Prepare Your Mind

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13

We all know it – we are kidding ourselves if we think this is a new revelation. The battles we wage with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life all begin in our minds.

But sometimes we do need those reminders – nudges from Holy Spirit in order that we might not be ignorant of the schemes of the enemy. Drs. Henry and Richard Blackaby remind us of this truth in their practical devotional, Experiencing God – The Devotional:

Your mind is a wonderful thing! You can memorize life-changing passages of Scripture that can undergird you in your daily life; you can meditate upon God’s Word, discovering His magnificent truths; you can discern between truth and falsehood; you can recall God’s past blessings.

Some of God’s most effective servants were those who disciplined their minds for His service. Moses, educated in the best schools of Egypt, assembled the Books of the Law for the Israelites. Isaiah used his scholarly mind to write an exalted prophetic book in Scripture. Paul learned under Gamaliel, the outstanding teacher of his day, and it was through Paul that God presented much of the theology found in the New Testament.

Sadly, many Christians today do not exercise their minds to be of service to God. They allow others to do their spiritual thinking for them. If they can find their theology from a book, they will not bother to study God’s Word themselves. If a speaker makes an authoritative statement, they readily accept it without verifying whether it is biblical.

Paul urged Christians to strive for maturity in their thinking (1 Cor. 14:20). He said there was a time when his spiritual thinking was immature, but he had prepared his mind to know and understand the great truths of God (1 Cor. 13:11). He had not allowed others to do his thinking for him. When you became a Christian, God renewed your mind (Rom. 12:2). Be certain to use your mind in a way that brings glory to God.

Blackaby, Richard (2006-12-01). Experiencing God Day By Day (Kindle Locations 4618-4632). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Good reminder, brothers. How are you preparing YOUR mind today? – Bill Welte is President & CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: Isaiah 21-22; Proverbs 27; Galatians 6

Motivations: The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith; and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Muller

Practice to Remember: Level 1:James 1:2-3; Level 2: James 1:1-8

Powered Up:  Prayer is not only to be about big things, but talking to God about EVERYTHING – “let your requests be made known to God.” – Oswald Chambers