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@ LibertyGal
2025-03-23 14:11:19
Many Believers, after repenting of their sins and trusting Jesus, spend all of their time trying to avoid doing anything bad. Christianity becomes little more than a list of “Don’t Do …”. Of course this isn’t God’s desire. Christianity should be a relationship with our God, Savior, and Creator. It should be a process of becoming more and more like Jesus. This likeness is more about what we do than just what we don’t do.
In order to make this point, I want to do a thought experiment with you.
Think about a large, red, juicy strawberry. Picture it in your mind. Think about what that strawberry feels like in your hand and what it smells like. Picture biting into that strawberry. Feel your teeth sink into the strawberry and the juice run down your throat. Tasty the tangy sweetness in your mouth.
Now try to stop thinking about the strawberry. Don’t let it even flicker through your mind.
Did you succeed at banishing the thought of strawberries in your mind or was a strawberry all you could think about?
Now let’s think about a fresh, hot, crunchy, chewy chocolate chip cookie fresh out of the oven. Think about its smell. Savor it. Think about biting into that chocolate chip cookie. Think about the taste. Feel the still runny, melted chocolate chips.
Are you still thinking about strawberries or did the thought of strawberries completely leave your mind? I’m betting you forgot about the strawberry.
In our Christian walk, the best way to not have ungodly thoughts, is to so fill our mind with godly thoughts that there isn’t room for the ungodly thoughts. The best way to not do sinful things is to be so busy doing God’s work that we don’t have time for the sinful things.
> Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—**if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things**. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—**put it into practice**. And the God of peace will be with you. (Philippians 4:8-9) {emphasis mine}
If we are constantly reading the Bible, talking to God, and loving our neighbor as we are called to do, we are unlikely to have to work hard avoiding sinful thoughts and sinful actions. If we fill our minds with God’s word, we won’t be dwelling on sinful thoughts. If we are praying continually, we won’t be gossiping or bad mouthing or otherwise dishonoring our Lord with our mouth. If we are loving our neighbors as ourselves, we won’t be envious, stealing, lusting, or wishing harm on others.
Christianity should be more about what you do and less about what you aren’t allowed to do. This only works when we focus on “*whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable,*” whatever is “*excellent*”, and whatever is “*praiseworthy*.”
Fill your heart, mind, and soul with God and His word and the rest kind of works itself out. I hope this has been helpful.
Trust Jesus