What’s On Your Mind?

The Importance Of The Mind

God has constituted men and women as thinking beings. He has communicated to them in words. Communication in words pre-sup­poses a mind which can understand and interpret them. God has revealed Himself in words to minds.

The mind is the centre of the will. It has the capacity to think, to reason. Thinking is the chief work of the mind. Do we always think? How often do we find ourselves involved in a small mishap and saying, “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking what I was doing”. Half the troubles of life are caused because we are not thinking what we are doing.

Jesus was very ruthless in the matter of our thinking, especially in relation to other people. To think evil is as bad as to do evil, so far as our own character is concerned. Most of us have good intentions towards others, but are we always as careful as we should be to think thoughts that create peace and make for friendships?

The quality of our lives depends upon how we think and what we think about. If we allow our thoughts to dwell upon the sordid and unclean we shall gravitate insensibly towards the low level of what we think about. Solomon said of man, “as he thinketh so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

The Apostle Paul gives us good advice —”whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, what­soever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report think on these things” (Phil. 4:8). These are the things which should be on our minds. The mind grows by what it feeds on.

Five Warnings

The Letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish Christian communities to present the superiority of Christ to the life-style of the Old Testament. It shows how great Christ is and how much better He is than Judaism or any person or any thing. The writer gives five warnings concerning the exercise of the mind.

1. Do not drift in your MIND. A warning against the danger of drifting and not heeding the word of salvation. “We ought then to turn our minds more attentively than before to what we have been taught, so that we do not drift away.” (Heb. 2:1 Jerusalem Bible).
2. Do not harden your HEART. A warning against the danger of missing God’s promised rest, the fatal consequences of disobedience. “Take care, brothers, that there is not in any one of your community a wicked mind so un­believing as to turn away from the living God” (Heb. 3:12 LB.).
3. Do not reject with your WILL. A warr­ing against the danger of losing salvation through laziness and apostasy. “As for time people who were once brought into the light, and tasted the gift from heaven, and received a share of the Holy Spirit, and appreciated the good message of God and the powers o! the world to come, and yet in spite of this have fallen away — it is impossible for them to be renewed a second time. They cannot be repentant if they have wilfully crucified the Son of God and openly mocked Him” (Heb. 6:4-6 J.B.).
4. Do not absent yourself in PERSON. A warning against the danger of drawing back — sinning wilfully and incurring judgment. “Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works. Do not stay away from the meetings of the community as some do, but encourage each other to go . (Heb. 10:24, 25 J.B.).
5. Do not backslide in your LIFE. A warn­ing against the danger of refusing to hear God’s final word. “Make sure that you never refuse to listen when He speaks. The people who refused to listen to the warning from a voice on earth could not escape their punish­ment, and how shall we escape if we turn away from a voice that warns us from heaven?” (Heb. 12:25, 26 J.B.).

“We ought then to turn our minds more attentively to what we have been taught . ..”

The Purpose Of Mental Effort

(a) To ascertain the Truth. “. .. they re­ceived the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11). “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a work­man that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

(b) To persuade others to adopt a certain course of action. And, of course, others try to persuade us to adopt a certain course of action — perhaps a wrong course. We need to be alert in mind to discern those who seek to bring our minds into submission to their minds, thus feeding their own ego. Some people are very good at this latter.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians — “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).

Through the example of idolatry and immor­ality of pagan nations round about them, the minds of Israel were corrupted and they came to despise the commandments of God, and to defile His place of true worship.

Through the philosophy of the world around us today, expressed in slogans such as:

“If it fits wear it”,

“If it tastes good eat it”,

“If it feels good do it”,

young people are being enticed into ways of carelessness, drug taking and immorality.

Paul was concerned at attempts to control the thinking of the early Christians. What would he have thought of the attempts today to control our thinking? There is a continual outpouring of propaganda from political, re­ligious and cultural groups, seeking to bring our minds into submission to their minds; seeking to impose on us the ‘set’ of their minds — the manner or content of thinking of an individual or a group. It is, perhaps, not sur­prising that such a group should be found even within the Brotherhood itself. “And from among your own selves shall men arise, speak­ing perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:30).

Paul wrote — “If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world bath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4).

Who Is Controlling Your Mind?

(c) To determine a course of action. After His baptism, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where the devil attempted to gain control of His mind (Luke 4:5-8).

Here Jesus decided the methods He would adopt to accomplish the work He had to do. How would He establish His Kingdom? He was tempted to turn stones into bread. He could draw people to Him by satisfying their physical needs. How people would flock to Him — but from the wrong motive. Jesus realised that “man does not live by bread alone”. There are spiritual values which are even more important than material needs.

Then Jesus was tempted to overwhelm people’s intellectual judgment by spectacular miracles. But He rejected this method. He would not use His miraculous powers for His own ends. He would not tempt God.

The final temptation presented Jesus with the Kingdoms of the world, established by the use of political and military power and force. The people were looking for just such a King­dom.

Jesus thought out these methods and reject­ed them one by one. These ways were not God’s ways and He would not use them. He determined to win His Kingdom by God’s method — by the method of love and sacrifice.

The mind of man is the battleground on which every moral and spiritual battle is fought. Paul counsels the Romans — “be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Rom. 12:2). He made it his objective to bring “into cap­tivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor.

Paul’s challenge to the Philippians was, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus”. That is, develop the ability to think and feel according to the mind of Christ.

It should, therefore, be our supreme ‘objective to have our minds so completely transformed that they will be a true reflection of the mind of Christ.

The display of the mind of Christ is pro­gressive. It began with counting; it led to self-denial and it culminated in self-sacrifice. These three attitudes of mind are also evident in the lives of both Moses and Paul.

(i)    Counting

Jesus — did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

Moses — esteemed the reproach of Christ . greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.

Paul — counted “all things but loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:8).

Everything which followed in the lives of both Moses and Paul sprang from this attitude of mind. They did not demand their rights, but gladly renounced them in the interests of others.

(ii)    Self-denial

Jesus — “made Himself of no reputation: and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Him­self, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:7, 8).

Moses — humbled himself, “choosing to suffer affliction with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season” (Heb. 11:25).

Paul — delighted to call himself “the servant of Christ”.

(iii)    Self-sacrifice

Jesus — chose death, even the death of the cross, that a lost humanity might be redeemed.

Moses — in his self-forgetful love, prayed — “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin . . . yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin —and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written” (Exod. 32:32).

Paul — in his love, wrote — “I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh” (Rom. 9:3).

“Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5) R.V.

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind . . . and that ye be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Eph. ‘4:17-23).

“Now if your experience- of Christ’s encour­agement and love means anything to you, if you have known something of the fellowship of His Spirit, and all that it means in kindness and deep sympathy, do make my best hopes for you come true. Live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and one spirit between you” (Phil. 2:1, 2) — J.B. Phillips.

This is the attitude of mind we are to have among ourselves, because this is the only atti­tude of mind that is proper to those who are in Christ. This does not rule out diversity of opinions and activities. There should be no `rubber stamping’ of opinions and activities.

The Mind Of Christ

Consider the attitude of Jesus toward things which are dearly cherished by most men and women —

1. Birth and rank — position and power. The minds of most men covet and grasp at position and power, and will go to any lengths to attain them. Jesus stripped Himself of all privilege, renounced all pomp and power … and people sneered — “Is not this the carpen­ter’s son?” (Mark 6:3).
2. Wealth. To many people wealth is the chief object in life, to be gained at any cost, even if someone else loses in the process. How unlike the mind of Christ, who “though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor” (2 Cor. 8:9). “. . The Son of man hath not where to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20).
3. Respectability — He was a Nazarene. “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46).
4. Personal appearance is a cause of pride to most of us. But of Jesus we read, “His visage was marred more than any man”. “He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him”. (Isa. 52:14; 53:2).
5. Reputation — Jesus was regarded as being gluttonous and a wine-bibber; “a friend as and sinners” (Matt. 11:19; Luke :p
6. Independence — How we prize our inde-  and avoid being placed under obli­gation to others. Jesus was entirely dependent upon his Father, and “many ministered unto Him of their substance” (Luke 8:3).
7. Learning — Jesus had no university de­gree or other qualification. “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7: 15).
8. Superiority — How we like to feel sup­erior to others, to have the service of others; to avoid toil and drudgery. Wealth enables us to secure the service of others. The mind of Christ manifested itself in His words — “I am among you as he that serveth” (Luke 22: 27). “I came not to be ministered unto, but to minister” (Matt. 20:28).
9. Ability — Jesus acknowledged that of himself he had no ability whatever. “I can of my own self do nothing” (John 5:19, 30).
10. Success — Jesus was not a successful man by the world’s standards. “He came unto His own and His own received Him not” (John 1:11). “Neither did His brethren believe on Him” (John 7:5). “He is despised and rejected of men” (Isa. 53:3).
11. Self-will — He went with His parents to Nazareth “and was subject to them” (Luke 2:51). “I do nothing of myself” (John 8:28). “I seek not of my own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent me” (John 5:30).
12. Bigotry — The disciples met a man who was casting out devils and told Jesus “We forbade him because he followed not us”. Jesus replied: “Forbid him not — for he that is not against us is on our part” (Mark 9:38­40).
13. Resentment — In spite of his ill-treat­ment, Jesus showed no resentment to anyone. Even to Judas who betrayed Him, He said, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” (Matt. 26:50). And for those who crucified Him, He prayed, “Father, forgive them …” (Luke 23: 34).
14. Suffering — We do not like suffering. We shrink from it. But Christ voluntarily suffered the death of a criminal on a cross so that blessing would accrue to others. If we have the mind of Christ, it will lead us also to a cross. The watchwords of the world’s philosophy are self-expression and self-enjoyment. The mind of Christ calls for humil­ity, service and sacrifice. “For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow His steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, threatened not; but com­mitted himself to him that judgeth righteously” (1 Peter 2:21-23),
15. The mind of Christ towards God is ex­pressed in these words: “There is none good but God” (Mark 10:18), “Have faith in God” (Mark 11:22). “God is a spirit — and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in Truth” (John 4:24). Many people say there is no God; and their thinking is along those lines — away from God. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy mind”. This is the attitude of mind which was in Christ Jesus.
16. The mind of Christ towards men. Jesus said that a man was more valuable than a sheep. “How much then is a man better than a sheep?” (Matt. 12:12). It was a vivid way of saying that human life is more valuable than property. Some men and some govern­ments haven’t learned the truth of this, even to this day.
17. The mind of Christ towards life. In His teaching about the conduct of life, Jesus said that one cannot serve two masters at the same time (Matt. 6:24). He then went on to say what our priority should be:

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness” (Matt. 6:33), then every­thing else will fall into place.

Paul re-echoes those words — “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth” (Col. 3:2).

The Natural (Unspiritual) Mind

The mind of the unspiritual man is not subject to the law of God. It is carnal, exalt­ing self. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).

“The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14) R.S.V.

“to them that are defiled-and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and con­science are defiled” (Titus 1:15). Their mind can think nothing clean or pure. They think the worst of every situation. They are spirit­ually dead.

“For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). A man is physically dead when he can no longer perform physical functions. He is spiritually dead when he can no longer perform the function for which his mind was given — to receive truth from God.

A vital function of the mind is MEMORY. “This do in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22: 19). As we assemble week by week around the Table of our Lord, we remember the mind of Christ and examine ourselves against His example.

How do we measure up? There can be no comparison at all unless we have received the new mind in Christ; unless the carnal mind has been transformed by the spiritual mind:

“be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Rom. 12:2)

“be renewed in the Spirit of your mind.” (Eph. 4:23)

Life Abundantly

It is an age-old truth that the prophet Isaiah voiced:

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in Thee.” (Isa. 26:3).

Serenity and quiet confidence flow from a heart that is open to things lovely and pure, and a mind that is fixed on God — stayed on His love, on His wisdom, on His power.

Jesus said, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abun­dantly.” (John 10:10).

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that be-lieveth on me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47).

“Therefore,” says Peter, “gird up the loins of your mind (THINK), be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (I Peter 1:13).

“If you can let the mind of Christ possess you, To think on things of good report and true; And ever let the love of Christ obsess you Constraining everything you say and do;

If you can find in Him your highest treasure, Let Him hold sway o’er heart and soul and limb;

Then LIFE is yours, and blessing without measure,

And — what is more — you’ll live and reign with Him.”