I live in the big scary world. Here’s my ideal and my aspiration:

WWJT = What Would Jesus Think?

But here’s me at my worst:

WTF? = Wrong Thoughts & Feelings…!!

Yes, I admit it.  On occasion, thoughts invade my mind that are contradictory to my commitments, values and deepest desires.

But there’s also this:

How could I not have contradictory thoughts occasion, considering the world around me? I live here too.

(Please comment below if you have found the key to sheltering your mind – I sincerely want to know it!)

I don’t claim to own all of my thoughts.

So I’m working on my game-plan, which is this:

Telling those contradictory thoughts where to go and replacing them with something awesome that I choose to think on….

All I need is the title “Battlefield of the Mind” (Joyce Meyer’s book) to understand I can also win the battles because Christ has overcome. Jesus’ last words on the cross were…”It is finished” (John 19:30)

I remind myself, I don’t have to have the same thinking as the world!

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”. (Romans 12:2, KJV2000)

What will my renewed mind look like?

^“For who has known the mind and purposes of the Lord, so as to instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes].” (1 Corinthians 2: 16, Amplified Bible)

I have the mind of Christ!?! Now that’s a mind-boggling thought… and a challenge to my faith. I’m going to have to increase my level of trust in his divine Grace at this point, obviously…

I choose to trust in Christ’s power which I’m told lives in me. I choose to have child-like faith that as I put Him first He’ll empower me to think great thoughts. When I do this, I know He’ll enable me to make great choices and commit to the great choices I have made.

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do super-abundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:2-21, Amplified Bible)

Entering the big scary world…

Why is it that despite my faith and the power of Christ in me, other visual messages from the world around me will sometimes dare to linger in my mind? How very dare they when I’m God’s girl, right!? ;0

I’m so aware that much of social-media, for example, is increasingly hyper-sexualized. Social media is a big part of the world that our children are entering into. It can be an overwhelmingly scary feeling to be a parent when…

You want the very best for your kids.  

You want the best world for them.  

You want the best life for them.

In my imagination, if you’re a parent, you can identify with those thoughts.

We have 3 daughters – each of them growing up so quickly – so perhaps I’m overly sensitive to the impact of the media all around us.

Sometimes, I feel like the dad in “Finding Nemo”, afraid to send my child out into the big wide world incase any thing happens to him, needing the wisdom of Dory:

Flip.  The conundrum.

How must God feel ? So many of his precious kids are venturing into the world and then squandering the freedom and the one life he has given them with, to be frank, really crappy choices…

How does any parent even cope? I’m slowly discovering where I can find strength…

I pray.  Recently, I’ve been gaining inspiration from Stormie Omartian‘s books on praying. Also, I’m trying to lead by example and not just preach at our kids. Although gently, I’m still attempting to guide them through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures. I’m trying to teach our kids to have confidence to use the power they have been given and to protect themselves by their good choices and God-given strengths.

And yet I also know I have to let them make their own mistakes if they must. I have to empower my kids to make choices and occasionally to take bold chances.

Which path to take?

Here’s the thing : They live in the world too.  And, as they grow, they will continually be making choices, for good or bad.

And so what if they make a bad choice?

What would we do if one of our daughters decided to walk down a path that we considered was wrong and that was that…

Patric and I have discussed this and there’s no question for either of us in the answer: Decidedly – we would love her no matter what. Would we accept her? Yes. We would accept her just as God accepts us: Just the way she is.

Couldn’t we try to change her choice and its consequences by controlling her? To be honest, I’d like to think that could be an option, but sadly, I reckon controlling her wouldn’t work in the long run.  We are all designed by God with the freedom to make our own choices.

On a fridge magnet, superficially agreeing with everything through gritted teeth looks charming. “The words you are looking for are “Yes dear”… But any sort of acquiescence that is dishonest has dangerous potential.

The reality is that loving relationships should sometimes involve conflict and disagreements. People who work through tough things together towards a resolution have stronger relationships. Love flourishes where there is freedom to choose and respect for the individual’s wishes.

Consider the loving freedom that God grants each of us to choose our path despite the consequences and witness love in action. While we may try to guide others to the right path, we shouldn’t attempt to control other people.

Ultimately, control of people only happens by fear and manipulation.

We must respect the right of each person to choose their own path.

In private, of course if my child were taking a direction that was definitively wrong, I would fervently pray for God to intervene.  I would pray that she would change her mind and direction, that she would live out of the fullness of her identity in Christ.

But there’s another thing I’ve decided in advance:

I will refuse to label and define my child by her chosen behaviour and path.

After all, ultimately each of us are designed by and created in the image of the Almighty God. So why must we be defined by our behaviour and path?

I’d rather not label you a liar or a thief, even if you act like one. Even if you say you’re a liar or a thief, I believe you’re more than that.  That’s why I will aspire to love you like Jesus Christ loves you. Unconditionally. No matter what you do.

Yes, perhaps labeling and definitions are just semantics, but words are powerful and, therefore, I like semantics.

How do you define yourself?

I, for one, will let Jesus Christ tell me my identity:

I am created in the image of God (Genesis 1: 27) known by God before He formed me in the womb (Jer 1:5)

I am a child of God (John 1:12) “and what [I] will be has not yet been made known”(1 John 3:2)

I am accepted. (Romans 15:7)

In Christ, I “have been brought to fullness” (Col 2:10). I died and I have been raised with Christ, and my life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3)

I am one with Christ in spirit. (1 Cor 6:17)  I am the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27) “[I] am a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that [I] may declare the praises of him who called [me] out of darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9)

In Christ, I am the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Matthew 5:13-14)

I am empowered by Christ.

Selah. (Which means: Pause and think about it).

In John 17, Jesus talks about his followers being on mission in the world while at the same time being “not of the world”. Christ is with me all the way.  When I consider this, aligning my thinking with His and even being a parent in this big scary world isn’t quite so intimidating as it may have seemed at first.

I can fight the good fight where required, with the power to do so by His grace, because…

Jesus is.

That’s how it is. I’m on mission in the world because of Him so : Bring it on! And may His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.