Giving it Away
Paul talks about the need to discipline the mind. 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells us that we are to "demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."
Sometimes in our minds we try to make something that is simple, very complex. In viewing children at play, we see that they, many times break down their relationships with other children to the most basic level. “I like you!” “You hurt my feelings!” “Please come here and play with me, I want you to be my friend.”
There are no mysteries with children and so life is much simpler for them. After we grow up though, we have many more challenges that face us, and that leaves us with a lot more questions at the end of the day. Our thoughts are being bombarded with the news media, work, play time and activities throughout our waking hours. It becomes hard to be alone and to face solitude. So, how do we quiet our thoughts and take control of them each day? One might say, “I don’t have time to find my quiet place at work!” Is there a simpler way though? For myself, I might have a thought that is not right, or uplifting either about myself, or another. At this point I remember what the apostle Paul said about taking captive every thought that sets itself up against God. I then in my mind box that thought up, wrap it with a string and give it to our Savior. It then becomes his and not mine anymore. Simple, yes! Complex, no!
Jesus asks us to give him our burdens, in other words, he wants to have what troubles us. In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you shall find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Again, Jesus is asking us to give him what we don’t want. In Matthew 18:3 Jesus tells us that we must become as little children. “What, it can’t be that simple, can it?” Yes it is, it is that simple. If we are to have the mind of Christ, we must think and act as he would. In order to do that, Jesus wants to help us with our thoughts by taking those thoughts that are not of him away from us, that is, if we decide to give them to him. He won’t take them forcefully we must give them to him willingly. So it is that we are then becoming like little children with our Heavenly Father.
