I highlighted worry, bitterness, and fear as covert sins. They are futile and therefore a waste of time. Everything that the Lord did was strategic, and pre planned before the beginning of time. John 5:19 says, “…Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.”

We redeem our time by waiting for the Holy Spirit to lead us. Galatians 5:16 says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” John 15:5 reminds us that apart from Him everything we do is futile ~ accomplishes nothing.

Mental gymnastics feed the lust of our flesh. It is our flesh that seeks to figure things out, in order to best accomplish something that we want to do. Our good works were preordained, but we cannot walk in them when we are in our flesh. Galatians 5:17. Ephesians 2:10.

I love to watch young children learning how to do gymnastics. They are so agile, bendable, and flexible. They seem to have boundless energy. Mental gymnastics are the opposite. They make us rigid and inflexible. They get us stuck in a groove of thoughts. They play over and over, causing emotional fatigue.

Rehearsing our past or what might be is futile. They wear us out. Part of Strong’s definition for futile is: fruitless, empty, hollow, ineffective, lacking substance, void of results, and worthless. The word always makes me think of a rodent in a wheel.

When I was young I had a white rat with red eyes. Her name was Queenie. She spent inordinate amounts of time running on her wheel. Then she would stop and just swing slowly to a standstill. 

That is what happens with mental gymnastics ~ we come to a standstill ~ accomplishing nothing for our expended mental energy. Let’s review: all thoughts precede actions or inaction. Mental gymnastics end with inaction ~ passivity, apathy, or procrastination. 

God ceased from His labors. We too must cease all mental gymnastics. Let me explain them this way: trying to figure something out, negative dialogue, waffling back and forth, rehearsing something that took place (past), or presuming something might happen (future). It is all futile and wears us down emotionally.

Psalm 23:2-3 says, “…He leads me beside the still water. He restores my soul…” Did you pick up on the connection? Stillness restores. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” We rest as we focus on the Lord. 

Isaiah 32:17 says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.” Verse 18 was the verse the Lord gave me when I was to buy my mobile in a senior mobile park.

It says, “My people will dwell in a peaceful habitation, in secure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.” Abiding in the Lord is our habitation of soul rest. We are enveloped in His love, drinking in His peace.

Last night I read Matthew 11. As I read the final three verses, I had these thoughts. Rest brings a deep inner work that affects us spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Hebrews 4:10 says, “For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.”

Let’s take the subject of rest into our thoughts. All actions come from our thoughts. Can we truly rest when our thoughts are chaotic, racing, or clamorous? Absolutely not! Rest requires a pause, as in music.

In order to truly find rest, we have to first quiet our mind. Psalm 131:2 says, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” How do we practice quietness? We take our focus off ourselves and our circumstances. Then we fully concentrate on the Lord through His written word. Our heart will stand in awe of Who He is at all times.

Fear is covert sin that is a result of misplaced faith. Mark 11:22 says, ‘…Have faith in God.” When our focus is on the Lord alone, our faith is grounded and unshakable. 

As we read Lamentations 3:23 we hear Jeremiah’s declaration, “…Great is Your faithfulness.” Titus 1:2 says, “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.”

2 Timothy 2:13 is another declaration. It says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.” Isaiah 41:10 is one of my anchor verses. It says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

Job’s declaration at the end of his trial is another one that grounds me. Job 42:2 says, “I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” Fear is a spirit according to 2 Timothy 1:7. Don’t dialogue with it.

Hebrews 12:15 says, “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” I have a great visual for how bitter roots defile. 

Years ago I tried to take out a bed of candytuft. I went to pull up one plant, only to discover that the roots went every which way. Roots are hidden. Bitterness is a covert sin. It seeps into all of our thought processes. 

Peter nailed Simon in Acts 8.9-24. Verse 22-23 is a perfect description of covert bitterness. It says, “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

The roots of bitterness are pulled up as we forgive the one or the circumstances that we are bitter against. Think of the words corrupt, decay, rotten, etc. One rotten apple hidden in a barrel will defile every apple around it.

Worry is covert sin. It takes place with hidden thoughts in our heart. Matthew 6:25 says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…” The Strong’s says that worry comes from a word meaning to divide into parts. Strong’s definition: distraction, preoccupation with things causing anxiety, stress, and pressure.

Fret means to gradually wear away (something) by rubbing or gnawing. I have several friends who lost bone in their hands because of fretting. Worry and fretting cause wear and tear emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Worry is based on presumption. I adopted David’s prayer years ago. I encourage you to also. Psalm 19:13 says, “Keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me…”

Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” When I was young I had a rebellious heart (covert sin). I obeyed on the outside, but my inside thoughts were rebelliously opposed. Can you relate?

In order to emulate the Lord through Christlikeness, our message and messenger have to match. Our thoughts dictate our actions, attitude, and habits. Matthew 18:35 says that we are to forgive from the heart. That means that our thoughts towards the person who hurt us reflect the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23.

Is the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control evident in your life? We cannot bear fruit on our own. John 15:4 says, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”

Until the Holy Spirit gave me this title, I had never connected covert sin with James 4:17 before. It says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” All “good”and “bad” actions come from our thoughts.

Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Unforgiveness is covert sin that can lead to open sin. Our words can crush or heal. Proverbs 18:21 says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Spewing verbal death words come from harboring sin in our heart against that person we just slimed. We are called to edify or build up others. Since we know that is God’s way (doing good) and we don’t do it ~ that is sin.

Galatians 3:2 says, “This only I want to learn from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?” Verse 5 says, “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”

Obedience is rooted in faith. Hebrews 11:8 says, “By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place where he would receive an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.”

The devil hates our faith and will use temptations to get us to doubt God’s word. James 1:6-8 says that a doubter is likened to a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. Doubting makes us unstable. Steadfast faith does not dialogue with even one of satan’s suggestions.

Mark 11:23 says, “…does not doubt in his heart, but believes…” Faith believes and stands in God’s word, in the face of each impossibility, hardship, trial, and adversity.