The Water Bottle Got Me Again
I have been known to have been stopped and patted down by the airport’s TSA agent because I forgot to take my water bottle out of my purse. Now, because of my reputation and the delay it causes, I’m quick to check my purse before I go through security. Knowing of the slip-ups of my past, my grandson asked if I took my water bottle out of my purse at the Cabo Airport. I was proud to say I had. During our flight to LAX, we were given several small water bottles for the flight. I put one in my purse. Yes, you guessed it. When returning to the LAX airport after going outside the terminal to meet friends, I didn’t take that water bottle out…..and, yes, I was frisked again. My boys stood there with the “I told you so” look on their faces and only the way to get their point across….the word: “NANA!”
I think about how TSA is doing its best to keep out the “shifty” and potentially harmful characters from entering our country. TSA requires that we walk through metal detectors and if we are not TSA pre-checked approved, we’ll even have to take off our shoes, belts, and empty our pockets to prove we are harmless.
Today, my blog is about the need we have for setting up a TSA, of sorts, for our minds to keep those “shifty” and harmful thoughts out. Fear comes; regrets come; panic comes; anxiety comes; envy comes; temptations come, and we have a choice — to allow them easy access to invade our thought-life or to lock them out!
II Corinthians 10:5 says “…..We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” We can HALT those negative thoughts from coming in, but we must do it on purpose, as soon as they try entry. But how, you might ask? Here’s one of my favorite scriptures that tells us how. Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” That is the TSA for our minds. We purposely and intentionally THINK good thoughts and when the alien, negative thoughts come, they get quickly replaced by focusing our attention on what and WHO (God) is – He is good, true, excellent, praiseworthy.
It’s a matter of discipline and taking authority over the negative — again, just like the TSA. TSA has the authority to remove potentially dangerous people from flying on that aircraft. With God’s Word in our heart and mind, we can have mind control over our thoughts, and furthermore, we can put our enemy in captivity when he tries to mess with us! Here’s God’s Word that confirms it from Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”