Picture this:  An intensely lit, blindingly white room with one open door in the back that leads to all things pitch black. 

Then picture a bucolic, stunningly beautiful vineyard with sloping hills, a rising sun, vivid color contrasts of blues, greens, yellows, fresh air. 

You have a choice:  You can walk through the door into the darkness OR you can reside in the vineyard. 

​Which would you choose?

As we conclude our reflections on imagination, we have learned that in life we can train ourselves to deal positively with dashed hopes and expectations and that we can willfully resist the temptation to allow our imaginations to run wild when we feel jealous or afraid.  We actually have the ability to control our thoughts, but we must consistently and repeatedly practice doing so.

​In other words, we are determined to use our imagination FOR us, not AGAINST us.

Every single day, I face my own mental battles and the option to walk through the door into the darkness or to remain in the light, and I'm sure you do, too. 

Sometimes I'm challenged by a sad or distressing memory or regret; sometimes I wrestle with a comment someone said to me; I'm feeling disappointed in myself or others; and other times, I'm my own worst enemy and discouragement overwhelms me.   

In all scenarios, I have learned to tell myself:  "Stop.  I am not going to walk through that door into darkness where there is no good benefit for me or others.  I choose life, health, wholeness,  and peace.  I play for God's team.  In His vineyard there is no lack of any good thing.  There I find security, forgiveness, blessings, freedom, rest, strength, and hope.  I am His child, an heir.  I have His Spirit inside me and the mind of Christ to help me find and practice Truth."  

This self-talk is the discipline of using "Truth Trump Cards" to control my thoughts which influence my brain and consequently direct my mood and behavior.    This is how I reorient myself to continue to walk in God's love.

Often, as previously discussed, at the root of darkened imaginings is fear. 

Both Love and fear are powerful motivators, but Love is stronger and more deeply influential. 

The Apostle and Evangelist John wrote this so beautifully in his letter to the Christians (in Ephesus it seems):  "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love"  (1 John 4:18).   

I don't know about you, but I want to be perfected in love (to have completion and fullness, maturity, to be characterized by consummate human integrity and virtue).     This is really hard to do without having first received God's love. 

In other words, when we have God's love in our hearts, we have the Supreme and Divine Advantage.   In our mental storehouse are innumerable Truth Trump Cards that we can quickly cast over our toxic, fruitless thinking. 

We are better equipped to wage war in the battlefield of our minds.  We are offered victory through Christ who defeated any and all darkness that we could possibly ever imagine.   We are offered a nice place to do life in God's vineyard.

If this sounds hokey to you, I am truly sorry.  There was a day when I also would have thought this was weird, foreign, and absurd.   But I was spiritually blind, and spiritually blind people cannot see the Truth until the scales fall from their eyes. 

​For me, I found myself in that dark room, chased by the Hound of Heaven and ultimately rescued by the Author of Love. 

It's nearly 2 am and our loved one has not made it home as planned.  We call.  No answer.  We text.  No response.  We wait.  Now it's 2:03.  We call.  No answer.  We text.  No response.  

Our adrenaline increases and our body begins to respond to our imagined fears.  We picture a gazillion scenarios in our heads.  A wreck.  A kidnapping.  Drinking and drugs.  We may even feel a bit of anger and disrespect sprinkled into the mix, especially if this has happened before or repeatedly.   

Or maybe for you, your mind has been conditioned to respond negatively every single time you hear the phone ring because once that ringing brought horrific and devastating news.    Just the sound of the phone especially at an odd hour makes your heart race and your mind run on overdrive.

Or perhaps you keep a keen eye on the weather channel and you become positively swept away mentally by the chance of a tornado, hurricane hit, severe and strong wind alerts, negative and freezing temperatures.   You brace yourself in a frenzy of reeling thoughts and emotions. 

Or say you live in a country threatened daily by bomb raids.  Maybe your ministry is based in an anti-Christian area.  Perhaps your job comes with tremendous risk and potential for bodily injury.

Maybe you fear flying.  And what's with all the crashes of late?

​I think you get the picture.

From the possible death of loved ones and fatal accidents to pending or probable sticky issues like threatened job loss and family separation, if we are not careful, we use our imagination to fuel the flame of fear instead of extinguish it.   Our thoughts and minds become a toxic, chaotic soup, and we disconnect from the Truth.  This leaves us vulnerable and emotionally unprotected.

Fear is a familiar, pervasive root for many individuals, and it's no wonder that "take courage" and "do not fear" are such common admonitions in the Bible.    As a society we enjoy identifying and naming our fears which essentially and unwittingly may give them a life and power suit of their own.  There is, after all, a phobia for practically everything.  Truly, some fears are debilitating and positively crippling for certain individuals.  

Some of us choose to use our imaginations to expand and perpetuate the fear which destroys our peace and robs our joy.  When we allow imagined fears to take center stage in our minds, we miss out on the opportunity to stay grounded in the Truth.  The point here is not what the fear is but rather how to overcome it.  Some of us have much work to do in this arena.     

The good news is, however, that we have a choice in the matter.  This means there is hope for change.  Just as we can choose to engage our imagination in negative, harmful ways, we can also lock our imagination into gear in positive, healthy ways.  We can  train our minds to shake off fear when it comes creeping up our back with an aim to cover our heads, close our ears, and blind us.     

Let me give you a personal example of how this works.  

I used to have a slight fear of crossing bridges.  I think it may have started several years ago after I had a toxic dream in which I had all four of my young kids in the van, buckled under seat belts and fastened into car seats.  As we were crossing the bridge, it suddenly collapsed and sent my van nose-diving into the water.  It was a horrific, traumatic nightmare to say the least, and from that imagined experience I developed a negative association and conditioned response when crossing bridges.   

Thankfully, I can tell you that I have trained my mind to recognize and arrest the fear when it comes calling.  At first, however,  I felt powerless.  I willfully replayed all of the imagery and sounds and frantic desperation of my nightmare.  I rehearsed and rehearsed what happened in my dream which in turn affected my actual reality.  Each time I so much as approached a bridge when driving, I felt my heartbeat increase and I imagined the bridge collapsing as I was crossing.  I found myself speeding up to cross as quickly as possible. 

Now, I am happy to report, I use Truth to trump whatever fears erupt in my thoughts and  mind and are channeled into my brain.  As I approach the "bridges" of my life, I remind myself that my loved ones belong to God.  They are His.  He is enough for them just like He is enough for me.  I recognize that although I do not want to lose those I love, each individual is appointed a day to pass from this world.  I pray daily for protection in body and mind and spirit for all my loved ones.  I pray that God's purpose for each one of us be realized and brought to full fruition in our sojourn here on earth. 

I remind myself that although God's providential will allows for many horrible atrocities and tragedies on this earth, that we are never alone if ever we are pressed to walk through the flame.   I also recognize my fear and ask Him to rewire my brain to rest in His strength.  He did give us Christians the mind of Christ.  Shouldn't this come in to play here?   

Then, believe it or not, I push myself toward gratitude.

I thank God for each "bridge" He has given me because it creates an opportunity for me to choose.  I thank God that I can use my imagination to turn my eyes toward God, take His hand, and make it to the other side.  Every internal and external conflict we face offers us an opportunity to glorify our Creator or not.  When we choose "life," we find life.  When we choose "death," we find it.   

​I am grateful that "bridges" remind me to live in the NOW moments of my life.  An interesting thing happens when I start thanking God....the fear loses momentum and power.  I've redirected my mind to God, His will, His ways, His truth.  I am thankful that "bridges" can lead me to a closer walk with my Creator.   The more I rehearse the Truth, the more I believe it.

What is your biggest fear?  How do you cope?  What Truth trump cards do you use to strengthen you and give you courage?  I would love it if you would leave a comment below!  Let's talk about it!

Also, next blog post will wrap up the topic of our imagination.  

​Say, have you subscribed to my monthly newsletter yet?  I have a great offer going if you do:  your name will go into a drawing for a $25 Amazon card, a free book, plus I will email you a GRATITUDE WHEEL for you to download and personalize!  Offer ends soon!  Please tell your friends!!! 

Finally, a disclaimer:  Obviously, I am no trained psychologist or counselor.  I recognize that some of us might benefit from talking through our fears with a professional.   For me personally, the practices of capturing the lies in my head and mind and not giving way to negative imagination have brought me deep healing and restored hope in my Christian walk.   And I want that for you, too!

Most of us aren't drawn into discussions about jealousy as it's a bit of a touchy topic for some reason.  But if  you are like I am, you've wrestled with it, and you may desire to conquer that green-eyed monster as it rises in your mind and heart--once and for all.  

What causes jealousy inside us?  It could be stemming from a lack of self-confidence or a poor self-image.  At root could also be a fear of rejection, abandonment and displacement.  We may feel unwanted, not needed, or worthless.  We may be riddled with loneliness, insecurity and distrust.  We may find ourselves entangled in a distorted or twisted mindset as we believe lies about ourselves or others.   We may not understand true, unconditional love as we focus on ourselves and attempt to control, manipulate, or "possess" others as a means to somehow make them love us.  

So what does our imagination have to do with jealousy?  Well, in essence, jealousy is aroused when we give way in our thoughts to suspicions and speculations.  We willfully engage in an otherwise morbid curiosity and fantasy in a chamber of images, also known as a "room of idols or carved images" (from Eze. 8:12).  

In other words, we allow the "imaginations of [our] hearts to run riot" (Psalm 73:7).  We may choose to "walk in the way which is not good, following [our] own thoughts" (Isa. 65:2). 

Here is an example that I used when we started our discussion on our imagination a couple of blog posts ago:  A colleague is flirting with your spouse at an office party, and your spouse seems to be enjoying the attention.  Or here's another scenario:  your mate seems a bit overly attentive to their cell phone these days and you start wondering why.

In a split second, your thoughts shift to overdrive.  You begin to imagine your mate is cheating on you, is unfaithful, is wandering away.  You know their attention is going to someone else, better, younger, smarter, funnier, and more positive and energetic.  Then, you feel taken advantage of--especially after all you have sacrificed and given to your mate over the years.  You are convinced that your mate no longer loves you or cares for you.  You know you are losing their affection and love.  Your mate can relate better to this new person than they can to you. 

​You picture your mate with this individual, laughing, having coffee together, exchanging gifts, sharing in the sacredness that belongs only to the two of you.  How dare they!  Your fears are now mounting to a fever pitch of unbridled anger and resentment.  The roar in your head is deafening.  You knew you would be abandoned in this way.  You suspected your mate would reject you.  You, after all, are unwanted, unlovable, and will always be alone.  You don't have what it takes to keep your mate.

Talk about a chamber of images. 

​Whoosh.  Where is Rico when we need him?  Oh yeah, he's trying to nap, of course!

Seriously though.  Do you see what happened?  This individual used the power of their imagination in a destructive way and was lured  off the rational, responsive road onto a path of speculations, assumptions, and internal reactions to vain imaginings.   Sadly, this type of toxic thinking can even lead to violence and abuse.  The one caught in the web of toxic fantasies may lose clarity of thought and may say or do things they really don't want to say or do.  

God gave us our minds.  He tells us to capture our thoughts and vet them on the altar of His Truth.  When we don't (no matter the scenario), it is a set-up for discomfort and dis-contentedness.

Goodness, I'm all for healthy boundaries in our relationships, but if you recognize that you are prone to giving way to your toxic thoughts and concluding inaccuracies about yourself and others, it might be time for you to address this issue of jealousy.  Often, if left unattended, the results of engaging our imagination is such a harmful way may lead to shame and destruction of self and others and possibly of the very relationships we value so much.

The overarching root is fear, and truly neither you nor I were designed to operate out of fear.    The jealous person often does not feel really valued and loved by God in the first place.  Sadly, they have forgotten who they are in Christ. 

There is a better way, but we must commit to changing.   

May we all have the strength and clarity of thought and mind to reject the lies that pop up and dance across the stage of our minds.  Instead may we turn to Truth and choose life, light, and forgiveness. 

​May our stronghold only be the Lord.  May we choose to believe what God says about us--really, really believe it.  He is our Anchor to help us reorient our minds, to settle us down, and bring us to our knees before Him.    He is faithful in His methods, and He will teach us and guide us with every thought along the way if we partner with Him.

I am so grateful that God invites us to do life His way.  

Some would say our mind is our greatest asset as human beings.  It is with our minds that we plan, devise, hope, understand, calculate, predict, judge, reflect, remember.  Our minds are extremely powerful. 

God is Creator--this means He is characterized by being creative.   Since we are formed in His image, it naturally follows that we, too, can be creative, entrepreneurial, inventive, exploratory, and imaginative.  After all, consider some of the greats like Disney, Einstein, da Vinci, Mozart, Newton, and a gazillion other genius minds!  Our creativity and imagination are positively amazing! 

But, like most awesome "things," there's always a catch.  Speculators, beware.  

Over the next couple of posts, I'd like to consider our imagination and how we can use it as God intended.   Often and unfortunately,  we can develop the bad habit of using this wonderful gift against ourselves.  If you struggle with jealousy and fear, these posts are for you! 

Charles Spurgeon once said, "The worst evils of life are those which do not exist except in our imagination."   I have found this to be true in my own life, especially when I let my mind wander away from what is true.  

The end result is never pretty and can damage our relationships.  With our own thoughts and visions, we become the attorney who presents mounting "evidence" against the accused, the jury who finds guilty, and the judge who condemns...all in the confines of our minds.  Or we concoct and give way to scenarios and fantasies in our minds that are based in fear or unrealistic expectations, not reality. 

Picture this: 

You're planning a big birthday party for your daughter.  You have big expectations and a way you'd like everything to unfold.   You are sooooo excited and happy although you worked like a maniac to get all bases covered (or so you thought).  Then the great day comes, and Uncle Jo arrives 5 hours early and enters the scene complaining about all the cars in the driveway.  His feet are muddy (it was supposed to be sunny and dry that day! but instead there is blistering, humid heat and rain), and he tracks mud all over the kitchen floor.   You get Uncle Jo settled and are in the middle of mixing your famous cake when your bestie calls in full-blown crisis mode, plus Uncle Jo has the TV blaring and is quite needy on the sofa ("Say, got any lemonade?  I could use another pillow in here.").  You finish throwing your famous dessert together and after sticking the cupcakes in the oven, you realize you left the salt out of the batter.   The dog poops on the LR carpet to Uncle Jo's vocal amusement [Rico always likes a name drop (!) in the blog.].  And if this isn't enough,  you hear a terrifying explosion close to your garage.  Let's just say it was not the neighbor's  A/C unit.     Sigh.  So much for the picture perfect party and your expectations.  

Or how about this:  The handsome new guy at work seems to be flirting with your wife at the office party.  Your mind is a run-away train. 

Or even worse:  Your son doesn't come home when he said.  It's now 1:13 am on a school night.  You cannot reach him on the phone.  He's not answering texts.  Crippling fear invades your minds and thoughts. ​

So, come along with me and let's see if we can analyze our imagination, see where we need to make adjustments in our thinking, and figure out practical applications in our lives to help us make lasting change.   

Do you remember learning about sediment in science class?  You know, you took a jar filled with dirt, pebbles, sand, and water and shook it until it was a muddied, swirling concoction.  Then you placed it on a table for a few hours, and when you next saw it, the water was crystal clear on the top and all of the other ingredients had settled into distinct layers on the bottom.  

The action of agitating, disturbing, and stirring up is the English verb "roil" [l learned a new word today!]  In John 14, Jesus encourages and comforts His disciples.  He speaks about being one with the Father and explains the role of the Holy Spirit.  In verse 27, He says, "Do not let your heart be troubled [roiled], nor let it be fearful."  

Yesterday, I found myself riled up and a bit stressed. This was nothing major, just typical life issues, circumstances, and frustrations.  But in the midst of it all, I realized that in my turmoil, some things were coming to the surface that needed to be dealt with.  My heart was being shaken a bit, and I lost peace.

Jesus's admonition is that our hearts not be constantly agitated, steeped in toxicity, chaotically stirred up or in a state of inward commotion which in part or whole might lead to dread, fear, or faithlessness.   

Yes, the world around us is hard to manage at times, but we have been equipped to deal with it.  

Perhaps when we find ourselves in this riled up state and when we aren't "dealing" with it as we could, it makes for a good time to examine what has been settling in our hearts.   

Is there any "sediment" there that we need to clear away?  When hard times come our way and agitate our heart and mind, can we try to isolate something swirling around or floating to the surface?  

I was in a bit of a funk and couldn't quite handle the examination at that moment, but believe me, I have learned that if I don't deal with it at some point, it will surface again next time I'm bumped. 

Although some negative mindsets and wounds may be more firmly rooted in our hearts, if we recognize them and partner with the Lord in dealing with them, we can be healed and restored, down to the smallest of particles. ​ 

Practicing what I preach isn't always easy.  Even this morning, I neglected to start my day with a grateful heart.  Gratitude, after all,  is a powerful antidote to a troubled heart. 

It seems we cannot be both grateful and troubled at the same time. 

Choosing gratitude stops the swirling and churning and allows us to regroup and humbly take on the proper perspective to deal with the problems we face.

Thank goodness, God is patient and loves us through our desire to become more like Him no matter how messy it may feel.    We are on a journey.  We are trying our hardest.  Let's be kind to ourselves along the way.