Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Captive...

Whenever we think of wasted time, we think of…well…wasted time. The everyday occurrences that often irritate, the procrastination to be conquered. Moments lost in unnecessary leisure, or hasty impulsive decisions. But the time that often stares us most starkly in the face are the moments wasted in thought. I don’t mean productive or edifying thought. I mean the purely useless thoughts. If you are anything like me, you know what I mean.

I can remember from times when I was very young simply letting my mind go for hours at a time. Castles and princesses, great mountains ranges and dancing seas, the tragic and romantic, fantasy and reality all vied for my attention. I am ashamed to admit that more than once, I brought myself to the point of real tears over the stories that I dreamt in my waking hours. With such a colorful and often unreformed mind, it was often easy for me to set reality aside. It became a habit of mine to turn off unpleasant situations like a tedious or even disagreeable discussion, or a frustrating math page, and float along in the blissful oblivion of my imagination.

My dear parents recognized this in me and were diligent to train me in gaining control of my mind. As I grew older, they wisely did not attempt to control my thoughts themselves. Rather, they sought to give me the tools necessary to control my own thoughts.

There are three motivations that I gained in learning how to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

First, the presence of the Holy Spirit often convicted me. The knowledge that God is aware of our innermost thoughts and that we will give and account of them is the often the only thing that can bring us to repentance for allowing our minds to go astray.

Second, the knowledge that our thoughts give rise to our actions, and whatever dwells in our hearts overflows into our lives. No thought is truly secret.

And third, this understanding of our allotted time. Our minds, like everything else about us, belong to Christ. Every moment of thought is therefore precious. How many and how precious are the thoughts of God, and who has searched out the whole counsel of His wisdom? How then can we bear to fill our minds with the useless and foolish, let alone evil thoughts of this world?

I am convinced that God has given me no spare time…just exactly the number of days that He deems right are set before me…and I must give and account of them.

We as Christians love to think of ourselves as God's children, ransomed, and chosen people; and rigtly so.  Our hearts should be forever raise so in gratitude and worship to our Savior.  But many times I think we forget that we are also His captives, chained by grace, bound in redeeming love.  A handmaiden is a servant; a slave.  God is not merely a God of flesh.  He is the rightful Ruler of our minds and hearts, and we can therefore plead with Him to take captive our spirits and renew us from within.  Praise His Holy Name!

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
 
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.  Psalm 139:17-18

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Market




There are only three weeks of market left!  This time of year is fun because of all the creativity we can employ with the beautiful vegetables!