January 14, the window of the heart.

Consider him who endured from sinner such hostility against himself so that you may not

grow weary or faint-hearted.

Hebrews 12, verse 3.

One of the most remarkable capacities of the human mind is the capacity to direct its own

attention to something it chooses.

We can pause and say to our minds, think about this and not that.

We can focus our attention on an idea or a picture or a problem or a hope.

It is an amazing power.

I doubt that the animals have it.

They are probably not self-reflective but rather governed by impulse and instinct.

Have you been neglecting this great weapon in the arsenal of your war against sin?

The Bible calls us again and again to use this remarkable gift.

Let's take this gift off the shelf and dust it off and put it to use.

For example, Paul says in Romans 8 verses 5 and 6.

Those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh.

But those who are according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

So the mind set on the flesh is death but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace.

This is stunning.

What you set your mind on determines whether the issue is life or death.

Many of us have become far too passive in our pursuit of change and wholeness and peace.

I have the feeling that in our therapeutic age we have fallen into the passive mindset

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