian to think on.

Just (Greek: dikaios)—righteous, upright, approved of God.

Pure (Greek: hagnos)—free from carnality, chaste, modest, clean.

Probably speaking of moral purity.

Especially regard to sexual impurity.

Lovely (Greek: prosphiles)—acceptable, pleasing, winsome, amiable.

Of good report (Greek: euphemos)—sounding well; highly regarded, well thought of. Chappell, Paul. Stewarding Life: One Lifetime, Limited Resources, Eternal Priorities (p. 103). Striving Together Publications. Kindle Edition.

Whatever possesses virtue and praise — Whatever motivates you to excel to a more genuine and practical holiness.

Conclusion

Maybe some of you hear today have truly been wasting or overusing mind power. This wasteful thinking has negatively impacted you and others way too long!

The devil says you can’t escape it. God says, “Come to me, and I will give you rest!”