Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
I used to work with a lot of behavioral students in public schools because nobody else really wanted to work with them, and in order to help them overcome their difficulties, I needed to help them redirect their mind. For example, one of the students that I was helping would constantly lash out at people with his hands. He would reach over and toss somebody’s homework off of their desk, or would punch a random student as we were walking down the hall to change classes. I cared for him very much and wanted to help him with the difficulties that he was experiencing, but a few months later I found out that he really liked to take things apart. This was a breakthrough, because when you gave him a socket wrench or a Phillips screwdriver, he became a completely different person. So I got them involved in the auto shop, where he spent a lot of the day, joyfully ripping apart motors and scrapping engines. It was a productive task for him, and at the same time kept his hands busy, rather than using them to hurt others.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
Ripping apart engines is not everybody’s forte, but it certainly was his, and I was very pleased to watch as his attitudes and behaviors completely changed. Each of us are really no different than this young man, because in order to overcome sinful living, we must be capable of doing the exact same thing. Rather than being so focused on sinful and destructive behaviors, we must redirect our minds and activities on all of the good things that we can do during our day.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (KJB) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
There are hundreds of wonderful things that we can spend our time doing each and every day, but oftentimes people will tend to focus their hearts on the things that they really shouldn’t be involved with. They will become hyper-focused on sinful activities, rather than looking at all of the incredible things that we can do while we are here upon the Earth. Sin can be very deceitful, because it will cause you to become focused on the forbidden fruit, rather than enjoying everything else in the beautiful garden. Granted, there are many warnings throughout the scriptures about repentance and turning away from sin, but this can be done by simply focusing the mind on all of the things that we can do! When you get busy, and do something good for others and the community, your mind can become so filled up with good activities, that it simply has no time available to think about participating in sin. People have always said that idle hands are the devil’s workshop, and in many cases to defeat sin we must simply refocus our minds on good projects that are beneficial to both our own life, and the lives of those around us.
Each of us has something that we enjoy doing, whether it’s making crafts, cutting firewood, or painting a picture. Have you ever noticed that when you become deeply involved with these things, that you are not sinning? The year I was baptized, I had learned how to fish for the very first time, and I really enjoyed getting out on the lake quite often. I enjoyed it so much that I bought my first boat and trailer for $500, and when I went fishing, I would take my cassette player and listen to the King James Bible as I was casting for sunfish. So you see, I was happily enjoying a simple pleasure that I like to do, but at the same time, I took advantage of the opportunity to learn Spiritual things.
Have you ever had your children get involved with some mischief around the house, but then you rebuked them and took them outside to help you pick vegetables in the garden. They were so busy doing that, they really didn’t have time to be doing unproductive things down in the house. This is a simple process of behavior modification, because you played a part in redirecting them onto a beneficial task. This is basically the same thing that the Apostles were doing, by turning people away from their sins, and redirecting them towards works meet for repentance.
To live the Christian Life successfully, we must be capable of turning away from temptations, but sometimes we can enter into them because we desire something that is forbidden to us. Sometimes when people tell you that you can’t have something, it causes you to want it even more. This is something that the Apostle Paul dealt with in his own life.
Romans 7:15 (KJB) For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Romans 7:19-20 (KJB) For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
So the more that the Apostle Paul looked at the law, the more that he desired to go against it, something that can happen when people tell you not to do something. Consider a teacher in the classroom who tells a student no, but then they become hostile, and do it anyway. That’s rebellion, something that has to be cast out of people who profess to be Christian. To overcome these things, we can simply take a pen and a piece of paper and write down a list of a hundred things that God has freely given us to enjoy on this Earth. We need to focus on those things, rather than on what we cannot have. There are so many things that we can do that are fun, enjoyable, and beneficial to others if you would simply take the time to write them all down. The sinful things that you desire and think about must be redirected onto good things, especially the Spiritual things of God.
Romans 8:5-8 (KJB) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
One time there was a few youngsters that came regularly to a youth building that I ran. The problem was that they absolutely hated each other, and were very similar in character to a few gang members that you might meet in a large city. But I eventually found out that they liked to play a certain game on a game station, so when I got one for them, they would sit down for an hour or two, and laugh together so much that it made my heart weep. They weren’t sinning while they played their game, it was just that their minds were redirected on something that they enjoyed doing together. Spending time learning how to play the piano is a far better use of one’s time than dwelling on how you are going to steal your neighbor’s possessions. Spending the afternoon repairing your vehicle is a far better task than lusting after your neighbor’s wife. Going for a walk or lifting some weights is a far better activity, than sitting around a room with a bunch of gossips who maliciously badmouth others.
Make no mistake about it, people who do not turn from their sins are going to enter into an everlasting lake of fire, but what we can do for others, if we truly care about them, is to try to get them to change their mind. We need to find so many beneficial activities within the church, that they are so involved doing fun and good things together, that they simply don’t have time to get involved with evil. We must lead them towards conversion by turning them away from their iniquities, and leading them into the light. To overcome sin, and move into a better life, is going to require transforming the mind on things that are beneficial to your life,.. something that one of my high school students finally discovered, each time that he walked into,…..
……The Auto Shop Class
Let’s think about these things for right now. We can be found on your web browser by searching, tlkjbc where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you all, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.
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