I just finished watching the movie “The Polar Express” with
my children. It is one of our favorite Christmastime movies. At the end, the
little boy gets his ticket punched with the word, “believe”. Of course the
movie was talking about Santa Claus, but my mind went straight to John 3:16… “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only
Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.” I know I believe in Jesus, but do I
really believe He can…mend a broken heart, heal my sick and ailing Aunt Carol,
make whole those addicted to drugs, save the lost soul, and break the sins of
many generations?
My heart says unequivocally a resounding…YES, but within the confines of my mind I hear the echo of doubt. Because
if I really, really believed; I would not worry, I would not fear the unknown,
and I would not question whether my prayer really matters or makes a difference.
I would not skip a single day or miss the opportunity to spend time with my
Savior and worship and praise Him. I would stand tall always with never a
slouched shoulder of despair…right?
But this is
life…happening at its very best….good vs. evil. The whispers of the Spirit
within my soul far outweigh the battle within my mind. Satan already has the
lost (those who don’t believe in Jesus), he wants to win me the God lover,
Christ seeker, and believer. He would like nothing better than to “bring me over
to the dark side”, but he can’t and it drives him crazy. I have already been
claimed with a ransom…Jesus blood, His death, and resurrection.
I cannot allow
my mind to hold me prisoner or make me a slave to my human persuasion. The mind is where Satan thrives and builds strongholds
of doubt, fear, and anxiety. And if I do not take the negative thought captive
and replace it with the knowledge of who I am in Christ Jesus, the unbelief
arises. I must remember I am the beloved daughter of the great I Am…a princess
in the eyes of my King Jesus.
“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every
thought
to make it obedient to Christ.”
~II Corinthians 10:5
