Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer Read Free Book Online Page B

miserable.
    Let me say it one final time: Think about what you are thinking about.
    You may locate some of your problems and be on your way to freedom very quickly.
     
    Part 2: Conditions of the Mind
    Introduction
    ...But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.
    1 CORINTHIANS 2:16
    In what condition is your mind?
    Have you noticed that the condition of your mind changes? One time you may be calm and peaceful, and another time anxious and worried. Or you may make a decision and be sure about it, then later find your mind in a confused condition concerning the very thing you were previously so clear and certain about.
    There have been times in my own life when I have experienced these things, as well as others. There have been times when I seemed to be able to believe God without any trouble, and then there have other times when doubt and unbelief haunted me mercilessly.
    Because it seems that the mind can be in so many different conditions, I began to wonder, when is my mind normal? I wanted to know what normal was so I could learn to deal with the abnormal thinking patterns immediately upon their arrival.
    For example, a critical, judgmental and suspicious mind should be considered abnormal for a believer. However, for a major portion of my life, it was normal for me—although it should not have been. It was what I was used to, and even though my thinking was very wrong and was causing a lot of problems in my life, I did not know that there was anything wrong with what I was thinking.
    I did not know that I could do anything about my thought life. I was a believer, and had been for years, but I had no teaching at all about my thought life or about the proper condition for a believer's mind to be in.
    Our minds are not born again with the New Birth experience—they have to be renewed. (Romans 12:2.) As I have said several times, the renewal of the mind is a process that requires time. Do not be devastated, even if you read the next part of this book and discover that most of the time your mind is in a condition that is abnormal for someone claiming Christ as Savior. Recognizing the problem is the first step toward recovery.
    In my own case, I began to get a lot more serious about my relationship with the Lord several years ago, and it was at that time that He began revealing to me that many of my problems were rooted in wrong thinking. My mind was in a mess! I doubt that it was ever in the condition it should have been—and if it was, it did not last long.
    I felt overwhelmed when I began to see how much wrong thinking I was addicted to. I would try to cast down the wrong thoughts that came into my mind, and they would come right back. But, little by little, freedom and deliverance did come.
    Satan will aggressively fight against the renewal of your mind, but it is vital that you press on and continue to pray and study in this area until you gain measurable victory.
    When is your mind normal? Is it supposed to wander all over the place, or should you be able to keep it focused on what you're doing?
    Should you be upset and confused, or should you be peaceful and reasonably sure of the direction you should be taking in life? Should your mind be full of doubt and unbelief, should you be anxious and worried, tormented by fear? Or is it the privilege of the child of God to cast all his care upon Him? (1 Peter 5:7.)
    The Word of God teaches us that we have the mind of Christ. What do you think His mind was like when He lived on the earth—not only as the Son of God but also as the Son of Man?
    Prayerfully proceed into the next part of Battlefield of the Mind. I believe it will open your eyes to normal and abnormal mindsets for the person who is a disciple of Jesus and who has determined to walk in victory.
     
    Chapter 8
    When Is My Mind Normal?
    [For I always pray to] the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, that He may grant you a spirit of