Delete the Viruses!

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  (RSV)

There’s a nasty insidious menace wreaking havoc in modern society.  It is the computer virus.

Most of us use the computer daily and we all depend on it to perform as specified by the designer and manufacturer.  But there is an enemy to our computer.  The enemy sends a virus to infiltrate the software and/or operating system and render it inoperable, and sometimes useless.

There’s nothing wrong though with the hardware.  It remains as designed and made.  But the internals of the computer once contaminated by that nasty virus changes everything.  It slows, and becomes inoperable.

In a similar way when God created you, He stepped back and said, “Another masterpiece”.  Your hardware is perfect, you’re the right size, you have the right gifts, the right nationality.  He programed us to be victorious, healthy, strong, creative.  Your original software says, “You can do all things through Christ”.

But somehow viruses have contaminated our software.  We say to ourselves, “I’ll never be successful”.  “I was born at the wrong time”. “I don’t have the right gifts”.

So because our software is contaminated we go around with low self-esteem, not believing we can amount to anything, not believing our dreams will come to pass.

But there is good news.  We are not a mistake.  There’s nothing wrong with you.  The problem is in our software.

We’re talking about one of the greatest issues that we can ever face.  I know it is for me.  That is, our thoughts.

Our text for this Brief Word puts it simply, and I love how various Bible versions say the same thing;

… meditate on these things …  NKJV.

… think about these things …  RSV.

… dwell on these things …  NASB.

… fix your minds …  J B Phillips.

… think continually on these things (center your mind on them, and implant them in your heart) …  Amplified Bible.

… you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things …  Message Bible.

Our thought life is very important.  David O. McKay says, “Your thoughts are the architects of your destiny“.

Our eternal destiny is settled by being in Christ, and receiving the forgiveness and atonement He won for us on the Cross.

But on earth, we wage a war against an enemy of our soul who would infiltrate and infect our thinking, and thus restrain us from reaching our earthly destiny.

However, there’s more good news!  To restore our original software, one of the best things we can learn to do is to hit the delete button.  Delete those viruses.

When negative, discouraging, contrary-to-God’s-Word thoughts come into our mind to contaminate our software, just hit the delete button.

When the virus says to us, “You’ve seen your best days, it’s all downhill from here”, delete that thought and say to yourself, “The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter”.

When the virus says to us, “You’ll never get well, you’ve heard the medical reports”.  Delete that thought and say to yourself, “God is restoring health to me, and the number of my days He will fulfil”.

When the virus says to us, “You’ll never accomplish your dreams”.  Delete, Delete, Delete!  Say to yourself and to the enemy “I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I have the favour of God upon me.  No weapon formed against me will prosper”.

Steven Furtick says, “Thoughts are to the soul (remember the soul is our mind, emotions and our will) what food is to the body”.

We need to guard our mind.  Think about good things, think about God things, think about the promises He has made to us.  This is the greatest anti-virus kit for the mind there is!

We’re not talking here about simply positive thinking.  Our thought life needs to agree with God and His Word.  Let’s say the same things about ourself as God says about us!  When that happens, there is a guard and a filter blocking these destructive viruses from entering our mind.

Some people seem to have a better disposition than others for having a positive outlook.  But one thing we can all do — because we are all assaulted by viruses of the mind — is to fill our mind and thinking with God and His Word.  It’s there, in the eternal, unchanging, powerful, and sharp Word of God, that we fortify our minds and thinking.

Remaining positive is a challenge.  But I can also say, that through the grace of the rhythm of my personal devotions over many years, that my mind holds on to truth.  I’m learning to delete viruses and replace them with God’s promises.

John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.  (NKJV).

As Zig Ziglar says, “You might not be what you think you are, but what you think, you are”.

Find out what God says about you generally and specifically.  Write those things out and put them up for your eyes to see often, and speak them out loud a lot!

Freedom follows what the mind thinks.

Thank God for the ongoing power of the resurrection we can experience.  Surely that is worth celebrating every weekend.  And indeed, we do, every Sunday!