Remember that old Public Service Announcement, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste”?

The mind has been elevated in the opinion of society to being the most important part of you. In fact, many presume the mind to be you.

That concept is certainly a step up from believing that you are your body. Likely you understand that you rather possess a body. A body is special, and you only get one. So it holds a very important place for you. Still, you had best not exalt it to being in charge. If you do, you fall victim to “the desires of the flesh”. You then become rigidly ruled by carnality and the limitations that come with a purely physical focus.

While it is possible by choice to transform a body, the parameters of such a transformation are usually narrow. A transformation like going from childhood to adulthood happens to you. Only a few make transformations of their own choosing like moving from fat to fit, or gracelessness to gracefulness. Most choose very few such transformations in a lifetime if they choose any at all.

The relationship you have with your mind is similar to the one you have with your body. Your mind is unique and it is yours. However, a mind is much larger and much freer than a body. Furthermore, a mind can be transformed over and over again.

Because of that potential for transformation, it is tempting to put your mind in charge. Such a “coronation” manifests itself in the form of the ego. Granted, the ego can be quite useful. Its focus is to protect you, to champion your interests, to keep you among the living. While all of that may sound appealing, “the desires of the mind” have limitations just like “the desires of the flesh”. The rulership of reason becomes just as much a captor as the rulership of carnality.

If you really intend to experience freedom, these magnificent gifts called body and mind must be assigned to their proper roles. Those roles are of servitude rather than rulership. They may not go along easily at first, especially if they have tasted the throne. However, it is their natural place and once settled in, they accept their position with relief.

Your spirit is far more powerful than your body or even your mind. It will know what to do so long as you allow it to do it. It will not force its way in. Make the determination that your body will not rule you and that your mind will not have authority over you. Poor tyrants can make good servants.

How have you gotten free? Tell us about it by commenting below.