Mind Over Emotions, But What’s Over the Mind?

One of my greatest strengths and weaknesses is my mind. It is amazing, really, how powerful my thoughts are. I have told several people that I can think myself into depression within a few minutes, and that honestly is not an exaggeration. Paul knew how important the awareness of what goes on in the mind was to himself and his brothers and sisters in Christ. He warned the Corinthians to capture their thoughts and force them to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). He also said in Romans for Christians to be transformed by the renewing of their minds. He understood fully that whatever a man thinks to himself reveals his true heart. What we do and feel is driven by our thoughts. As for me, feelings of hopelessness set in when I am not surrendering myself to God’s Truth and choosing Him to be the One from which my identity and perception of everything in my life comes from. Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” It seems I often would rather place myself in the driver’s seat and allow my own logic, what people think, fears, and shame (amongst other things) to dictate my thoughts and perceptions of things. These lead to anything other than the things mentioned in Philippians 4:8.

I remember my mother often telling me when I was young that I needed to smile more. I started young allowing my mind to be occupied by things that darkly shaded my perception of myself, God, and others. This led to not only few smiles from the anger and sadness, but behaviors that brought me down as well. Some of this was out of ignorance, but struggles born of ignorance are no less a struggle than those born of some other source other than God’s Truth. As the years have passed, I have experienced more and learned more. Although I will never gather the full knowledge of God in this physical body, I have been able to ascertain a firmer grasp on what God’s Word actually says, which has been a great way to ward off the issue of “just not knowing” that I had earlier in life. The Holy Spirit has worked at just the right times to bring in Truths that I needed when my own ignorance was keeping me in a tail spin of false-belief-based thinking patterns. This continues to be the case for me because I must depend on Him to overcome the fact that I still don’t, and can’t, know everything. 

Today in Sunday School, I noticed an inner struggle while listening to my teacher (who I love deeply, by the way). I am becoming more and more aware that I have been trying to fight the battle for my mind by myself…in my own power. I am not that much different than the Galatians that Paul reprimanded for trying to be sanctified by their own works, but the majority of my attempts at this are in fighting for my mind. I forget one of the most important words to a follower of Christ: surrender. Of course I cannot win the battle over my behaviors, but I cannot even win the battle for my mind either. Not by myself anyway. It MUST begin with me acknowledging my inability to do so, surrendering myself over to Jesus’ lordship over me, and allow the Holy Spirit to renew my mind. This is still quite the mystery to me how this all happens without me doing the work, but it does. It doesn’t mean I’m passive in it though. Surrendering is a battle in and of itself because I must face my fears and give up control in my life to wave the white flag and allow Christ to lead me.

So…”mind over emotions, but what’s over the mind?” It’s my choice (that God has given me through Christ) whether I will be over it or if I will allow God to be over it. From that point on the results will be drastically different for me depending on who I am relying on: me or God.