Today’s Scripture: 1 Peter 1:13; 2 Corinthians 10:5
The mind is a powerful thing. Our thoughts can make us or break us.
Medical professionals have proven that the brain allows or limits physical endurance. For example, in one experiment, researchers assigned a group of people a rigorous cycling regimen while another group performed a challenging 90-minute exam on the computer—remaining sedentary in their chairs. The people who took the computer exam quit sooner than the ones who performed the cycling exercise because their perception was that they were physically exhausted. The reality was they were mentally fatigued, which prevented them from pressing through to completion. Think about it. How many times have you talked yourself out of starting or completing a physical work-out? Your body said yes but your brain screamed NO!
Peter exhorts us to “prepare our minds for action.” We’ve all heard it said that the mind is the devil’s playground. He can’t read our minds, but he knows how to plant thoughts of doubt or deceit that can derail the most well-intentioned people. Satan cut in on Eve when he challenged, “Did God really say . . .?” This one question brought enough uncertainty to make her abandon the truth and commit a sin that changed the entire world forever.
When Paul asked the Galatians “Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” he wasn’t referring to a physical race. It was a mental struggle that affected their spiritual walk. Doubt is the welcome mat that invites the devil’s lies.
As we run this race, let’s remember to “. . . take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” That is all the insurance we need to not be cut off from believing the truth.
- What causes you to doubt the truth? How can you “prepare your mind for action” so it doesn’t happen again?