No one could travel by that road. (Matthew 8:28)
Can you imagine how frightening it must have
been to live near the Gadarene region while these demoniacs were on the
loose? Everyone must have been afraid they would be attacked. Travelers
were probably warned to stay away. The two men’s presence probably
interrupted the flow of trade, made family visits difficult, and, as
today’s Gospel says, even kept people from visiting their relatives’
graves.
But with just one word from Jesus, the two men were delivered. Their
demonic tormentors were gone, and their violent rampage ended. Not only
were they set free, but everyone around them could travel again. Life
returned to normal—even better than normal!
Now, let’s apply this image to the way our minds work. Think about
what happens when someone says something hurtful to you or does
something that disappoints you. If you don’t turn to God and ask him to
help you, negative thoughts could arise and fester inside. Without grace
from the Lord, the devil could start tempting you to get angry,
resentful, guilty, or scared. It might get so bad that you aren’t able
to think of anything else. It’s as if all the other “travelers” in your
mind were held hostage to these thoughts.
The next time you find yourself harassed by negative thinking, try these three simple steps:
• Take a close look at the thought that is bothering you, and call
it what it is: “This is a divisive thought. This is a bitter thought. If
I hold onto it, it will hurt my relationship with my friend.”
• Stop and pray. Ask Jesus to help you cast out the offending
thought: “Lord, I know this thought doesn’t please you. Please protect
me so that it doesn’t dominate my mind.”
• Make a conscious effort to replace it with positive thoughts: “I
want to get angry about what this person just said, but I choose to
forgive instead. I choose to uphold the good in him and to find a way to
move forward peacefully.”
You don’t have to be subject to negative thoughts. Jesus has the power to set you free!
from wau.org
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