|
287 - October 13th
October 13th – Slaying Dragons
One would think that slaying dragons is a skill no longer needed in modern times, but that isn’t so. We usually think of dragons as being mythical creatures from the Dark and Middles Ages. They were enormous, fire-breathing, flying creatures who cast fear in the hearts of men, women, and children. They could burn your home and barn in a matter of seconds with one blast from their blow-torch breath. A dragon was a nemesis that only gallant knights and warriors could slay; remember Beowulf and Sir Gawain from English literature?
Modern dragons take on a different form and function than the typical dragons of folklore; but modern dragons have the same impact. Modern dragons are not scaly creatures that fly around burning up property; rather they are our irrational beliefs which like sin, so easily entangle us. They are irrational thoughts that sear our sense of well-being and destroy our healthy connection with God. They are unfounded thoughts, which once embraced, raze our God-given sense of self in the same way a conflagration can sweep through the wooden structures of a village. Modern dragons take on person-specific forms, but regardless of their appearance, they must be slain. They can’t be domesticated, they must be eradicated.
For Christians, this eradication comes in the form of taking our thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6.) We must ask the Lord to strengthen us in our inner “man” and give us resurrection power (in mind, body, and spirit). We have to learn the skill of combating our extreme and irrational thoughts. One way to do this is to ask yourself, “Where is the evidence that what I’m thinking and feeling is 100% true?” If there is no evidence, hard evidence, then don’t entertain those thoughts. Another way to check the validity of a thought or belief is to ask yourself, “Would I bet the life of _____ (a beloved spouse, child, or friend) on the accuracy of a particular thought or belief?”
The process of slaying the dragons of our thought life is two-fold: (1) read the word of God so much that it takes up residence in your body, soul, and spirit. It must permeate who you are and how you reason; (2) ask the Holy Spirit to lead you into the pure and perfect truth of God. This is but one of the Spirit’s roles in the life of every believer.
Do you have a dragon in your thought-life today? With God’s empowerment and guidance you can find the truth which will simultaneously slay the dragon and set you free.
|
_newheader.jpg)
