The mind is an important part of our entire being. Throughout the Bible, we are told many times about the importance of our minds and what we should focus our minds on. Modern culture tends to be interested in the study of the mind, yet not many people turn to the Bible to see what it says on the matter. If you’re interested in learning what the Bible says about the mind, you are in the right spot.
The Bible repeatedly tells us the importance of setting our minds in the correct place. The Apostle Paul tells us, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2). From this passage of Scripture, we know that we need to set our minds on things above—not on the things of this world. When Paul says “on things above,” he is referring to heaven. In other words, he is telling us that we need to set our minds on heavenly things and things of God rather than the practices, teachings, and wants of this world.
The mind is an important part of our entire body. Our minds are how we think and eventually act and behave. If our minds are in the wrong place, we will be more prone to disobey God. Yet, if we set our minds on God and His perfect teachings, we will fill our minds with good things. Ultimately, everything we see, hear, and experience can affect our minds. With this in mind, our minds can be highly influenced by things outside our control. We might hear a curse word that can become stained on our minds, or we may have evil thoughts that stain our hearts.
Throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to think about good things. By thinking about good things, we will be more prone to have a good mind and clear conscience. Paul once again tells us, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Philippians 4:8-9). Paul urges us to think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy.
By thinking on these things, we are, in a way, setting our minds on things above. God is perfect in every way, and when we think about Him, the attributes of true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and praiseworthy are bound to come to mind because they are directly connected with Him. Thinking on God will affect our minds positively and cause us to be more attuned to the Holy Spirit. When our minds are set on God, we will see everything from a different perspective, and it will help us gain a better insight into God’s purpose for us.
The mind and the heart are closely connected. Jesus tells us directly, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). As the Lord tells us, we are to love Him with all of our heart, soul, and mind. By reflecting upon this, Jesus tells us to love Him with our entire being. He doesn’t tell us to only love with our heart or soul; He tells us to love Him with our heart, soul, and mind. This means we are to love God fully, freely, and to our complete capacity.
We can show God that we love Him with our heart, soul, and mind by obeying Him and listening to His Word. To love God is to obey Him. Truly loving God means we do what he says. In our minds, we cannot fully confess to loving God if we participate in things that bring Him pain. While we will all continue to sin until we are with the Lord, we should not take pleasure in sin. Whenever we sin, the Holy Spirit will convict our hearts and minds. Through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to get our hearts and minds back on the right track.
It is also important to meditate on God’s Word and His teachings. By doing this, it will better help our minds be focused on the Lord. Psalm 119:5 says, “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.” Through meditating on God’s ways, we will be able to look at them in a new way. Meditating means we take time to carefully read God’s Word, listen to it, and let it fully sink in so we can apply it to our daily lives. We cannot meditate on God’s Word and expect it to change our hearts and minds if we are not taking the time to carefully read the Word. The Bible is the most important book we could ever read, and it is well worth our time and energy.
With our minds, we can do great things, yet we are also capable of great evil. Focusing on God and loving Him with our heart, soul, and mind will help us better serve Him. Living a life in service to God doesn’t mean we do whatever we want and push the limits. Rather, living for God and setting our minds on Him means we are completely dedicated to Him with our hearts, souls, and minds.
Our minds are one of the deepest parts of our human nature. Since the mind is where our thoughts, judgments, and decisions come from, we need to make sure we cultivate a healthy mind that is in complete devotion to the Lord. By truly loving God, we can keep our minds focused on heavenly things. Paul tells us it is important to guard our hearts and minds, which is done through Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:7). Guarding our hearts and minds means we don’t need to let unwholesome things creep into our minds.
Instead of allowing hate, evil, and sin to reign in our minds, we need to replace them with God’s Word. We need to reflect on the nature of God and rest our minds in His very presence. In addition, we need to guard our hearts and minds against anything that could pollute our thoughts, such as unethical television shows, sinful music, or books that could cause us to go astray. Also, consider the company you keep. Do you surround yourself with people who speak life into your heart and mind, or are you consumed by those who tempt you to sin or speak down to you? The Lord wants our complete focus and dedication to be on Him and Him alone. We cannot be fully devoted to God in our heart and mind if our priorities lie elsewhere.
As you start and end your day, reflect on God and His great works. Think of things that are lovely and cause you to smile. Our minds are an important part of our entire being, and God wants us to keep them healthy. We can keep our minds healthy by reading the Word, reflecting on the Word, applying the Word, and focusing on God. Perhaps keeping a gratitude journal or asking a God-fearing friend to hold you accountable for your thought patterns are tangible ways to start. The human mind is capable of great things, yet we need to keep our minds in the right place and keep them fully devoted to God.
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