People are acting strangely. It awakens emotion in us. We start thinking differently, speaking differently, maybe even acting differently. Fear has been a go-to emotion for me when smacked with unexpected change or impending doom. [Honest admission] Another has been cussing — one word in particular. (It rhymes with knit.)
Growing up with a grandma who charged a dollar for saying “shut up” or “hate,” I recognize the power of words. Being that I have never felt good after saying this word, I feel its wrong for me to do. After all, words are a gift, and my desire is to use words for good and God’s glory. Yet, under stress, with a web site down or a deal panning out poorly, I have excused it as a lesser of evils along the way, especially since it’s mostly been under my breath to myself.
A couple years ago, I decided it was time to break this habit. After all, it isn’t classy or productive, and I wouldn’t say it around my children, so I didn’t want to slip and say it around the other good people in my life. So I knew I had to get it out of my vocabulary altogether. To aid in the process, I told a few friends and prayed. And, honestly, God helped me refrain! Well, recently, I have noticed it slipping into my brain filter here or there, causing extra effort in the self-control department, leaving me wondering, what gives?! I thought I had tackled this!
I decided to ask God about this. He showed me I am letting garbage in. Garbage smells, and it impacts the things around it. And, let’s face it, garbage is EVERYWHERE right now! Therefore, if I want to preserve a clean mind, I must work extra to avoid becoming a garbage receptacle! I must change what goes into my mind to control what comes out of my mouth.
The Bible reveals the real danger in allowing sin to win out over the desires of the Holy Spirit. It says, “letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:6). Whoa! I want life and peace, not death! I am bound and determined to see the Spirit win in my life.
To be sure I recognize the attributes of “the sinful nature” compared to those that characterize the Spirit, I cracked into Ephesians 5 and Galatians 5 to help spell it all out:
“Letting your sinful nature [sexual immorality, any kind of impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, or idolatry] control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit [love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control] control your mind leads to life and peace” (Romans 8:6).
No wonder I have felt blech about this my whole life: Cussing is obscene and foolish. The Holy Spirit has been flashing red lights at me. If allowing garbage in is causing this unwanted habit, I must be more vigilant in protecting myself from negative influences.
Maybe you have never fought cussing, and maybe you think this is a stupid example. [Lol] What habit do you fight? Maybe you fight gossiping, overspending, codependency, binging, or overindulging. With all the garbage swirling around us, you may also notice unwanted thoughts, words or attitudes cropping up in you too.
There is a war going on within us between the Spirit, which we were given upon receiving Christ, and our sinful nature, which we were born into. As children of God, we are called to walk in the Spirit. Yet, we face internal opposition daily, as described by Paul in Galatians: “The flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Galatians 5:17).
We must be aware of what we are allowing into our eyes and our ears, the windows to our souls. These things can be weapons against the enemy, if we fill ourselves with the Spirit, or they can be weapons used against us to manipulate our emotions, leading to sin and ultimately death, if we are not careful. It is imperative we remove the garbage, the distractions, from our lives to pursue the things of God.
What would you say is currently guiding your thinking? Is it your sinful nature or the Spirit? Look at the fruit of your thinking: Is it greed or is it faithfulness? Is it sex or is it self-control? Is it obscenity or is it goodness? If it’s greed, sex or obscenity, your sinful nature is working to guide you towards death. Whereas, when we allow the Holy Spirit to control us, we are guided to eternal life!
Once we recognize this war going on within us, it is time for an assessment to identify the influences – the weapons – being used against us. Join me! Let’s write down the things fueling our sinful nature to know what to cut out, and write down the things that bear fruit, guiding us towards abundant life.
Self-assessment
- What are you filling your mind with?
- What are you watching?
- What are you listening to?
- What are you reading?
- What emotions are welling up in you as a result?
- Is it love, joy and goodness, leading to life?
- Or, is it anger, greed or impurity, leading to death?
- What influences are causing you to think profanely instead of purely?
- Is it the news, something you shouldn’t be watching, or are you obsessing over a deal or person that hurt you?
- What positive influences can you infuse into your life?
- A few ideas might be the Word of God, uplifting messages, encouraging music, and healthy, loving relationships.
What we put into our eyes and ears influences what goes into our hearts and minds. What is in our hearts and minds dictates our walk. The direction we walk in dictates whether we have life or death. Let’s fight the good fight together to walk in the Spirit!
P.S. We all mess up and need Jesus! If you cuss, binge, overspend, or anything else, know that God loves you, and He is willing to help you. He is the one that creates the desire within you to change and actually causes the change in you. So, simply start by praying and asking for His help! We are in this together!
Sarah Guldalian 