Cleanse

I read a book recently called The Choice: Hypocrisy or Real Christianity by Chuck and Nancy Missler. This little book provides profoundly simple, practical, and scripturally-based teachings on the link between the state of our mind, heart and soul (defines each) and how it affects our relationship with the Lord.

The most annoying and difficult temptations for me to overcome are what I call "thought sins". I describe these as any negative, hypocritical, duplicitous, deceitful, judgemental, perverse, blasphemous, insulting or otherwise evil thoughts that cross my mind at any particular moment. The process of taking these thoughts under control is something that I still wrestle with today. In the confessional, I have been told that these thoughts are just temptations that we all have as a result of our fallen nature. It is embarrassing to me, though, knowing that the Lord hears all of it. His Mercy and Grace are such precious gifts!

I really started to notice how awful my thoughts were only after I first believed. It became a moment-by-moment decision for me to identify, admit, and turn these thoughts over to Christ in order to begin cleansing from the inside out.

I still have negative thoughts, but I continue to confess them, and His Love and Peace in my heart acts as a sponge and filter that subordinates and soaks them up. Pray every day for a clean body, mind, heart and soul.

I love you.

-Daddy

"Who will set a guard over my mouth, and upon my lips an effective seal, That I may not fail through them, that my tongue may not destroy me? LORD, Father and Master of my life, permit me not to fall by them! Who will apply the lash to my thoughts, to my mind the rod of discipline, that my failings may not be spared, nor the sins of my heart overlooked; Lest my failings increase, and my sins be multiplied; Lest I succumb to my foes, and my enemy rejoice over me? LORD, Father and God of my life, abandon me not into their control! A brazen look allow me not; ward off passion from my heart, let not the lustful cravings of the flesh master me, surrender me not to shameless desires." -Sirach 22:27, 23:1-6 NAB

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness." - Matthew 23:25-28 NASB

"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:1-2 NASB

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it." -1 Corinthians 10:12-13 NASB