The garden of our minds

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.

God has really been speaking to me about my mindset.  People say that you start to become what you focus on, and think about the most.  Its SO true!  When we focus on the negative, we start to become negative people.  When we look at things with an optimistic point of view, we will start to become more positive people.  When we dwell on the things of our flesh, we begin to reap in those things. (1 Corinthians 10:3-6)  Its a battle!  The enemy knows.  He will try everything in his power to shoot us down.  To invade our thoughts with doubts, fears, insecurities, lust, hate, and all sorts of wickedness.  But you wanna know the truth?  We have MORE power and MORE authority through Christ, to overcome this battle of the mind.  He's given us His word, a double edged sword as He calls it.(Hebrews 4:12)  When we fill our minds with truths from there, that's when our mindsets will start to change from what WE want to what HE wants.

I look at it as if my mind were like a garden.  It takes a lot of working, pruning, watering, and growing to get to where you want to be.  Getting rid of the weeds that try to choke out the flowers.  If you become a sluggard, and forget to be on guard, these weeds will overtake your garden and turn it into a complete and crazy mess.  

How can we do this?  How is it possible to change our mindsets, when we are so imperfect?  We can't help it sometimes!  That's a lie.   We CAN help it!  We just get lazy sometimes.  We let our guard down.  We let Satan have a foothold.  
I was really struggling with this a few months back, asking God what I could do to change that.  I had been in the word, filling my head with the knowledge of God and the truths of His word, and I was STILL struggling.  One day I was reading and I came across this verse;


Colossions 3:1-2Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated
at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.

Now, every time I find my mind wandering away from the truth, or other thoughts not from the Lord start filling my head, I say this verse over and over in my head, and God takes it away.  Its because I'm turning my focus from the bad to the good.  We can love God by the way we use our minds.  By taking every thought captive in obedience to Christ we ARE loving Him.  He says in His word, to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and MIND." (Matthew 23:37)Be alert, on guard, and start filling yourself with His truths.  Soak yourself in them.