Train your Brain!
A very fundamental discipline for every Christian is the training of the mind. When neglected, the mind becomes the bull’s eye of the devil’s target. Everything stems out of the mind. If anyone concentrates on training his mind from the start of his Christian journey he will enjoy abundant life without the unhappy interludes of backsliding. The Bible admonishes, “Let this mind BE in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5— Master mind!). That’s our goal. Paul, writing to the Corinthian Christians, states, “We HAVE the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Between the two statements lie the long and hard training process.
How to have the mind of Christ? How did Paul and his companions attain the mind of Christ? At the outset it must be understood that it is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to the unsaved. Because, it is salvation that acts as a helmet to protect the mind (Eph 6:17). Without this helmet the mind is vulnerable to the arrows of the devil. Here are seven aspects of training the brain—
1. Love for God
Jesus said that the first and the great commandment was, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your MIND” (Mt 22:37).
When all your mind is enslaved by something, it doesn’t care to wander anywhere else. It is a falling-in-love experience with God. When you are in love, you don’t think of anything else. Whatever you may be doing, your mind is flying around your love. That’s called the “first” love (Rev 2:4). It is a dominating love that rules you. It’s the love that loves God not for personal gain but because of who He is.
This does not mean we should absentmindedly do our other duties. Just like a maid in love will do everything for her man perfect to please him, all our duties should stem out of our love for the Lord. She will not be able to think of another man. When anyone tries to flirt she will only become furious. Such faithfulness is possible only when we love God with all our mind. Neither the world nor the devil can seduce us.
“First love” tends to wear off as emotions cool down. The solution God prescribes is to do the “first works” (Rev 2:4,5). When we were first found by Christ, how fervent we were in Bible reading, prayer and witnessing! We should redouble our efforts to continue these, to keep the flames of love alive. After marriage the emotional love settles down to a committed and caring love. Many get scared when romance becomes lackadaisical after marriage. But this is the norm. In Christian life also we cannot expect the excitement to continue forever. Stick on to the routine whether you feel high or low till the love flower blooms. The more you love God the less tendency your mind will have, to wander along dark alleys.
Jesus asks us as He asked Peter, “Do you love Me?... Excuse Me ma’am, do you love Me?.... Sorry for asking you a third time sir, do you love Me?” The next question He tosses at us is, “With all your mind?” What does occupy your mind most? Your problem or work or bank balance or anything else or God? The answer will tell you if you love the Lord with all your mind. When we do not like to retain God in our knowledge He gives us over to a debased MIND, to do those things which ought not to be done (Rom 1:28). The reason why many spiritual giants are today a husk of their former self is that they have failed to love the Lord with an undivided mind.
2. Law of the Mind
In Romans 7:21-25, Paul talks about two laws: (1) The law of God which is imprinted in the mind to become the law of the MIND. The mind of the Christian, now 100% passionately in love with God, has the law of God written in it. (2) Another law in our bodily members is the law of sin. This law constantly wars against the God-loving mind to capture it to make it a slave to the body. That’s why in Romans 12:1 Paul writes about sacrificing our bodies on the altar of God, and renewing our minds (v 2). Or else they are bound to be at loggerheads. The whole experience feels like a tug of war between sinfulness and holiness.
The life of a Christian aims to align the mind and body. The mind is the master of the body commanding it and keeping it under strict control. But the frustrating fact of life is this formidable enemy often rebels and takes over the mind as its captive, so that it can behave as it pleases.
This was Paul’s day to day struggle that made him feel wretched. He wanted to crown his mind as the king but often witnessed his body sitting on the throne and his mind at its feet a chained and helpless slave. Finally he struck upon a solution that worked very well. “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight; not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.” Disciplining the body is like taming a wild bull. It will refuse to run along the path of the Spirit unless whipped and goaded. If this discipline is not served regularly, Christian life will be one of uncertainty like a cat on the wall. It is like a teacher disciplining a student, punishing him when he goes wrong and rewarding him when he excels.
Joseph’s mind ordered his feet to run away from temptation. Daniel and his friends brought themselves under the difficult discipline of a vegetarian diet on a table sprawled with non-vegetarian delicacies. David could have easily done the same when he saw Sheba’s Bath but instead okayed his body to have the last word. Deal ruthlessly with your body. Fasting is one way to achieve this discipline. When we discipline ourselves, when we are sincere and eager to please God, we will find God helping us. Have you ever noticed that when you long to sin there is no opportunity and when the opportunity presents itself you are in no mood to sin? That’s God helping us to obey the law of the mind.
3. Spiritual-mindedness
Now the next battle starts, that is between the spiritual mind (focussed on eternal things) and the carnal mind (grabbing the temporary pleasures). Everyday in an innumerable instances the decision has to be taken whether we would walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. Usually the spiritual mind is low-key whereas the carnal mind is brash and profane. This battle is described in Romans 8:1-8, “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit... for those who live according to the flesh set their MINDS on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal MIND is enmity against God... So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Those who are in Christ Jesus belong to two groups: the spirituallyminded, who will not be condemned and the carnally-minded who shall be condemned. There are two roads dividing before us—the way of the Holy Spirit and the way of our nature. The path we choose depends on the decision of the mind, or who wins the battle, our nature or God’s Spirit. If our mind is oriented towards the desires of an old nature we are inclined to choose the path of the flesh, if towards the Spirit, the path of the Spirit (Mk 14:38). The results of the choice are spelt out—death or life and peace. In search of life and peace many, even believers, are duped by the devil to choose the carnal path. They think money, achievements, wealth etcetera will get them the life and peace they long for. How sadly they are mistaken!
Everyday a Christian experiences victories and defeats alternately in this battle. But as he trains his mind to choose the spiritual path in every struggle, the victory score goes up and the defeat score comes down. A true Christian will not allow his mind to be choked by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. We need savings in the bank, pass the examination, build a house, settle our children, deal with lives intricacies. But it is another matter to allow them to strangle us. We must not be unduly worried about these things. I have learnt in my experience, instead of worrying and doing something impulsively, if I just relax and trust in God, He takes control and things take care of themselves.
Unless we hold tight the reins of our mind it has a tendency to run wild. That’s why Paul writes to the Colossian Christians to set their MIND on things above, (eternal) not on things on the earth (temporary) (3:2). When you set your feet on the path of the old man, stop, think and make a right about turn to take the path of God’s Spirit. There is life and peace at the end of the road and you will never regret your decision.
4. Renewal of the mind
The carnal mind now pushed to a corner, the spiritual mind takes over. It needs fine tuning to know the mind or the will of God. Once that’s done you can hold the handlebars of life with considerable aplomb.
Paul, before declaring, “But we have the MIND of Christ” asks a question, “Who has known the MIND of the Lord that He may instruct Him?” This he says in the context of discerning spiritual things (to understand the mind of the Lord or know the will of God, 1 Cor 2:13-16). It is interesting to note that in Romans 12:1,2 again, before speaking about the mind Paul quotes the same verse, “For who has known the MIND of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” (Rom 11:34). The inference is, ‘No one.’ “Therefore,” he says, “present your bodies a living sacrifice... and do not be conformed to this world (go by the customs of the world) but be transformed (a right about turn) by the renewing of your MIND that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Renewing of our minds leads to our tranformation.
What do we understand from this? The natural man cannot know the mind of the Lord. But if our mind learns the new pattern of thinking and not go as the world goes, then, and only then can we discern the mind of the Lord, ie the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In simple terms, we will know what God would have us do. Now do you understand why many flounder not knowing the will of God for their lives?
Writing to the Ephesians (4:17-32) Paul warns them to no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their MIND. This means their understanding was darkened and heart blind. In short, they lost their capacity to discern good and bad. Paul contrasts the condition of the unbelievers to that of the believers and says, “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” What was taught by Christ? That we have to put off the old man and be renewed in the spirit of our MIND (v 23).
Sometimes God speaks like blips in the video screen. At other times like ECG, difficult to interpret. The more we pursue after righteousness the more our mind is renewed day by day and we will be able to know the mind of the Lord when we tick together with Him.
One important principle for renewing our minds is to be associated with simple and lowly people to keep ourselves humble (Rom 12:3,16). “Be of the same MIND toward one another. Do not set your MIND on high things, but associate with the humble.”
5. Communication with God
When our worries go haywire, the Bible gives the following tips to ease our mind. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and MINDS through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6,7).
When we become anxious and tense we often end up acting indiscretely only to regret later. Anxiety churns our mind like a storm stirring up an ocean. A prayerless mind is a misfiring engine. Instead of taking hasty decisions at the moment of mental turmoil, if we can just bend our knees and cry to God who seems to be sleeping, “Lord, I perish,” He will come to our rescue. After a session of prayer our mind will be calm enough to think and take a rational decision. God will help us to see through the problem and hit upon the solution. To expect to find a panacea to all problems is pointless. But God will help us decide the best possible way to deal with it. Toxic worry is unnecessary and un- productive and a drain on the brain.
Prayer is a balm to the mind. It is quiet and undisturbed conversation with the all-powerful, all-mighty God. It is like entering the counselor’s room spending time pouring our inside out, listen to Him and come out enlightened. He throws light on areas we could not see earlier and guides our thinking. The counselor doesn’t set right the problem and point to the solution rather helps us to have insight into the situation and find the best way to approach the matter.
“Guard your hearts and minds”—Our hearts and minds are the seats of our emotions. If these are not heavily guarded we can be swept off our feet by the tempests of life. This safeguarding is done mysteriously by prayer. One who does not spend time talking to God everyday cannot handle the situations of the day. We should never allow anxiety to torment and sway us. Learn to give thanks for everything. As you pray and plead and give thanks the peace of God beyond all description will descend on your hearts and minds like dew. It will protect your baffled heart and mind from any hasty action. It will generate faith. “He who believes shall not make haste” (Isa 28:16).
As we converse with God we understand the mind of God and learn to think like Him. The more time we spend in the prayer closet the sooner we attain the mind of Christ. Phil 4:4-6 is a great formula to train our minds. Follow it to the letter and you will experience a transformation of your mind. Even the Old Testament writer Isaiah knew this formula and taught it to people. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose MIND is stayed on You, because He trusts in You” (26:3). That’s the secret of perfect peace enjoyed by prayers.
6. Word of God
Warning about backsliding Peter writes, “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure MINDS by way of reminder), that you may be MINDFUL of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets (OT), and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour (NT)” (2 Pet 3:1,2). Why does he write this? The context is backsliding in the last days. Scoffers say, “Where is the promise of His coming?... For this they wilfully forget that by the Word of God the heavens were of old (vv 4,5)... Same Word” (v 7). When we forget the Word of God we are sure to return to our vomit (2 Pet 2:22).
Especially in these last days the Word of God fortifies our mind to be alert to hold on to God and never slide back. The carelessness resulting from neglect of the Word of God is serious. Peter’s words cannot be improved upon. “If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pet 2:20,21). Balaam heard the voice of God, did not give heed to it and ended up in madness (2 Pet 2:16). That’s the fate of those who do not fill their minds with God’s Word.
The Word of God influences the way we think and how we think influences the way we live. Draw out a plan to read the whole Bible in a year. Get a good study Bible, audiotapes and listen to them. Memorize important verses. Meditate and keep a journal of your meditation. Join a Bible Study group. Study your Bible in detail personally. Join a correspondence course. Take Bible tuitions or start a Bible tuition class. Read good and balanced religious books. Make use of Bible study CDs. There are many websites to feed your soul sumptuously. Buy an electronic Bible. It’s lot of fun to do word study in it. Today a believer has no excuse to neglect God’s Word. Even a blind person has the Bible in Braille. Etch out a mini Bible in your mind.
Learning to emulate the mind of Jesus is not a one day process. It is a lifetime labour attained by allowing the Word of God to mould our thinking. The mind of God is imprinted in the Word of God. The more we read, study and apply it to our lives the more we think like Jesus.
7. Clear Thinking
Disarray of mind is the devil’s ploy to confuse our thinking and lead us astray. In practical life we often find ourselves deep in the mire of confusion. However, God’s will for a Christian is not that. God is not the author of confusion. He has not given us a spirit of fear but of a sound MIND (or better thinking ability) (2 Tim 1:7). Learn, not just to rely on emotional responses rather to think things through.
Many Spirit-filled Christians believe they can hear the Spirit’s voice or experience God leading them explicitly. Perhaps it is true sometimes. But often God chooses to leave us to do our homework— i.e. to consider all the information before making a decision. The Bible does not always give us direct solutions to all our problems. If that were so, it will not speak so much about “sound mind” and “sobriety.” The very fact that the Bible speaks about sound mind shows that God expects us to think clearly on any issue. For example meditate the following—
Genesis 30:27; Exodus 18:19a
Paul writing to Timothy says, “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Tim 2:7). The art of thinking through problems and situations comes by experience. Sobermindedness (clear thinking) is a quality required for Church leaders (1 Tim 3:2; Tit 1:8), young men (Tit 2:6), older men (Tit 2:2), wives of spiritual leaders (1 Tim 3:11); young wives (Tit 2:5); all Christians in general (1 Thess 5:6,8; Tit 2:12; 1 Pet 1:13; 4:7; 5:8), and all women (1 Tim 2:9,15). The word ‘sober’ is translated as self-control in some places, rightly. Clear thinking leads to self-control. A person who has no control over his spirit or body lacks sobriety.
Spur-of-the-moment decisions, except in emergencies, are dangerous. The best thing to do when you face hard situations is to let it go for some time. Take time to think through the situation. Pray, consult one or two senior people whom you can rely on and then act cautiously. Instead of waiting for a preternatural reply for your prayer from the blue, do some exercise in thinking through and come to a conclusion.
The mind is the battleground where God and the devil meet. Stand by God and defeat the devil. As the saying goes: “A good head is better than a hundred strong hands.” Training your mind will give you the winning edge!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
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Train your Brain!
A very fundamental discipline for every Christian is the training of the mind. When neglected, the mind becomes the bull’s eye of the devil’s target. Everything stems out of the mind. If anyone concentrates on training his mind from the start of his Christian journey he will enjoy abundant life without the unhappy interludes of backsliding. The Bible admonishes, “Let this mind BE in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil 2:5— Master mind!). That’s our goal. Paul, writing to the Corinthian Christians, states, “We HAVE the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). Between the two statements lie the long and hard training process.
How to have the mind of Christ? How did Paul and his companions attain the mind of Christ? At the outset it must be understood that it is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to the unsaved. Because, it is salvation that acts as a helmet to protect the mind (Eph 6:17). Without this helmet the mind is vulnerable to the arrows of the devil. Here are seven aspects of training the brain—
1. Love for God
Jesus said that the first and the great commandment was, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your MIND” (Mt 22:37).
When all your mind is enslaved by something, it doesn’t care to wander anywhere else. It is a falling-in-love experience with God. When you are in love, you don’t think of anything else. Whatever you may be doing, your mind is flying around your love. That’s called the “first” love (Rev 2:4). It is a dominating love that rules you. It’s the love that loves God not for personal gain but because of who He is.
This does not mean we should absentmindedly do our other duties. Just like a maid in love will do everything for her man perfect to please him, all our duties should stem out of our love for the Lord. She will not be able to think of another man. When anyone tries to flirt she will only become furious. Such faithfulness is possible only when we love God with all our mind. Neither the world nor the devil can seduce us.
“First love” tends to wear off as emotions cool down. The solution God prescribes is to do the “first works” (Rev 2:4,5). When we were first found by Christ, how fervent we were in Bible reading, prayer and witnessing! We should redouble our efforts to continue these, to keep the flames of love alive. After marriage the emotional love settles down to a committed and caring love. Many get scared when romance becomes lackadaisical after marriage. But this is the norm. In Christian life also we cannot expect the excitement to continue forever. Stick on to the routine whether you feel high or low till the love flower blooms. The more you love God the less tendency your mind will have, to wander along dark alleys.
Jesus asks us as He asked Peter, “Do you love Me?... Excuse Me ma’am, do you love Me?.... Sorry for asking you a third time sir, do you love Me?” The next question He tosses at us is, “With all your mind?” What does occupy your mind most? Your problem or work or bank balance or anything else or God? The answer will tell you if you love the Lord with all your mind. When we do not like to retain God in our knowledge He gives us over to a debased MIND, to do those things which ought not to be done (Rom 1:28). The reason why many spiritual giants are today a husk of their former self is that they have failed to love the Lord with an undivided mind.
2. Law of the Mind
In Romans 7:21-25, Paul talks about two laws: (1) The law of God which is imprinted in the mind to become the law of the MIND. The mind of the Christian, now 100% passionately in love with God, has the law of God written in it. (2) Another law in our bodily members is the law of sin. This law constantly wars against the God-loving mind to capture it to make it a slave to the body. That’s why in Romans 12:1 Paul writes about sacrificing our bodies on the altar of God, and renewing our minds (v 2). Or else they are bound to be at loggerheads. The whole experience feels like a tug of war between sinfulness and holiness.
The life of a Christian aims to align the mind and body. The mind is the master of the body commanding it and keeping it under strict control. But the frustrating fact of life is this formidable enemy often rebels and takes over the mind as its captive, so that it can behave as it pleases.
This was Paul’s day to day struggle that made him feel wretched. He wanted to crown his mind as the king but often witnessed his body sitting on the throne and his mind at its feet a chained and helpless slave. Finally he struck upon a solution that worked very well. “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight; not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection.” Disciplining the body is like taming a wild bull. It will refuse to run along the path of the Spirit unless whipped and goaded. If this discipline is not served regularly, Christian life will be one of uncertainty like a cat on the wall. It is like a teacher disciplining a student, punishing him when he goes wrong and rewarding him when he excels.
Joseph’s mind ordered his feet to run away from temptation. Daniel and his friends brought themselves under the difficult discipline of a vegetarian diet on a table sprawled with non-vegetarian delicacies. David could have easily done the same when he saw Sheba’s Bath but instead okayed his body to have the last word. Deal ruthlessly with your body. Fasting is one way to achieve this discipline. When we discipline ourselves, when we are sincere and eager to please God, we will find God helping us. Have you ever noticed that when you long to sin there is no opportunity and when the opportunity presents itself you are in no mood to sin? That’s God helping us to obey the law of the mind.
3. Spiritual-mindedness
Now the next battle starts, that is between the spiritual mind (focussed on eternal things) and the carnal mind (grabbing the temporary pleasures). Everyday in an innumerable instances the decision has to be taken whether we would walk according to the flesh or according to the Spirit. Usually the spiritual mind is low-key whereas the carnal mind is brash and profane. This battle is described in Romans 8:1-8, “There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the spirit... for those who live according to the flesh set their MINDS on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal MIND is enmity against God... So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
Those who are in Christ Jesus belong to two groups: the spirituallyminded, who will not be condemned and the carnally-minded who shall be condemned. There are two roads dividing before us—the way of the Holy Spirit and the way of our nature. The path we choose depends on the decision of the mind, or who wins the battle, our nature or God’s Spirit. If our mind is oriented towards the desires of an old nature we are inclined to choose the path of the flesh, if towards the Spirit, the path of the Spirit (Mk 14:38). The results of the choice are spelt out—death or life and peace. In search of life and peace many, even believers, are duped by the devil to choose the carnal path. They think money, achievements, wealth etcetera will get them the life and peace they long for. How sadly they are mistaken!
Everyday a Christian experiences victories and defeats alternately in this battle. But as he trains his mind to choose the spiritual path in every struggle, the victory score goes up and the defeat score comes down. A true Christian will not allow his mind to be choked by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. We need savings in the bank, pass the examination, build a house, settle our children, deal with lives intricacies. But it is another matter to allow them to strangle us. We must not be unduly worried about these things. I have learnt in my experience, instead of worrying and doing something impulsively, if I just relax and trust in God, He takes control and things take care of themselves.
Unless we hold tight the reins of our mind it has a tendency to run wild. That’s why Paul writes to the Colossian Christians to set their MIND on things above, (eternal) not on things on the earth (temporary) (3:2). When you set your feet on the path of the old man, stop, think and make a right about turn to take the path of God’s Spirit. There is life and peace at the end of the road and you will never regret your decision.
4. Renewal of the mind
The carnal mind now pushed to a corner, the spiritual mind takes over. It needs fine tuning to know the mind or the will of God. Once that’s done you can hold the handlebars of life with considerable aplomb.
Paul, before declaring, “But we have the MIND of Christ” asks a question, “Who has known the MIND of the Lord that He may instruct Him?” This he says in the context of discerning spiritual things (to understand the mind of the Lord or know the will of God, 1 Cor 2:13-16). It is interesting to note that in Romans 12:1,2 again, before speaking about the mind Paul quotes the same verse, “For who has known the MIND of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” (Rom 11:34). The inference is, ‘No one.’ “Therefore,” he says, “present your bodies a living sacrifice... and do not be conformed to this world (go by the customs of the world) but be transformed (a right about turn) by the renewing of your MIND that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Renewing of our minds leads to our tranformation.
What do we understand from this? The natural man cannot know the mind of the Lord. But if our mind learns the new pattern of thinking and not go as the world goes, then, and only then can we discern the mind of the Lord, ie the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. In simple terms, we will know what God would have us do. Now do you understand why many flounder not knowing the will of God for their lives?
Writing to the Ephesians (4:17-32) Paul warns them to no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their MIND. This means their understanding was darkened and heart blind. In short, they lost their capacity to discern good and bad. Paul contrasts the condition of the unbelievers to that of the believers and says, “But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus.” What was taught by Christ? That we have to put off the old man and be renewed in the spirit of our MIND (v 23).
Sometimes God speaks like blips in the video screen. At other times like ECG, difficult to interpret. The more we pursue after righteousness the more our mind is renewed day by day and we will be able to know the mind of the Lord when we tick together with Him.
One important principle for renewing our minds is to be associated with simple and lowly people to keep ourselves humble (Rom 12:3,16). “Be of the same MIND toward one another. Do not set your MIND on high things, but associate with the humble.”
5. Communication with God
When our worries go haywire, the Bible gives the following tips to ease our mind. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and MINDS through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:6,7).
When we become anxious and tense we often end up acting indiscretely only to regret later. Anxiety churns our mind like a storm stirring up an ocean. A prayerless mind is a misfiring engine. Instead of taking hasty decisions at the moment of mental turmoil, if we can just bend our knees and cry to God who seems to be sleeping, “Lord, I perish,” He will come to our rescue. After a session of prayer our mind will be calm enough to think and take a rational decision. God will help us to see through the problem and hit upon the solution. To expect to find a panacea to all problems is pointless. But God will help us decide the best possible way to deal with it. Toxic worry is unnecessary and un- productive and a drain on the brain.
Prayer is a balm to the mind. It is quiet and undisturbed conversation with the all-powerful, all-mighty God. It is like entering the counselor’s room spending time pouring our inside out, listen to Him and come out enlightened. He throws light on areas we could not see earlier and guides our thinking. The counselor doesn’t set right the problem and point to the solution rather helps us to have insight into the situation and find the best way to approach the matter.
“Guard your hearts and minds”—Our hearts and minds are the seats of our emotions. If these are not heavily guarded we can be swept off our feet by the tempests of life. This safeguarding is done mysteriously by prayer. One who does not spend time talking to God everyday cannot handle the situations of the day. We should never allow anxiety to torment and sway us. Learn to give thanks for everything. As you pray and plead and give thanks the peace of God beyond all description will descend on your hearts and minds like dew. It will protect your baffled heart and mind from any hasty action. It will generate faith. “He who believes shall not make haste” (Isa 28:16).
As we converse with God we understand the mind of God and learn to think like Him. The more time we spend in the prayer closet the sooner we attain the mind of Christ. Phil 4:4-6 is a great formula to train our minds. Follow it to the letter and you will experience a transformation of your mind. Even the Old Testament writer Isaiah knew this formula and taught it to people. “You will keep him in perfect peace whose MIND is stayed on You, because He trusts in You” (26:3). That’s the secret of perfect peace enjoyed by prayers.
6. Word of God
Warning about backsliding Peter writes, “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure MINDS by way of reminder), that you may be MINDFUL of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets (OT), and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Saviour (NT)” (2 Pet 3:1,2). Why does he write this? The context is backsliding in the last days. Scoffers say, “Where is the promise of His coming?... For this they wilfully forget that by the Word of God the heavens were of old (vv 4,5)... Same Word” (v 7). When we forget the Word of God we are sure to return to our vomit (2 Pet 2:22).
Especially in these last days the Word of God fortifies our mind to be alert to hold on to God and never slide back. The carelessness resulting from neglect of the Word of God is serious. Peter’s words cannot be improved upon. “If after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pet 2:20,21). Balaam heard the voice of God, did not give heed to it and ended up in madness (2 Pet 2:16). That’s the fate of those who do not fill their minds with God’s Word.
The Word of God influences the way we think and how we think influences the way we live. Draw out a plan to read the whole Bible in a year. Get a good study Bible, audiotapes and listen to them. Memorize important verses. Meditate and keep a journal of your meditation. Join a Bible Study group. Study your Bible in detail personally. Join a correspondence course. Take Bible tuitions or start a Bible tuition class. Read good and balanced religious books. Make use of Bible study CDs. There are many websites to feed your soul sumptuously. Buy an electronic Bible. It’s lot of fun to do word study in it. Today a believer has no excuse to neglect God’s Word. Even a blind person has the Bible in Braille. Etch out a mini Bible in your mind.
Learning to emulate the mind of Jesus is not a one day process. It is a lifetime labour attained by allowing the Word of God to mould our thinking. The mind of God is imprinted in the Word of God. The more we read, study and apply it to our lives the more we think like Jesus.
7. Clear Thinking
Disarray of mind is the devil’s ploy to confuse our thinking and lead us astray. In practical life we often find ourselves deep in the mire of confusion. However, God’s will for a Christian is not that. God is not the author of confusion. He has not given us a spirit of fear but of a sound MIND (or better thinking ability) (2 Tim 1:7). Learn, not just to rely on emotional responses rather to think things through.
Many Spirit-filled Christians believe they can hear the Spirit’s voice or experience God leading them explicitly. Perhaps it is true sometimes. But often God chooses to leave us to do our homework— i.e. to consider all the information before making a decision. The Bible does not always give us direct solutions to all our problems. If that were so, it will not speak so much about “sound mind” and “sobriety.” The very fact that the Bible speaks about sound mind shows that God expects us to think clearly on any issue. For example meditate the following—
Genesis 30:27; Exodus 18:19a
Paul writing to Timothy says, “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things” (2 Tim 2:7). The art of thinking through problems and situations comes by experience. Sobermindedness (clear thinking) is a quality required for Church leaders (1 Tim 3:2; Tit 1:8), young men (Tit 2:6), older men (Tit 2:2), wives of spiritual leaders (1 Tim 3:11); young wives (Tit 2:5); all Christians in general (1 Thess 5:6,8; Tit 2:12; 1 Pet 1:13; 4:7; 5:8), and all women (1 Tim 2:9,15). The word ‘sober’ is translated as self-control in some places, rightly. Clear thinking leads to self-control. A person who has no control over his spirit or body lacks sobriety.
Spur-of-the-moment decisions, except in emergencies, are dangerous. The best thing to do when you face hard situations is to let it go for some time. Take time to think through the situation. Pray, consult one or two senior people whom you can rely on and then act cautiously. Instead of waiting for a preternatural reply for your prayer from the blue, do some exercise in thinking through and come to a conclusion.
The mind is the battleground where God and the devil meet. Stand by God and defeat the devil. As the saying goes: “A good head is better than a hundred strong hands.” Training your mind will give you the winning edge!
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
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