It's all in the mind
Sunday, February 2nd 2025 (week 97)
Philippians 4: 1-9
Yesterday, when I began writing this devotional, I decided I simply couldn’t write it, for reasons some of you will be aware of. When, this morning, the same passage from Philippians 4 was used in our service I knew that I needed to finish what I`d started………
Research still forms a part of my everyday life. When my work was journalism, research was my lifeblood. Without it I would probably not have survived in the media. I used to say that I could become an expert on any given subject in half an hour but ask me about it a week later and I couldn’t remember anything. These days I seem to research even more and need to remember more.
The problem with remembering things in the 21st Century is that there is so much thrown at us. The latest gadget, the best holiday location, the new Netflix bestseller, or what the government is doing to tackle global warming. Our minds are constantly bombarded with facts and figures and sometimes it can feel inescapable. Even turning on the TV to a seemingly innocuous programme can confront us with sex, violence, and bad language. And where those things don’t exist it appears that broadcasting and publishing has been dumbed down with poor scripts and acting. The author of The Purpose Driven Life, American Pastor and Preacher Rick Warren summed it all up, “Garbage in, garbage out!” We will only give out what we put in.
Today, it is important we manage our mind because it controls our life. The Message puts it like this,
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies”.
We will only fill our minds with what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honourable if God guides us. To help us, we need to be making some daily choices.
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Feed our minds with the truth of the Bible every day. Psalm 119: 147 – Before sunrise I call to you for help. 119: 97 – How I love your law. I think about it all day long.
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Free our minds from destructive thoughts – Romans 8:5 - Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. We don’t have to believe everything we think!
Without the prompt of God’s Holy Spirit during the service this morning this passage would not have been written because my mind was full of negativity and destructive thoughts. Once more God has come to my rescue and encouraged me. He can do the same for you.
Prayer: Lord, we know that you want us to think the way you think but sometimes we feel overwhelmed by life. Thank you for providing a way out and coming to our rescue.
Neil has been a Christian for nearly thirty years and prior to joining Gatehouse Church spent all his Christian life at Christ Church with All Saints Blackpool, where amongst other things he was a leader in their Campaigner Ministries children and youth work.
Neil is an award-winning and widely published writer. Over twenty-five years he has written for a range of mainstream media including The Times, Sunday Times, Telegraph, Daily Mail, and Financial Mail on Sunday as well as Reuters and numerous magazines. How To Books published his first non-fiction title 100 Ways to Make Your Business a Success and he has recently added The Great British Property Scam.
He has also taught Creative Writing extensively for Blackpool and the Fylde College, The WEA, and Lancaster University and launched www.seasiderswrite.com a community-based creative writing project funded by Arts Council England. Writing as C.J.Neill he is also a published novelist.
You can find out more at www.neilbromage.com or drop him an email at neil@neilbromage.com
Neil Bromage, 02/02/2025