The battle in my mind continues, the thoughts bombard me, the sinfulness overwhelms me…and, all too often, I give in. It’s rather discouraging.
It can be the smallest event that sets me off. One hurtful word or a single act of childish disobedience, and my mind is suddenly filled with ugliness.But it doesn’t have to be that way. I don’t have to give in to the the sinfulness. Jesus already conquered my sin on the cross. He defeated it. I am no longer bound by its power.
Easy to say; hard to believe. Even harder to live.
I am commanded to “turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it”
(Psalm 34:14). It takes a conscious effort. And when I say effort, I mean effort.
When those thoughts start rushing in, I tell myself to turn them off. I remind myself that I shouldn’t feed them. I must not entertain them. And then I just stop thinking about them.
Some people would say that I’m repressing my feelings. Those people would be wrong. I’m not repressing my feelings; I’m restraining my sin. I’m allowing forgiveness and joy to have their place in my heart and mind. I’m weeding out wickedness.
I’m turning to Christ.
It’s not easy, and I fail. A lot. But Christ is strengthening me little by little and bit by bit.
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