"Since no one is more influential in my life than me, and because no one talks to me more than I do, what I say to myself about myself is very important. The little kingdom, being more dominated by my internal conversation than by God's revelation, does not encourage a humble and accurate view of self."- Paul Tripp, "The Quest For More: Living For Something Bigger Than Yourself"
This is so true, isn't it? Our internal conversation, when controlled by self, elevates and defends self. It proves the old saying "The opposite of love is not hate; the opposite of love is self."
When, on the other hand, the internal conversation is controlled by the Accuser, it demeans and destroys self- that very self which God lovingly created.
I thought of all that today as I read this:
"Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. That's why those who are under control of the sinful nature can never please God.
"But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you."
Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 8, verses 9-11 (NLT)
Life and peace are ours if we let the Spirit of Christ control our minds.
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