Information Related to "Had a Mental Checkup Lately?"
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Have
you noticed that there seems to be an annual review for almost everything?
In school or college, we usually have a final exam at the end of the
year. When it comes to our health, we likely go to the doctor for an
annual exam. But what about the way you think? Have you had a mental
checkup lately?
Perhaps you haven't realized it, but Christians have been undergoing mental examinations at this time of year for a long time. This practice stems from instruction the apostle Paul gave in 2 Corinthians 13:5. The Living Bible's paraphrase of this passage reads: "Check up on yourselves. Are you really Christians? Do you pass the test?
Do you feel Christ's presence and power more and more within you? Or are you just pretending to be Christians when actually you aren't at all?"
While striving to be genuine Christians is important every day, this time of year during which the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread fall is a time of extra introspection. These annual festivals of God that come in April this year remind us that Jesus Christ died because of humanity's faulty thinking. Of course, when we think improperly, we do things improperly. In biblical terminology, thinking or acting improperly is called sin. And it was because of humanity's sin that Jesus had to die.
We Christians use the time before Passover and during the Feast of Unleavened Bread to give ourselves mental (and spiritual) checkups to see if we are thinking as Christians should think. Paul told the Corinthian church in the first century to observe this feast with "the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth" (1 Corinthians 5:8).
Emphasizing the importance of proper thinking, Jesus taught that evil begins in the heart—that is, in our thinking (Mark 7:21). So to help you evaluate your thinking, be sure to read our lead article, "A Beautiful, Vertical Mind," by Randy Stiver. Also note this article's sidebars about the effects of watching television and reading on our minds.
For more information on Passover and Unleavened Bread, read the article, "Personalizing Passover: What About Unbaptized Young People?" and the accompanying Q&As relating to Easter and the Holy Days of God.
Continuing the article lineup, we have an article by a student on her experience taking a college class on evolution, one on lasting marriages and another on how you will know when you find the right person to marry.
As usual, you'll also find our regular features including "In the News" and "Inside Thought" to round out this issue.
Now regarding your mental checkup: How are you doing in thinking like Jesus Christ? We all have room for growth, and this issue gives you help in preparing to pass the test. VT
David Treybig
Managing Editor
P.S.—As always, we appreciate receiving comments and questions from our readers. Just send us an e-mail at our Web site. If you'd like to receive a free, two-year subscription to Vertical Thought, send us your name, birthdate and address to the office nearest you listed on the "Contact" page, or subscribe online.
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Keywords: Christian checkup Passover
Sin: