Cleaning the Turtle Tank

At present I have four turtles, the largest is about six inches in diameter, and the other three ranging between four and a half to five inches.  Even with a large filter in the tank the water gets fouled, brackish, and cloudy.  I like keeping it clean for them, but it's a constant chore.  Recently, as I was cleaning the filter and the tank, I got to thinking about regular maintenance.

My mind needs to be renewed daily.  Why?  My natural tendency is to fill it with things that will turn it cloudy, brackish, fouling it with impurities.  That makes it easy for me to conform to this world's way of thinking.    We're told to avoid that in Romans 12:2.  In Colossians 3:1-17  Paul shows us in detail what being renewed looks like.

Just like filling the tank with clean water after a thorough cleaning, putting the filter back in place to keep it clean for my turtles my mind needs the same treatment for the Lord to have a clean vessel to use.  I set my mind on the things above.  That involves thinking Biblically.  Since we have been given the mind of Christ, you would think that might be easy.  Maybe for you, it is.  For me, it requires discipline; the same kind of discipline required in cleaning my turtle tank on a regular basis.

Learning to think properly about things like immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, greed, anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive speech and lying refreshes my spirit, and gives the Holy Spirit the tools He needs to convince and convict me.  As I put in clean water in the turtle tank I put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created me, a renewal in which Christ is all, and in all.  Wow!  Jesus gets first place.

Pastor Chris Johnson hit me between the eyes in a sermon he preached recently when he explained the Hebrew idiom of speech "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."  Chris mentioned that Jesus loved Jacob so much, that in comparison, it looked like He hated Esau.  Jesus said that if we are going to follow Him we need to hate our father and mother, brother and sister, wife and life!  What He was saying was that we needed to love Him so much, that our love for everyone else looked like hatred in comparison!  Ouch!  I had to bow my head right there and then and confess to Jesus that I had not given Him the place He deserved in my life.

My turtle's health is improved when I keep the water in the tank clean.  Their environment is pleasant, and they react to that in positive ways.  In the same manner, when I keep my mind clean through this renewal, everyone I love is healthier and much more positive.  Here is the reality:  I can't love my wife, children, grandchildren, church family, friends, and the people I serve at Grace Resource Center without a proper love for Jesus.  Sure!  You know that!  Do you live it?

My heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, and my ability to bear with one another, forgive others and myself, and become a vessel of love is dependent on that renewed mind, that cleansing that has to happen on a regular basis.  But how do I know things are like they should be in my mind?

Peace rules in my heart and I am able to be thankful.  The Word of Christ seems to come to mind easily and I find myself singing in thankfulness to God.  Everything I do I do for Him, giving thanks for the opportunity to serve!  Hey!  Could thankfulness be the key to determine if things are like they should be in my mind?  I think it is.

Turtle tanks require a lot of work on a regular basis.  How much more my own mind?  Daily?  Hourly?  Better yet, moment by moment.  Give it some thought!