Keep Your Sanity

Matt 22:37-Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

This was the answer Jesus gave to someone who asked Him what was the greatest commandment.  Indeed, if we could get this one down pat, all of the other commandments would be a snap.  Most of us have no problem loving God with our heart or soul (emotions).  But, we all tend to have the problem of loving Him with our mind.  Because of the frantic pace of life, our minds get filled with all sorts of junk.  After all, we have to think about how to start today---how to get the kids ready for school---how are we going to pay the bills---what are we going to say to you know who because they said you know what and did this, that and the other thing.  It's the last one that I really get hung up on.  I realize you probably don't have that problem, but it sure has bothered me a lot.  We all tend to let--he said, she said, he did, she did--monopolize our thoughts until we  virtually reach the point of exasperation.  Can I get an "AMEN?"

Paul said in 2 Cor. 10:5--Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  If you will think about all that Paul went through, you would wonder, why he didn't lose all of his marbles.  Religious people were trying to mess him up all of the time.  He kept his sanity because he learned how to grab a hold of his thought processes and think only thoughts about his love relationship with Jesus Christ.  Psalm 19:14--Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.  King David, the greatest warrior king and the Apostle Paul, the greatest soul winner both learned how to control their thoughts in a negatively infested world.

Our thought process can either keep us on track or derail us.  Way back when you were dating the one you are married to (way, way, way, way back for some of you), all you could think about was how sweet and wonderful he or she was.  People and life were doing the same thing to you then that they are doing to you now.  The difference is, when people and life did those same things, you changed the channel in your mind.  You found it much, much easier to cope with things when you thought about your lover and the abundance of joy that overflowed in your life when the two of you were together. 

Now, the problem with that is, that after we get married, we no longer take the time to make those "special" moments that used to fill our minds.  Just like our relationship with Jesus.  Right after we got saved, we floated on cloud nine for a while.  Then we came back to earth.  Both with our marriage and with our love relationship with Jesus, we need to stop this busy life and make some "special love times" with our lovers.   Those thoughts will, again, fill our daily routine and help us keep our sanity in an insane world.

Happy loving folks, and pass this on to others whose sanity might be slipping away.