January 3
As we usher in the New Year let us keep focus on the prize! What is the prize you may ask? Well, the prize is your eternal life and your mental health and wealth are pivotal in achieving the prize. In fact, your mental wealth in addition to your mental health is vital to keeping us focused on the prize. Well adjusted mental health gives you encouragement, stays focused and strives and your mental wealth (positive thoughts grounded in Christ) gives you the endurance to remain in the race. What race?
All of humanity is in this amazing race which is the race to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ or not to be. The scriptures explains more on the race “do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. 1Corinthians 9:24-27
Now, let’s break this down. If you have endured any type of abuse, there is a great possibility that your emotional bank became depleted not to mention your mental wealth as well. The will to run the race gets compromised because the race is to run no matter where life takes you or hands you. Great news... the one who will give us the ultimate prize for racing is Christ. The same and only Jesus that understands the race that you and I are running for he too has been in the race.
So, if you have an unforgiving spirit, you are bitter, angry at life, or you are just hateful then your emotions and your mental health will become bankrupt depleting you of your life force. Therefore, you can't give what you don’t have to others in this bankrupt state. You cannot draw out encouragement nor can you endure life’s situations without losing your mind. Bottom line, your mental wealth is about your imagination and what thoughts you treasure most, the thoughts that you are accruing interest on that are either negative or positive.
What are your thoughts investing or vesting on? Are your thoughts investing on a future filled with forgiveness, love, compassion or the opposite? Your investment (mental wealth) draws dividends on your life’s account and is based on your whole life whether the thoughts are from the past, present or future?
Unfortunately, victims of abuse have been bankrupt and their imaginations as well as their thoughts have gone rogue and when dealing with a new beginning in this case a New Year they cannot move forward if their minds are stuck in the past with empty low producing dividend thoughts. These rogue thoughts do not accrue interests to inspire you to move forward, thoughts that do not help others, thoughts that do not make changes in this world for the positive. In addition, one cannot have positive thoughts on the Creator nor have faith in him. This is why mental health and wealth is important.
What is the value of your thoughts? They say that necessity is the mother of inventions and where do inventions start at? They start with a thought. So...what are you thinking about constantly that can make a great impact in other people’s lives or your very own life.
How much do your invested thoughts produce, what possessions are they focused on? What portions of your thoughts are depleting you of your dreams, ideas and your life, and most importantly your connection with Christ? What thoughts keep you from the true sources of life and creativity?
The Bible says in the in Philippians 2:2-7 “complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
The prize my friend is our eternal life in Christ. Our thoughts are valuable, rich and full of potential to make a difference for Christ. My question to you today is what is your mental wealth worth and how will it change the world, your community, your family and your environment this year?
Run the race...
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