Right now, it is 10:14 on Sunday morning and I am (abnormally) not at City Church today. Every ounce of my body wants to be there, but I am too sick to attend. Right before my wife left the door, she said something incredibly insightful that allowed me to be used by God while sick at home.

"Kyle, don't let the devil get into your mind this morning."

Honestly, the question caught me off guard. I'm a pastor constantly telling others to rid themselves of the thoughts of the enemy... why would my wife ask me that question? Then I asked her a clarifying question:

"What do you mean by that?" - Lisa's response was spot on. She told me not to let the devil tell me I'm a bad pastor because I wasn't well enough physically to be in church. In that moment, that was exactly the thought in my mind. I had not spoken it to anyone, but I was feeling it. I kept thinking...

"I could probably muster up the strength to get in there." "What if people feel let down?"

Though I hadn't said a word, my wife tapped into an unspoken sense of guilt set in my heart.

All it takes is a TINY amount of guilt for the devil to get into our brains.

Had my wife not given me that encouragement, I would be sitting here quietly allowing a negative thought process to go down. When we are tempted to start going down that road, we need the Word of God wash our minds. So I read these verses to renew my mind:

1. Romans 12:2: "be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

2. John 15:4: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."

When our minds are RENEWED, we are ready for DIVINE OPPORTUNITIES.

COOL STORY - While sitting at home, the church phone number rang and a woman called who couldn't find City Church. Normally, I would never have had the time to answer this call 3 minutes before the service, but I believe God supernaturally allowed me to be at home sick just so that woman could find our church.

Because my mind was renewed, I wasn't dwelling on what I couldn't do (be at church), and I was open to what God wanted me to do. While sick at home, God used me to help ONE person.

QUESTION for you: how does the devil get into your mind?

-Is is telling you you're not a good parent?
-Is it telling you God hates you because you're addicted to porn?
-Is it telling you that girl is prettier than you are?
-Is it telling you that you'll never amount to anything in life?
-Is it something completely different?

That nagging sense of guilt from your past can prevent you from what God has for you. It can keep us from being used by God. You aren't defined by your sins if you know Jesus, you are defined by your Savior.

CHALLENGE: when guilt comes: RENEW your mind with God's word so you can be ready for whatever God wants to do through you.

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