By Brenda Cannon Henley
We can become our own worst enemy and create a minefield ready to blow at every word, touch, or call. So many good people have worked themselves into rolling balls of energy, filled with cackling static, primed and ready to explode at the slightest provocation – Intended or not. Men and women, and even teens, appear to be living locked and loaded and ready to virtually explode at any time and any where. I have spent quite a bit of time reading and thinking about how so many of us came to be this way.

The Bible teaches in several places that our hearts are filled with our thoughts and the things that interest us as individuals. Proverbs 23:7 teaches, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so he is.” We have illustrations of our lives being compared to wells, some with good water and some with bitter or bad water.

Our lives can also be compared to our faithful computers. What we program into them is the basis for what we get out of them. The same is true of our hearts and lives.

If a young woman is constantly belittled, criticized, and told that she is physically unattractive, she may start to store those thoughts in her mind and begin to believe them. She may have heard that she’s too tall, too short, overweight, too skinny, or misproprotioned. If she allows herself to put undue emphasis on these taunts, her self image can be damaged or destroyed.

If a young male athlete is constantly compared to others, and is led to believe he is inferior often enough, he may soon believe that in his heart. He may give up, drop out of the sport, or suffer pain of which no one is aware.

The Devil is our sworn enemy. It is his job and his joy to discourage and limit Christians. He doesn’t want us to live joy filled and happy lives displaying to the world that we are glad we chose the Christian walk.

Do you know one of his very best tools to accomplish his goal? Our minds. If he can get a Christian to be doubtful, deceived, discouraged, and downcast in his own mind, he has limited his potential to affect others in a positive manner.

It really doesn’t matter who we are, we likely have experienced doubts about some part of our life. It may have to do with physical attributes, our station in life, mistakes we have made in the past, or 101 other things. If he can make you believe others do not like you, coworkers don’t think well of you, there is not enough money, your partner is unfaithful, or that you are just not cool, he is well on his way to laying in those bombs that will explode or implode in your particular minefield.

The detonator may be something so small and insignificant that we hardly notice it, but when that spark is lit, the repercussions begin and people are hurt.

It is our responsibility as mature adults to keep our hearts and minds clean and clear so that we can first live at peace with ourself, and secondly, so that we can live at peace with family and friends. Let’s vow not to let Satan or his minions plant negative and hurtful thoughts in our hearts. That is a beginning step to winning the battle in our minds.

Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at 409 781 8788, or
[email protected]

[7-1-2019]