17 Sep Ten Things the Bible Tells Us About Our Mind
Our mind is the battlefield for the Christian life. It is also the prize. What we do with our mind determines what we do with our life. So, here are ten things the Bible tells us about our mind.
- We are to love the Lord with all our mind.
Matthew 22:37 says “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
Perhaps the most overarching, and most important thing we are to do with our mind is to love the Lord our God. The words heart, soul, strength, and mind, combine to add up to the idea that we are to love the Lord entirely, with a whole self. But it is helpful to note that that includes our mind. If we are not loving the Lord with our mind, we are not completely loving him.
- We are not to let our mind go anywhere Jesus’ mind would not go.
1 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.”
This tells us that we are not free to let our thoughts roam. As a result of living in a fallen world dominated by electronic media, and because much of what comes out of modern media is an assault on biblical values, in the normal living of everyday life, the typical Christian has millions of opportunities every day to let our thoughts go to places Jesus’ mind would not go. We are to catch those impulses in midair and kick them out, not letting our minds go anywhere Jesus would not go.
- We are not to entertain sinful thoughts any more than to entertain sinful behavior.
Matthew 5:5:27–28 says “You have heard that it was said, “you shall not commit adultery”; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The heart is used as a metaphor for the seat of desire, and the point is that a person is not to sin mentally any more than he is not to sin physically. We must keep our minds pure as well as our actions.
- We are to focus our thoughts on positive things.
Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
This passage gives us a laundry list of the kinds of things that we are to let our minds dwell on. The reason for this is equally obvious. We become like what we put into our brains, so if we put these kinds of things into our brains, then this is the kind of person we will become. We will become true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent, and worthy of praise.
- We are to meditate on the Word of God frequently
Psalm 1:1–3 says, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the way of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”
Of course, we cannot meditate on the Word 100% of the time. “Day and night” just means frequently throughout the day. David was not likely meditating on God’s Word when he was running out to meet Goliath, but he likely meditated on the Word sometime before, and sometime after.
As we meditate on the law day and night, the truth of God’s word sinks into our mind, and determines who we become. By governing our thoughts carefully day and night, we become spiritually fruitful and prosperous.
- We are to cultivate an eternal perspective.
Colossians 3:1-3 says, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
We are to fix our minds on eternal things, and live in this world according to the truth and values of the next.
- We are to keep our thoughts pleasing to God.
Revelation 2:23 says, “I am the one who searches the minds and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.”
This tells us, of course, that the Lord knows everything we are thinking, and that even our thoughts are worthy of reward. Therefore, we should keep our thoughts pleasing to Him.
- We are to guard our thoughts because everything in life flows from our thought life.
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
This is a summary statement that captures the essence of everything we’ve said up to this point. But both Scripture and neuroscience reveals that what we do with our minds, how we control them or do not control them, determines the very outcome of our lives.
- We are to seek knowledge with our mind.
Proverbs 15:14 says, “The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge”
And why not? Jesus said, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” To the extent that we do not know truth, we are vulnerable to ignorance and deception. As we fill our minds with knowledge and truth, we are set free to become all the Lord desires of us.
- As our minds are renewed, our lives are transformed.
Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
Working this passage backward, we see that we can be living proof of the fact that God’s will is good and acceptable and perfect, but only if we are transformed. And we will only be transformed if our mind is renewed.
Conclusion
This is a powerful summary of what the Bible has to say about our mind. It is the key to everything. It is the battlefield of the Christian life. It is the mind that the Lord wants to be given to him, and it is the mind that Satan tries to deceive in order to destroy.
A world of opportunity, potential and blessing awaits the believer who realizes the awesome potential of the mind and cooperates with God in the process of renewing our minds that our lives would be transformed, to His glory and our good.
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