THE STATE OF YOUR MIND

You might be familiar with the proverb that says, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” This proverb is understood to mean that if you have no particular goal in mind, you can be easily distracted or drawn to evil. Basically, an unproductive mind will probably be negative. However, the deeper question is, what is the nature of your mind? What mind-set are you inherently living by? This article addresses these questions.

In our fallen state, we were wired to gravitate towards evil, negativity, and lustfulness; these are patterns of thinking that become strongholds in our life. We were intrinsically wired and deeply connected to evil and negativity by default. Thus, our minds are an easy target and entry point for the devil. It is through our minds that the devil achieves his satanic agenda of stealing, killing, and destroying our lives (John 10:10).

Your mind is a strategic place for the devil to keep you oppressed and depressed. He wants you to remain fearful, anxious, and lustful. Ultimately, the devil’s goal is to destroy your life, your relationships, your marriage, your business, your career and your gift. The devil uses unfavourable situations to destroy the life we share and enjoy with God. If you are not careful, your mind and thoughts can take you back to the dark places that God had already freed you from.

You need to make sure that you commit yourself to the purity, sincerity, and the freedom of your mind. If you cannot be holy in how you think, you cannot be holy in how you live. Sometimes we want to focus more on how to live right, whereas the journey of living right starts with how to think right. If you cannot be holy in your thinking, you cannot be holy in how you live. If we are going to live successfully for God, we need to align our minds with the Spirit. We need to cultivate and seek to have a healthy mind.

FIVE WAYS TO RESET YOUR MIND.

1. MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD, (Psalm 63:6).
You can empty your mind of the busyness of life through meditation, but you cannot empty it of its sinful nature. We live in a time where people are encouraged to meditate to empty their minds. Meditation cannot empty your mind of its sinful nature, which is the state of mind that we possess. The Christian way of meditation is to fill your mind, not to empty it. Biblical meditation is not based on emptiness, but on substance, because we meditate on the Word of God.

“The book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate upon it day and night so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it for then you will make your way prosperous and then you will have good success.” Joshua 1:8-9.

Whatever you spend time doing you meditate on it and sooner or later that thing will reveal itself through your thoughts and deeds. We do not meditate on what we love per se but on what we spend time doing.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers but delights in the law of the Lord and on His law, he meditates day and night.” Psalm 1:1.

We easily walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners and sit with scoffers through social media and through the things we watch. Constant exposure to the evil of this world informs our minds, and shapes our views and we become carnal. We need to be intentional about meditating on the Word of God and avoid sitting in the counsel of sinners.
You will develop a certain feeling or mind-set and will become receptive to certain ideologies because they have been justified through social media. You become discontent because you are being exposed to things that lure you and then you become dissatisfied with life.
Being able to hide God’s Word in our hearts is part of meditation, see Psalms 119.

2. RENEW YOUR MIND FROM WORDLY THINKING,(Romans 12:1-2).
We are called to be renewed in the spirit of our mind, Ephesians 4:23. Be renewed from how you were wired, the patterns of thinking that form strongholds in your way of life. We need to be transformed from how we were previously wired.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2.

We must renew our minds by exposing ourselves to the Word of God. The Word of God has the ability to sanctify and transform us. John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.”
We were enemies of God, but now we are reconciled to God by the death of His son. This means that the life of Christ saved us. The life we are born again into is not just a new life, but it also purifies the state of our mind. Receiving and believing the truth of the gospel not only brings new birth spiritually, but it also renews the state of our minds. Thus, your mind should no longer host evil thoughts.

We are called to have a different mind-set from the world. We are called to have the mind of the spirit. Romans 8:5 says, “But those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” You cannot live a spiritual life with a carnal mind. Spiritual things are spiritually discerned. “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25). We need to be committed to keeping the pureness, sincerity, and freedom of our minds. This is a war that we must win. We cannot afford to defile our minds after God has cleansed us and purified us. We need to commit ourselves.
Do not allow anything to steal the sincerity and purity of your mind. (see 2 Corinthians 11: 3).

3. YOU HAVE A SOUND MIND, (2 Timothy 1:7).
These are the attributes that make up your new mind in Christ: pureness, soberness, peacefulness, and soundness.

“For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

The word ‘sound-mind’ in this verse is interpreted as self-control, self-discipline, good judgement, or sound judgement. You have the mental capacity and necessary will to take control of your thoughts and emotions. The ability to control your thoughts is very important in maintaining and enjoying your liberty in Christ.

You don’t have a sound-mind when your mental framework is subject to fear, past trauma, and low self-esteem. When you respond to circumstances, opportunities, and challenges through negative emotions, such as fear. A sound mind is not something that just happens to you by default. You need to be self-disciplined and in control of your thoughts and imagination. You need to develop new habits that will empower you to set free from negative thoughts. Expose yourself to the light of God’s Word daily through listening and reading sermons. It will take a glorious light to displace the darkness in your mind.

4. THE MIND OF CHRIST, (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Jesus Christ is the blueprint of how we should think of others and ourselves. According to the Bible, we must have a mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is sincerely humble, totally submitted, and completely surrendered to God. The way we perceive and relate to others must demonstrate that our minds have been transformed into the mind of Christ.

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others as more significant than yourself. Let each one of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)

This is the blueprint of the mind of Christ. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God, but he did not esteem himself to even cling to the advantages of that status. Not at all. When the time came, He set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave. (see Philippians 2:5-7)
Jesus Christ’s humility is the blueprint that our minds should adapt to and live by.

5. SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE, (Colossians 3:1-2).
Be intentional about where you set your mind. You need to decide that you are going to set your mind on things above. This is a conscience decision. “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1. Actively channel your mind to the things of God.

“You will keep in perfect and constant peace the one whose mind is steadfast [that is, committed and focused on You—in both inclination and character], Because he trusts and takes refuge in You [with hope and confident expectation].” Isaiah 26:3 (AMP)

In the book of Matthew 16:23, we find Jesus rebuking Peter for setting his mind off the mark. Jesus goes as far as calling him Satan. Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

This verse revealed that Peter’s mind was not set on the things of God in fact, it was hindering the plan of God. There is no doubt that Jesus loved Peter, however, Jesus could not entertain a mind that is not set on God. We too should be able to rebuke the thoughts and mind-set that contradict the purpose, plan, and love of God in our lives.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honourable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8.

Refuse that your thoughts will dwell in things you cannot invite God’s presence into. We have been freed, and anything that opposes this fact is deceitful. Choose faith over fear, choose goodness over evil, choose peace over worry, choose joy over sadness, choose light over darkness, choose purity over lust, and choose life over death. We cannot allow evil thoughts to make a home in our minds.

CONCLUSION
Your mind can be the darkest place in your life, but it does not have to be when you have the light of life. “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4-5.

According to Philippians 4:6-7, there is a relationship between anxiety and lack of prayer, and between stress and the lack of devotion.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

You need to believe the Word of God more than you believe your own thoughts. Rick Warren says, “If you were to pray as much as you worry, you would have a lot less to worry about.” The trap you should not fall for is putting yourself at the centre of your life instead of God. If you make everything to be about you then the devil can manipulate you to think everything is working against you. Thus, seeing everything working against you, including God.

The life of a believer is to see God in everything; see God in your pain, see God in your struggle, see God in your delay, see God in your waiting, and see God in your brokenness. It is this view of God (theocentric) that elevates you above your circumstances. The devil cannot touch anything that has God in it, even if it is broken. Jesus Christ saw God’s will and plan even in the pain and trauma of the Cross: That was His power in the moment of weakness.