I hope you think like Jesus! It is the secret to life and what sets a person free! Free to choose what thoughts to accept and disregard to reap the rewards of life. The eternal rewards lead us to the following Wonderfully Weird Command: "Practice Secret Disciplines."
Our mystifying command rests in Matthew 6:6-7, "But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you (NIV)." All Christians are to go into their mind (metaphysical room) and pray that God will be active in their reality. This teaching of Jesus is where "the rubber meets the road" for a Christ-follower.
One of the greatest moments in a Christian's life is the second they realize they can choose their thoughts and think about things on purpose. A choice where they can decide to believe in a particular Way, good or bad. In other words, they don't have to just think about whatever falls into their minds - they have free will and choice. It is essential for Christians to understand this principle in life because it determines the direction of a person's life – joyous or sad. Please understand that where the mind goes, the person follows. Proverbs clearly states, As he [a person] thinks in his heart, so is he (23:7). The heart is what God is concerned about, and it's the hidden things in a person's inner life that must be in order with God if they expect to be rewarded outwardly.
The Bible specifically talks about three things a Christian must secretly do in their mind if they expect to be rewarded Faithfully. The first thing is to focus or set your mind on what is above, the Eternal things of God. This mindset means having a divine worldview [fear of God] rather than a secular one that's unfocused and unbelieving (Colossians 3:2). The second thing is not to be conformed to the world's way of thinking. This method is why it's crucial to get the Wonderfully Weird Commands of Christ in your daily review to renew the mind (Romans 12:2). The last thing is to set limitations in your mind to fully ready yourself to live as a child of God. This rule of reason means setting boundaries in your mind based on God's goodness and rejecting and accepting thoughts on God's expectations, not the world's. If we can do it his Way, in the secret places God has given us to do so, victory is guaranteed (1 Peter 1:13).
With our command, won't you stop the madness in your mind and choose a better Way. Dispute the disorders of the world's thinking in your mental makeup and replace it with Jesus' healthier Way to think. The only thing you have to gain is freedom and the benefits of obeying the teaching of "Practice Secret Disciplines."
With faithfulness,