Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Retreat (as in quiet time away) (08/01/05)
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TITLE: Retreat for the Mind | Previous Challenge Entry
By Glenda Race
08/07/05 -
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But then the words of Isaiah 26:3 came to my mind: “Thou wilt keep him (or her) in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee.” Many times I thought I was trusting in the Lord, while my mind actually strayed from Him. For example, I would forget to do my devotions because I had other chores to do. This deprived me of God’s perfect peace, which surpasses understanding. Within a short time, worry and other sinful thoughts crept into my mind.
I needed to allow my mind to retreat and reflect on what God has done for me through His love. The Bible invites us to be anxious for nothing, but to seek a refuge in a place of prayer, supplication and thanksgiving. Prayer offers a communication to God that trusts His will at all times. Supplication is a time to request from the Father the things we desire without asking amiss (James 4:3). Thanksgiving is a sincere gratitude for the undeserved mercy God gives to His children.
In this retreat for the mind, Philippians four tells us to exercise our minds in godly thinking. In this retreat, the thinking is on what is true, honest, just, lovely, and of good report. What is true is what is of God. Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Thinking on things that are honest keeps our minds focused on the promises of God, which will come to pass, rather than the deceit of the Devil. The things that are just holds the truth that God is the Judge of all. We can trust that no matter how unfair current conditions may be “All things work together for good, to them that love God and are called according to His purpose.” The things that are lovely allow me to reflect on the beauty of God’s creation, from the majestic pine to the hard-working ant. Lastly, the things of good report allow me to focus on the good that God has done in the past, is doing in the present, and will do in the future.
Reading and listening to the Bible allows a retreat for the mind that draws me closer to God. It offers peace through prayer, supplication and thanksgiving, while challenging the mind to “think on the things that are true, honest, just, lovely, and of good report" (Philippians 4:8) Once these things are embedded in our minds, there is no room for the turbulence of worry. Retreating our thoughts onto the things of God allows us to “rejoice in the Lord always”(Philippians 4:4).
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