Renew Your Mind, November 7
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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By Karen Wonders
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:2 NIV).
I have a friend who is addicted to Mountain Dew. Every morning I see her drinking one. Usually, it is the traditional fluorescent green type she drinks, although sometimes she mixes it up with the electric blue flavor. Sometimes, it’s black cherry. I have to admit, it turns my stomach when I see her with it. Drinking something that looks like a highlighter can’t possibly be good for you! In the past, I have tried to convince her of this, but it only fell on deaf ears … until one day she turned to me and said, “I get what you’re saying, and I know it’s not good for me. But I still like it and I still want to drink it.”
I think that my friend and I are good illustrations of many Americans today. Some of us want to do whatever we feel like, and don’t really care about the consequences. Others worry over every little thing. We worry about our health. We worry about our future. We worry about our finances. We worry about fluorescent green drinks….
You know what? Both of us are in the wrong. Both of us need to re-focus our attention. Both of us need to turn our affections from ourselves to Christ. Both of us need to renew our minds! Colossians 3:2 tells believers to set their minds on things that are above, not earthly things. Yet this doesn’t come naturally to us, does it? It is so easy to get consumed with other things. We must actively choose to dwell on the things of Christ. If we don’t, the enemy will steal our peace, joy, and strength.
One easy way to set our minds on the things above is to spend time with God every day. We must fight for our time with Him! The enemy will tell you that you are too busy or too tired to get in the Word. He will throw up any barrier he can think of to keep you from praying. But when we intentionally spend time with God, we are enabling ourselves to purposely live out Colossians 3:2. We become equipped to take our eyes off of ourselves and love and serve others!
Pray: Father God, sometimes I become so consumed with my own feelings and wants that I forget to make you the focus of my life. Help me to turn my affection from myself to You, Lord! Renew my mind, and give me the mind of Christ! Help me to see the world through Your eyes and actively seek to love and serve others! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Your Turn: Where are you giving your affections to the creation, rather than the Creator? What steps will you take today to refocus your heart?
Karen Y. Wonders, PhD, FACSM, Cancer Caregiver
Karen is the Founder and CEO of Maple Tree Cancer Alliance, and Professor/Program Director of Exercise Physiology at Wright State University. Her passion is to advocate for exercise as part of the national standard of care for cancer. Her non-profit organization provides free exercise training to thousands of cancer survivors every month (www.mapletreecanceralliance.org). Dr. Wonders and her husband have 7 children—aged 16 and younger. If you think her hands are full, you should see her heart!
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