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What is the law of the mind? Basically this: behavior is a product of imagination. The mind produces a mental image which describes your understanding of reality and your place in it. But it does so on the building blocks of mental imagery. That is the way humans think - in pictures, not in words.

If I said the words "yellow dog," your mind does not see the letters Y-E-L-L-O-W D-O-G. Instead, you may see a yellow Labrador retriever. You might see a blonde cocker spaniel. In any event, on the screen of your mind you would see the image of a yellow dog.

That's the imagination at work. You have the capacity to use mental images to build a picture of your life. That picture is created by your imagination, and it is that imagination which ultimately produces behavior.

Imagination is the root of all consistent behavior. All of us have some behaviors which are reactive or spontaneous, based on emotional responses to certain stimuli. But all consistent, patterned behavior is rooted in the imagination. And that consistent behavior, fueled by your imagination, is what gives both direction and movement to your life.

The prophet Habakkuk understood the power of imagination when he proclaimed, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables [tablets] (Hab. 2:2). He was talking about the capacity of the human mind to envision the future.

Why is that important? The verse continues, that he may run that readeth it. In other words, if the imagination has produced an accurate vision of the future, it will also produce momentum and give impetus to the vision.

The Tower of Babel
This same concept of imagination appears in Genesis 11:1,4. After the Flood, God told Noah to repopulate the earth. "The sons of Noah gave rise to the nations of the earth, And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech…. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower. Thus the idea for the Tower of Babel was conceived."

Verse 6 continues, "And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do."

God created the human mind to produce mental imagery; doing follows imagining. But in their imagining, verse 6 adds, "Now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do." Not only is the imagination the root of consistent behavior, but it carries with it a supernatural ability to achieve the imagined objective.

Now, were they some kind of superhuman race? No. Spiritually, they had less than we have. They were not born again. They were not temples of the Holy Spirit with the fullness of God living in them. And yet nothing that they imagined to do, according to God, would be restrained from them.

Why? Because that is the way God created the mind. Paul referred to it as the law of the mind (Rom. 7:23). And if we can learn to use it properly, it will produce not only direction but irresistible impetus in that direction. That is what the Word says.

Even if the direction is wrong or inconsistent with the will of God, the power of the imagination will produce behavior that will carry a supernatural impetus with it to achieve the imagined objective.

Look at Psalm 2:1: "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" Here the psalmist writes about wrong behavior and something called vain imagination. So it would be appropriate to conclude that wrong behavior follows a wrong use of the imagination; vain imaginations cause the heathen to rage. That is what the word vain means: "empty, worthless and to no purpose."1 If you use the capacity of the human mind to build imaginations that are not founded in the Word of God, it will produce wrong behavior.

Meditation
Take a look at Psalm 1:2: "But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." The word meditate is the same Hebrew word translated imagine in Psalm 2:1. That is what meditation is - imagining.

We have weird ideas about meditation. We say, "Well, if I want to get healed, I have to sit in the corner and meditate on that word healing: healing, healing, healing." No, this is not the case.

As I mentioned, the words meditate and imagine are rooted in the same Hebrew word, and your concordance will indicate that both words mean "to ponder, to study, to mutter or talk about."

Through the psalmist, God is instructing you to build a picture in your mind based on what He has spoken to you in His Word and to your heart. Then allow your imagination to focus on that picture in a continuous sense. Don't just do it momentarily, but spend time focusing on the picture God's Word has built in your mind.

We could phrase Psalm 1:2 this way: But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in [God's] law doth he [imagine] day and night.

Now, the reference to meditating day and night should not be a source of frustration. God is simply making a commentary on the fact that your mind never shuts down, even while you sleep. So as best as you know how, make sure the mental imagery produced by your mind is consistent with the truth of God's Word. Don't be casual about it either. Be deliberate.

Are you worried about a wrong someone has done to you? Are you focused on the offense and the hurt and strife it has caused? Is that where you are focusing your attention and pondering and imagining continuously? Then you have come to your "Ai" because that is where the momentum of your efforts will die.

If you will meditate on the law day and night, whatsoever you do shall prosper (Ps. 1:3). That's behavior modification. Whatsoever you do will prosper and be blessed when your imagination is shaped by the Word of God, the written Word or the word spoken to your heart. That is God's promise to you.

Building an Image
The biggest challenge in leadership isn't knowing all the ins and outs of skilled administration. It isn't in being the most dynamic leader in town. God does not say His law works only for those with a college degree or a charismatic personality. The focus is on God's Word, not on the man; therefore, the law of the mind works for anybody.

If you have meditated on the call of God on your life, it occupies your thoughts day and night, and you are feeding the vision with the promises of God's Word, then you will not have to worry about how to behave when your divine opportunity to lead presents itself. God says your behavior will carry you to that opportunity, that prosperity and blessing.

I am not suggesting that you ignore learning the right ways to administrate. Those are skills you should develop. But simply learning those skills is not what will make you a leader. Your focus is the Lord, not necessarily learning all the skills of a corporate manager.

Your steps, the Bible says, will be ordered by the Lord (Ps. 37:23). If you have allowed your mind to be conformed to the things He has spoken in His Word and by the Holy Spirit, your behavior will automatically be right.

Let your mind function as it was created to function. Let the law of the mind work for you. Build an inner image of what God has called you to do. See it, rather than the problems of the moment. Do not focus on all the injuries and hurts of the past, because if you do, you are squandering the supernatural impetus to achieve the objective God has given you.

You hear people say all the time, "Well, I believe I'm healed, but how do I act that way when I'm still sneezing and coughing?" Or, "I believe God has met my needs, but it hasn't manifested yet. How do I act rich if I'm really not rich yet?"

Saint of God, this is a simple matter. Believing is first. It is not enough to only imagine. Faith is your power source. God does not want you to lie about your circumstances. What He instructs you to do is declare the truth of His Word in the face of your circumstances. As you begin to order your behavior in a way that is consistent with the Word in your heart, you will see the desired result.

Shaped by Challenges
Most people do not allow their imaginations to be shaped in this manner. Most people allow their imaginations to be shaped by the challenge of the moment or by what they have experienced in the past.

And the more you ponder these facts, the more certain it is that nothing will change. In Philippians 3:13, God, through Paul, basically said, "Hey, man, you have to forget what's in the past." That means put it out of your mind. Otherwise, you will continue to imagine your future on the basis of past experience. You cannot allow your mind to settle on past events, no matter how deep the hurts may be. Everyone has been hurt. Everyone. If you are in the ministry, you have taken some shots. If you are a lay person, you are a target for the enemy. That is a simple fact of life.

Well, what do you do with that?

I do not want to trivialize your situation or minimize the pain you may have felt. But God's Word does not say, "Go find someone who teaches inner healing and spend two years dealing with that." No. He says, "Forget it." Stop feeling sorry for yourself and how bad it is. Get your mind off of it. Forget it! Get back to what God has called you to do.

What has He called you to do? What did He call you to do five years ago?...ten years ago? At the time it was an exciting vision. It was a big vision. Otherwise you would not have taken the steps you did to see it come to pass. Well, the call hasn't changed. Go back to what God has called you to do. Begin meditating on that.

Source: Positioned For Promotion by Mac Hammond
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers

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