THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MIND AND THE BRAIN
The brain is an organ, but the mind is not. The brain, which is the center of the nervous system, coordinates our movement, thoughts, and our feelings. These are put forth or felt through the mind. We all use our minds to think, feel, and respond.
The mind refers to our understanding of things and our conscience. The mind also refers to our thought process, our perception, emotions, determination, memory, and our imagination that all take place in our brains. The mind is often used to refer especially to our thought processes of reasoning. The mind is the awareness of consciousness that we know as the ability to control what we do, knowing what we are doing and why we are doing it.
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BRAIN
As mentioned earlier, the brain is the coordinator for our central nervous system. When the brain is functioning properly it guides the mind in the process of our behavior. There are different portions of our brain that have specific jobs to do. When looking at the 7 areas you will see the correlation between those portions of the brain and the Redemptive Gifts.
Romans 12:6-8 6) Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7) if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8) the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
• Prophet
• Serving
• Teaching
• Encourager (exhorter)
• Giving
• Leader (ruler)
• Mercy
The Frontal Lobe – The Prophet (front of the brain)
The Temporal Lobe – The Teacher (sides of the brain)
The Parietal Lobe – the Servant (top of the brain)
The Occipital Lobe – The Exhorter (back of the brain – sight)
The Cerebellum – The Giver (under the back)
The Basal Ganglia – Mercy (center of the brain)
The Brain Stem – The Ruler (stem)
Our understanding of our mind
STEPS TO RE-ALIGNMENT
ONE: Repentance
• Pride – we excuse as just being confident in ourselves.
• Controlling – we just want to make sure that it is correct.
• Self-pity (victim) – we fall into false humility.
• Judgments – we use as a defense mechanism rather than looking inward.
TWO: Forgiveness
Forgiveness falls into 3 areas
• Forgiving others
• Forgiving ourselves
• Forgiving God
Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is permanent attitude. Martin Luther King Jr.
Forgiving others
Matthew 6:14-15 14) For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15) but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
NOTE: forgiving others does not mean you have to trust them, or even be in a relationship with them. It is a matter of releasing them to God to deal with. Remember, it is beneficial to assign the blame on the offender. One cannot forgive a generic offense or sin. Be specific, in naming the sin and be specific in forgiving the sin.
Forgiving ourselves
Romans 8:1-2 1) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2) For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
When we refuse to forgive ourselves, we walk in disobedience. We speak condemnation towards ourselves. Unforgiveness toward our self opens the door to demonic: self-hatred, self-condemnation, guilt, shame, and unworthiness.
Forgiving God
• Does God need to be forgiven?
• What we need to do is repent for judging God.
So, step 2 is the key in beginning the renewal. It is all about FORGIVENESS!
Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.
Asking for forgiveness
Be careful while in this process and led by the Holy Spirit. Be prepared to be specific to what you are asking forgiveness for.
THREE: take every negative thought captive
Recognize that there are 3 sources of thoughts: your thoughts, God’s thoughts, and the enemy’s thoughts. Discern and learn to align your thoughts with God’s thoughts.
2Corinthians 10:6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
FOUR: joy stories
What is your joy story?
FIVE: in the Word & Prayer
Soak in God’s Word to hear the truth and to nurture your spirit.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Philippians 4:4-7 4) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5) Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7) And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
SIX: worship
Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
SEVEN: tithing & giving
Malachi 3:8-10 8) Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. 9) You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. 10)Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
Proverbs 3:9-10 9) Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; 10) then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.
There is a blessing in giving to the Lord and renewal of the mind is part of that blessing.
EIGHT: Fruits of the Spirit
To be in a place for renewal we must be pursing operating in the fruits of the spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23 22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Walking out of our fleshly desires mentioned in
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
NINE: be prepared for battle
The enemy (Satan & his demons) will try and do everything to distract you and keep you from renewing your mind.
Ephesians 6:12-17 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
TEN: personal deliverance
If you have never gone through personal deliverance, consider it. When you remove the demonic presence that has come into your life it is easier to hear God and stay focused on His calling He has placed on your life.