I am attending a Christian Leadership Convention and ran into my famous friend, author, and Bible teacher, Kay Arthur yesterday. She had read and was discussing my new book, Crazy Like Foxes and telling me she was amazed at my personal testimony.
I was talking with her about my theory that Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” might have been his conscience. Just maybe late at night as he tried to fall asleep haunting memories of those Christians tortured and put to death at his behest would plague him.
She did not agree and said he spent much of his ministry preaching against reliving the past for that to even be a possibility and she quoted numerous passages to back that up. She said we are to look forward and not behind. She went on to suggest that maybe that was the thorn in MY flesh.
Gulp . . .
I sheepishly admitted that, yes, I’ve had problems with forgiving myself for things I’ve done in the past. I do know and am dead certain that Christ forgave my sins, but I just seem to have problems with forgiving myself.
She launched into what turned out to be an hour-long discussion on grace and God’s forgiveness, all of which I knew, but then she told me something that struck home. She told me that she struggled with some sin early in her life and she fought through allowing it to torture her by envisioning a door to her mind being tightly shut and locked, but Satan was right outside it patiently waiting for it to open to allow him entry.
Then she quoted a verse written by none other than Paul, beginning in Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things. Whatever you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, put these things into practice. And the God of peace will be with you . . .
I put the emphasis on “think on these things.” She told me that verse helped her fend off Satan by keeping the door shut to past mistakes by blocking them from her mind and maintaining her thoughts on things that were pure, lovely, admirable etc. She said if Satan is forced to wait too long with no results, eventually he will just abandon it and go to find easier venues.
You know, Kay Arthur is a wise woman. If we keep our thoughts in high places it will keep us out of the low. I told her I always envisioned this as akin to looking out of a big front windshield of a car traveling down the road with something exciting and new appearing every moment. I can see where I’m going, as opposed to glancing behind me in the tiny rear view mirror and trying to see where I’ve been. I don’t need to see where I’ve been – I don’t like what I see. I want to see the new and wonderful things that God has in store for me as each new day unfolds minute by minute.
Keep your mind on things that are whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy . . . And allow His glorious presence to remove any thorns of guilt Satan is hurling at you today . . .
Phil. 4:7
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
April 6 2017 – Click here to listen