Watch In, Watch Out!

Another Level of Watching is Required
Scripture is full of inspiration to watch with more diligence. The Sermon on the Mount 
presents the requirement of the Law for you to control your thoughts.  Matthew 26:41 describes how Christ invited disciples to watch with Him and to pray on that fateful evening in the Garden of Gethsemane. And what did they do? They fell asleep. The parable of the sleeping virgins in Matthew 25 infers that character development and vigilant watching are synonymous. The disciples were at that time lacking in understanding but after Jesus’s death the Holy Spirit converted their understanding. Their watching then was empowered by the Holy Spirit. We all need to wake up!     
 
 “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”  (Luke 21:36)
 
"Take ye heed, watch and pray" were the words of our Saviour spoken in reference to the time of the end, and His second coming to take His faithful children home.  {LHU 368.2} 
     First, you are to watch. Watch, lest you should speak hastily, fretfully and impatiently. Watch, lest pride should find a place in your heart. Watch, lest evil passions should overcome you, instead of your subduing them. Watch, lest a careless, indifferent spirit comes upon you, and you neglect your duty and become light and trifling, and your influence savor of death, rather than life.
     Second, you are to pray. Jesus would not have enjoined this upon you, unless there was actual necessity for it. It is well known to Him that of yourself you cannot overcome the many temptations of the enemy, and the many snares laid for your feet. He has not left you alone to do this; but has provided a way that you can obtain help. Therefore He has bid you to pray.  {LHU 368.4} 
 
Jesus, the precious Saviour, enjoined watchfulness. The oversight of self must not be relaxed for a moment. The heart must be kept with diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Watch and discipline the thoughts, that you may not sin with your lips.  {1SM 405.3}
 
Without the eye of watch and prayer open (Mat 6:22), the feelings and emotions are subconscious. Not only does this lead to a reactive life rather than a responsive life, but also these emotions are stored in tightness in the body. Sore necks, sore backs, headaches and digestive disorders are very common in our culture; leading to dis-ease and a state of dis-grace. Many people wind up up-tight.
 
Watch In and Watch Out!
 
We are to watch every avenue of the soul, lest Satan come in and desecrate the temple of the heart, which should be wholly consecrated to God. We are to watch lest passion take possession of the soul, to watch lest selfish thoughts are cherished. The reason why there is not more vitality and power in the church is that we do not work and watch as we should. We should stand as faithful sentinels at the post of duty. I pray that the grace of Christ may come into our hearts, and that we may be ever watching for opportunities to do good.  {ST, August 6, 1885 par. 14} 
 
"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6). "Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation." (Mark 14:38). Watch against the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts; watch the plans, lest they become self-centered. Watch over the souls whom Christ has purchased with His own blood. Watch for opportunities to do them good. {6T 410.3}
 
1.  Watch the Physical Senses
“You will have to become a faithful sentinel over your eyes, ears, and all your senses, if you would control your mind, and prevent vain and corrupt thoughts from staining your soul.”   {MYP 76.1}
“The lower passions have their seat in the body and work through it. The words flesh or fleshly or carnal lusts embrace the lower, corrupt nature; the flesh of itself cannot act contrary to the will of God. We are commanded to crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts. How shall we do it? Shall we inflict pain on the body? No; but put to death the temptation to sin.”  {1MCP 236.2} 
 
2.  Watch for the Habitual Reactions - positive, negative or neutral reactions to physical sense stimuli  (Watch and Pray)
“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38. Watch against the stealthy approach of the enemy, watch against old habits and natural inclinations, lest they assert themselves; force them back, and watch. Watch the thoughts, watch the plans, lest they become self-centered. 6T 410.2

• We react to every sensory and mental stimulus in either of three ways – attraction, aversion or neutral
• Watching gives us a choice not to react in negative, or addictive, instinctive, feeling based, old habitual ways but to respond from a rational(frontal lobe) Christ-centered position.
• Recognise self rising when you begin to react to someone, something or in some situation
• Call on Jesus to grant you the power to resist the temptation to react. (John 1:12)

 
3.  Watch for the Stories & Emotions
“Evil thoughts destroy the soul. The converting power of God changes the heart, refining and purifying the thoughts. Unless a determined effort is made to keep the thoughts centered on Christ, grace cannot reveal itself in the life. The mind must engage in the spiritual warfare. Every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. All the habits must be brought under God's control.”  {1MCP 235.3}

• Watch for persistent complaint or blaming in the internal dialogue.
• Do something to resolve or talk to someone who is in a position to change the situation.
• Move on, Call it for what it is – negative mental chatter. See any unrealistic expectations, and unfounded assumptions and let them go
• Refocus on something positive

 
4.  Watch the Face of Jesus - Love
“If Christ is abiding in the heart, He will be in all our thoughts. Our deepest thoughts will be of Him, His love, His purity. He will fill all the chambers of the mind. Our affections will center about Jesus. All our hopes and expectations will be associated with Him. To live the life we now live by faith in the Son of God, looking forward to and loving His appearing, will be the soul's highest joy. He will be the crown of our rejoicing.”--Lt 8, 1891. (HP 163.)  {1MCP 238.2}

• God is love.
• Abide in love and you are abiding in Him and He in you.
• Love Him and those around you.
• Combine this with abiding in His word and you will be transformed and your mind renewed.
• Guide the thoughts like the good shepherd. Not by force.

Examples
 
A noisy blowfly buzzes into a quiet room in which you are peacefully reading a book.
 
1. The first thing you notice is the physical sensation of the sound of the buzzing insect in your eardrums.
 
2. The second thing is you automatically and instinctively judge that experience. Quite likely you will have an automatic negative reaction of aversion to the sound.
 
3. The third thing is you have an emotional response associated with the aversion to the sound. This emotion then develops an internal chatter or a story in your mind about how annoying the fly is.
 
4. If you have not been watching these modes of thinking develop then on auto pilot you will have taken your eye off Jesus. And with the impetus of these four modes of thinking you are propelled to react automatically; perhaps in this case to get some fly spray and kill the offending creature. If the situation instead was a friend coming in to the room and turning the television on, you might on autopilot have the same reactions and speak words you would later regret.
 
However, if at any of these stages you are truly watching, then you have a choice to avoid the temptation to become angry at the fly. If you are not watching you will not notice the temptation until it is too late. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation for the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matt 26:41) So these gears are not about preserving flies but about learning to see and overcome temptation. This is a practical application of the Lord’s Prayer and the Sanctuary Message.
 
The same process of four gears happens in response to any sensory input. If you are not watching, the same process might happen when your wife or husband says something you don’t like. Instead of killing the insect you might be very tempted to say something negative that is damaging to your relationship - reacting rather than responding. By keeping your connection to Jesus intact by seeing His face and character before you always; combined with the vigilant watching always, you are awake and the Holy Spirit has the best opportunity to guide you away from temptation through your conscience.
 
Another example of reacting might be attraction. Perhaps you have already had one serve of the apple pie and know you’ve had enough, but there is the rest of the pie in full view and that delicious aroma. The same gears are in play but in the case of the apple pie the reaction to the sensory input is positive in attraction/desire. And you need a lot of discipline to be able to watch and pray always that you may be able to make strong decisions to refrain from temptation. To remember to receive Jesus for that strength (Jn 1:12). This prayer part of watch and pray always is very important.
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