Purifying Our Thoughts

 Purifying Our Thoughts

 “Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” 2 Corinthians 4:10 NLT

 In my journey through this season of Lent, I felt led to reframe my viewpoint of suffering - to see my pain, problems, failures and weaknesses as opportunities to identify with Christ in his death so that his life can be seen through me. Pain, problems, failures and weaknesses become suffering when we see them as burdens to be overcomed or endured. When our primary goal in life is to seek happiness and success, they are mountains to climb rather than training sessions to teach us the secret of living the abundant life with the grace of God. Pain, problems and failures in life draw us closer to God and lead us to hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit. They are times to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to transform our minds and to purify our hearts. When we do so, we have God’s promise of peace that is beyond all human understanding and joy unspeakable.

The prophet Isaiah warned the Jews of the danger of religiosity - of going through rituals to obey rules instead of cultivating a relationship with God:

“And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” Isaiah 29:13 NLT

Jesus warned the Jews of the hypocrisy of superficial worship and man made traditions. It is so important to recognize and be aware of the evil that is in our hearts:

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you.  For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,  adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.  All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” Mark 7:20‭-‬23 NLT

When we share in the death of Christ on the cross through our suffering we have God’s invitation to come boldly to the throne of grace:

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 NLT

The story of the gentile woman who begged Jesus to cast the demon from her daughter shows us the importance of a faith of a humble heart that is in tune with God’s compassionate love. In the face of Jesus’ apparent rejection of her plea for healing, she replied:

“That’s true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children’s plates.” Mark 7:28 NLT

Instead of being put off by what appears to be God’s favoritism, the gentile woman recognized her need for God’s grace and received what she did not deserve. So in times of trials and suffering, when we feel that our prayers are not unanswered, we need to examine our thoughts about God. We are to remember that God is our Heavenly Father - He is always with us in our struggles and we are not alone.

Without a submissive and obedient heart, we are spiritually deaf. Jesus knows all about human nature and what is in each person’s heart (John 2:24‭-‬25 NLT). When our hearts are a fertile soil, Jesus will open our ears to hear His voice more clearly like the deaf man in Mark 7:3-35:

 “Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened!” Mark 7:34 NLT

 In this year’s devotional for Lent, Rev Roland Chia makes the following observation:

“A person whose ears are open is not deaf to the still small voice of the Almighty. His ears are not blocked with the gunk and wax of worldly pursuits, spiritual indifference and carnal distractions that the divine whisper is no longer audible to him.

The person whose ears are open is always attentive to the word of God. He is always receptive to the commands of his Lord. He is always attuned to the Spirit and sensitive to His promptings and guidance.”

As Christians we are chosen to share in the death of Jesus - to die to our egos so that we will not be tempted to boast of what God has done for us which may only make others feel envious or deprived. Instead, like recovering alcoholics in the Alcoholics Anonymous program, we will testify of our struggles and problems and our total dependence on the grace of God. We will share, not how we have found God, but how God found us in our times of suffering and comforted us as His beloved.

A world in darkness and full of suffering needs to hear “the voices of those who trust God despite unanswered prayers.” Lent is a time to purify our thoughts and hearts so that others may see the life of Christ in us and be encouraged and empowered to overcome suffering and death as we lift up the cross of Christ.