In our Love Your Body series the last Monday of the month, I’ve been focusing on ways to eat healthy and exercise regularly. But today I want to talk about a part of the body we haven’t discussed, our mind. Yes, our mind is a part of our body and our mind determines what we put into our body, as well as what we do with our body.
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A Pure Mind is a Healthy Mind
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We can’t have a healthy body, without having a healthy mind. That’s why Paul warned that when we become Christians: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2
If you have a healthy pure mind, you’ll be able to test for yourself what God wants you eating, thinking, watching, reading, and doing. But…
Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6
If you will, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2), you’ll never have to worry about dealing with a sick or impure mind.
Satan Wants You to Have a Sick Mind
In the past few weeks, there’s been lots of discussion about the book and movie Fifty Shades of Grey–whether or not it’s OK for Christians to read the book and see the movie. Looking at the Scriptures above, it’s hard for me to imagine that this would even be a conversation. The answers are so clear in the Bible.
You can eat organic, omit sugar, limit your red meat, get your daily quota of fruits and veggies, drink lots of water, and exercise every day, but you will never have a healthy body if you feed your mind with trash and smut.
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Satan has worked hard at luring men into pornography and now he’s working on the women. Sadly, Satan is having as much success with women as he did with the men. Movies and books like Fifty Shades of Grey are what the world today is calling entertainment. Don’t be deceived by the world, and don’t give the devil a foothold in your mind.
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For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 1 John 2:16
Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed, which is idolatry. Colossians 3:5
What’s A Christian to Do?
I know I’m probably singing to the choir here, so what’s a Christian woman to do who agrees with everything I’m saying? Well Titus 2 1-6 in the The Message spells out clearly our job as Christian women and men. We have to speak out and help our fellow sisters in Christ who are being lured into Satan’s trap:
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Your job is to speak out on the things that make for solid doctrine. Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness. By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior. Also, guide the young men to live disciplined lives.
If you are addicted to other “mommy porn” type books, and you think no one will know what you’re reading on your Kindle or tablet, just remember that God is with you always and He knows what’s going into your mind. It’s breaking God’s heart and Satan is laughing. Yes, Satan is laughing because he has you just where he wants you—he’s infiltrated your mind.
Confess your problem to someone and find a mentor to help you renew, refresh, and reboot your mind.
Satan is Working Hard and Fast
This is not the only movie and book out there that shouldn’t be polluting our minds, and I wrote about that in the blog post Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.
Which Mother and Wife Won’t See 50 Shades of Grey?
I’m sure you figured out that I won’t, but two other women who don’t want their mind filled with “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes” by seeing the film of the erotic novel are:
Actress Melanie Griffith, the mother of Dakota Johnson who plays the sexually brutalized young virgin in the movie. Mother Griffith said, “I would be very uncomfortable with it.”
Amelia Warner, the wife of Jamie Dornan who plays the sexually perverted lead actor, doesn’t want to watch her husband in the risqué sex scenes with another woman and won’t see the movie.
I totally understand why this mother and wife would not see this movie. What I don’t understand is why so many other mothers, wives, daughters, girlfriends, and future wives want to watch it as voyeurs. Can you?
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Philippians 4:8