Apples of Gold
Radio Script for July 22, 2008
“Our Mind Is Filled With Whatever Fills Our Schedule”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Which comes first, our thinking or our actions?
Do you think about something, then do it?
Or do you do things, then think about them?
Most people probably say they think about things, then do them.
But what about this? What about all the things we think about, but don’t get around to doing?
If we think about them, but don’t do them, eventually we stop thinking about them.
We will end up thinking about the things we actually do.
See, we can think about a lot of things, but in the end we will think about the things we do.
Take prayer, for example. Christians talk a lot about prayer, but how much time do we spend praying?
Is prayer on your mind a lot? If it is, then you will end up praying a lot. But if you don’t pray much, you will eventually stop thinking about prayer – because thoughts of prayer will be crowded out by the things you actually do.
Now let’s talk about taking trips. Do you take a lot of trips? If so, then you think a lot about trips, because we think about the things we do.
Do you go to a lot of movies? Then movies will occupy your mind, because we think about the things we do.
See, we think our mind controls our actions, but we forget how much our actions dominate our mind. Our mind will be filled with whatever fills our schedule.
Romans 8:5 talks about having our mind set on what the Spirit desires. Our brain should be full of thoughts about doing God’s will.
And many Christians would say, “Yes, I think about doing God’s will. I want to do God’s will.”
But what do we spend our time doing? This is what will dominate our thinking.
When I was growing up, sports occupied my mind. I played sports, watched sports, thought about sports, talked about sports. If you didn’t want to talk about sports, then we had nothing to talk about. I remember in junior high when a guy told me he wasn’t going to watch the Super Bowl. I thought he must be an alien. Who doesn’t watch the Super Bowl?
When I gave my life to Christ, though, my love for sports withered. I thought about the things of God, I took a job in full-time ministry, and I became active in church work.
My mind became occupied with the Lord and ministry because that’s what I was doing. You see, it’s what you do that you end up thinking about. If I would have kept doing all the sports, it would have eventually reoccupied my mind.
Now let me confess to you a battle I fight within myself. I am a homeowner. That means I have to take care of my home, which means I spend a lot of time doing home things.
Now remember my theory: we think about the things we do. So if I spend a lot of time working as a homeowner, what will I end up thinking about?
But you know what? I don’t want to think about that. I don’t want my brain to be all wrapped up thinking about my home.
Why not? Because if I let this happen, then I will basically be letting my home become my god. My mind will be set on what my home desires.
But my home is not my god, and I don’t want it to dominate my thinking. I want what it says in Romans 8:5. I want my mind to be set on what God’s Spirit desires.
And the only way to do that is by doing what God desires; or as it says in Romans 8:5, by living in accordance with the Spirit.
Am I saying that God doesn’t want me to take care of my home? Not at all. We must take care of our home. It’s a tool for the Lord. For example, Romans 12:13 says, “Practice hospitality.” It’s not very hospitable to invite people to an unkempt home.
So yes, I must spend time caring for my home, but this way it won’t become my god. My work at home is motivated by what the Spirit desires.
A problem many Christians have is that the things they do all week are disconnected from what the Spirit desires. And since we think about what we do, they end up thinking about all sorts of things other than what the Spirit desires.
So look at your schedule. What do you spend a lot of time doing? Remember, your mind will be filled with whatever fills your schedule.
And what should fill our mind? Our mind should be set on God’s will. And the only way to do that is by filling our schedule with actions that the Spirit desires.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
This is very circular. We think about what we do, then we do what we think about. One perpetuates the other. That’s how we get in ruts. As our rut gets deeper, soon all we can see is the rut. We can’t think of our life being any other way. The key is to see what the Spirit desires, then focus our thinking on that. Then our thinking should lead to action. When that happens, we break out of the rut. Our mind is set on what the Spirit desires, and our actions are what the Spirit desires. Once again it is circular. One perpetuates the other, but now it is for the good. We are doing God’s will both in our thinking and in our actions.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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