Staying Balanced by Josette Allen
7/17/2009
At the beginning of this year, the Lord revealed through a dream what is happening in the spiritual realm on earth. I was sitting in an auditorium with my husband looking up at a stage that contained boxes with other odds and ends. There were only a couple of individuals on stage. As I watched, I not only felt but saw a shaking of the stage and the people on stage disappear. I asked my husband, “Did you see that?” “What?” he answered. Again it occurred and, nudging him with my elbow I said, “Don’t you see and feel that? It’s an earthquake!”
Suddenly, absolute terror I didn’t know existed violently seized me. I struggled as it sought to rip me apart inside from the sheer realization of its presence. I had never felt so overpowered by fear. Then, a single thought came to me. “Wait… I should not be feeling this. I know my God!”
Upon awakening, I still could feel the remnant of the dream’s impact. I asked the Lord what He had shown me. He replied, “The stage has been set for a shaking and it has even now begun!”
As we move ever closer to the return of Christ, one of the biggest challenge as Christians we face is to stay balanced in a world that is out of balance. It’s so important that, as representatives of Christ, we know how to walk in power, love and a sound, well balanced, calm, peaceful and disciplined mind.
As the foundation of this nation continues to shake and the rules and values of our nation crumble, we must know how to access and maintain a peaceful mind. We must know our God and know how to rest in Him. All battles originate within the mind… we either win or lose based on how we process opportunities, challenges and temptations. We can literally think ourselves into victory or defeat, peace or turmoil, joy or depression. It’s part of the ‘free will’ package God graciously gave to all of us.
Have you ever noticed how quickly the mind gets easily offended or judges someone’s behavior that doesn’t match our own and even reminds us of our past sins? These thoughts are from our carnal, soul realm originating from the ‘old man’. We are to become ‘new creatures in Christ’! This means changing the way we think, learning to process per God’s word what the mind is saying and knowing where our thoughts originated. Is it God, Satan or our carnal nature wanting to dominate?
If we know God’s word, it will be much easier to identify the source of incoming information. That’s why it is so important to hide God’s word in our spirits so it’s available to help process correctly when we are discerning our thinking. Without His Word as a foundation, we can easily be shaken with all the media news, loss of jobs, and financial problems.
Proverbs tell us ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so does he become.’ What are your thoughts telling you concerning who you are becoming? Are they God’s thoughts encouraging you to become all you are destined to be? Are they Satan’s thoughts leading you away from Him through condemnation, self-loathing and self-rejection? Are they carnal thoughts that contain little nourishment because there is little of God’s word hidden away to draw upon for help? We literally think ourselves towards God or away from Him. He remains stable and fixed, ministering always in love to us even when we wander in our minds. Zephaniah 3:18 assures us ‘God loves us, and doesn’t accuse us. He rejoices over us with great gladness.’ Ephesians 1:4 comforts us as well; ‘You have made me holy in Your eyes, without a single fault. I now stand before you, God, covered by Your love.’ God desire for us is to stay balanced in the battlefield of the mind.
How can we know what kind of thoughts we are having? Positive thoughts are always full of faith, hope, peace and joy. Negative thoughts are always fearful, doubting, discouraging, confusing, accusing and condemning of ourselves and others. If you find yourself in the latter category, don’t despair! The weapons of our warfare are the Word of God, praise, worship and calling on Him for help… and often! Admit you aren’t where you want to be but you trust Him to work all things together for your good.
Proverbs tells us, “He who has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.” Our nation is like that city; broken down and without walls of balance, discipline, uprightness and truth. But we, as Christ’s own, are a different people. As we take captive every thought, we WILL stay balanced walking in the fruit of God’s Spirit even though the world is being shaken. That same free will can be put to work in our behalf so we will remain stable, fixed and unmovable resting in Him… safe, peaceful, faith-filled and victorious!!
