Rabbit Trail: The Mind, The Gut, and our Spirit
In Col 1: 21, 22, Paul talks of the mind being the place where enmity exists between God and man. There are numerous verses about the carnal mind and the spiritual mind.
I realized that the mind truly is the battlefield. Can you see how satan wishes our mind to be ‘mentally ill’ so we cannot develop to our full spiritual potential?
If our mind is obsessed with depression and anxiety, then it cannot function as well.
Our brain health is tied to our gut health. I often discuss the gut/brain connection on Facebook. There has been a glut of enough information to show/prove that to anyone truly seeking knowledge/truth.
Our gut health is affected by every single bite we put in our mouths. When we allow appetite full sway, then our gut becomes polluted and sick. A polluted and sick gut leads to a polluted and sick mind. A polluted and sick mind leads to a weakened spiritual condition.
Our gut health is affected by stress/trauma. We are told multiple times in the Bible not to be anxious/worry. We have horrible things that happen to us as kids. We watch over and over tragic events on the media leading to secondary trauma. These all affect the gut health. (Remember Paul telling us to focus on what is good? there is a reason for this.)
3 John 2 says, ‘Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prosper.
Our mental, physical, and spiritual well-being are all linked together.
What did satan tempt Eve with? Food. Eden was lost due to appetite. Jesus came to show us that appetite can be controlled.
We are told that we are to have the mind of Christ developed in us. God wants to do this work. But He NEVER, EVER forces. We have to daily give our minds to him (our will) so that He can finish the transformation He wishes to do in our lives. His goal is to transform the carnal mind to be a reflection of the mind of Christ.
This cannot be done to completion when our mind is ‘mentally ill’ due to our lifestyle choices and the negative effects of the continual abiding with the carnal mindset.
Do you wish to win in this battlefield of the mind? God can give us victory only if we turn our minds over to Him on a daily basis. When we do that, we will take care of our resources He grants us (mind, body, soul) so His transformation work will be completed and the battlefield is declared His.