11/23/2020
Psalm 123:3 “Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us: for we are exceeding filled with contempt.”
“The temper of the mind is tremendous in its effects, it is the enemy that penetrates into the soul and distracts the mind from God.”
The “temper of the mind”, as Chambers calls it, takes different forms. I look at it more as the temperament of the mind. This is not always a state of anger, like it sounds in the quote, but it could be many different emotions that take up our mental energy. It could be sadness, fear, worry, greed, confusion, doubt, etc. When we begin to indulge these, or feed the monsters of the mind, we can be drawn away from God and our focus on Him. These temperaments can and will affect those we love, causing even bigger distress. Sometimes the temper of the mind can be all-consuming, which is what happened with me during my illness. I was crippled by the temperament of my mind. It is not a place I wish for anyone to be.
Right now, there are so many areas that mix the cares of the greater world with our personal ones. For many it has been all-consuming, and a major distraction. Chambers writes, “Beware of, ‘the cares of this world,’ because they are the things that produce a wrong temper of soul.” The more we let these emotions take hold, the more Satan can use them to douse our light for Jesus. We MUST make sure our holy armor is on securely and that we are ready to battle all the evil that is raging around us. We must turn to God in all things, especially when we feel those tempers of the mind first creep in.
We must be vigilant in seeking out the Holy Spirit so we can discern the lessons God wants us to learn, even in turbulent times. When discernment comes, it is then that we can share with others in love. However, we should never judge others when they are struggling with the temper of the mind. We should come beside them, pray, and encourage. We should always be willing to share the lessons that God has taught us through faith, and how there is peace for our hearts souls and minds through a relationship with Jesus.
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