Freedom from Negative Thinking
07/01/09 06:03 Filed in: Fear
“He said unto them, Go. And they came out . . .” (Matthew 8: 28-34)
In order to pray, each of us must claim victory over our own personal demons - - the worry and fear, the negative, self-defeating thinking that challenges us and torments us.
In order to pray, each of us must claim victory over our own personal demons - - the worry and fear, the negative, self-defeating thinking that challenges us and torments us.
“He said unto them, Go. And they came out . . .” (Matthew 8: 28-34)
Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on what it means to be free of spiritual tyranny.
The two men, who emerged from the cemetery, were being tyrannized by demons. They were not free spiritually. When the demoniacs saw Jesus, they cried out in protest:
“What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” They wanted to buy time, They wanted to convince Jesus that His appointed time had not yet come.
Satan tries to convince us of the same thing: it's never the right time for Jesus. The Devil can always find one more concern that needs our attention, one more thing to tyrannize us and keep us from prayer.
The freedom to worship as we see fit is one of the great rights we enjoy in this country. It has to gall the Devil. It has to help us.
But, in order to pray, each of us must claim victory over our own personal demons - - the worry and fear, the negative, self-defeating thinking that challenges us and torments us.
The demon-possessed men in today's Gospel were truly tormented. In fact, they were among the “living dead,” banished to the cemetery. Jesus looked upon those poor souls, who had been cast into the dark like wild animals, and He took pity on them. It was obvious that they had been accused of harboring unclean spirits by the very villagers who raised the unclean swine that Jesus could see in the distance.
“If thou cast us out,” the demons cried, “send us away into the herd of swine.”
All it took to break the Devil's iron grip was a single word from Jesus: "Go!" The moment He commanded the unclean spirits, they fled in panic, stampeding the hogs over the edge of the cliff.
Jesus stands ready to confront our demons, too.
His appointed time has come. We simply have to make the time for prayer; then, ask Him to banish those negative, self-defeating thoughts that bedevil us.
The freedom to worship is too precious to be taken for granted.
Today’s Gospel invites us to reflect on what it means to be free of spiritual tyranny.
The two men, who emerged from the cemetery, were being tyrannized by demons. They were not free spiritually. When the demoniacs saw Jesus, they cried out in protest:
“What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” They wanted to buy time, They wanted to convince Jesus that His appointed time had not yet come.
Satan tries to convince us of the same thing: it's never the right time for Jesus. The Devil can always find one more concern that needs our attention, one more thing to tyrannize us and keep us from prayer.
The freedom to worship as we see fit is one of the great rights we enjoy in this country. It has to gall the Devil. It has to help us.
But, in order to pray, each of us must claim victory over our own personal demons - - the worry and fear, the negative, self-defeating thinking that challenges us and torments us.
The demon-possessed men in today's Gospel were truly tormented. In fact, they were among the “living dead,” banished to the cemetery. Jesus looked upon those poor souls, who had been cast into the dark like wild animals, and He took pity on them. It was obvious that they had been accused of harboring unclean spirits by the very villagers who raised the unclean swine that Jesus could see in the distance.
“If thou cast us out,” the demons cried, “send us away into the herd of swine.”
All it took to break the Devil's iron grip was a single word from Jesus: "Go!" The moment He commanded the unclean spirits, they fled in panic, stampeding the hogs over the edge of the cliff.
Jesus stands ready to confront our demons, too.
His appointed time has come. We simply have to make the time for prayer; then, ask Him to banish those negative, self-defeating thoughts that bedevil us.
The freedom to worship is too precious to be taken for granted.
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