April 1, 2025

Minding Your Thoughts

A Biblical Overview of Obtaining and Maintaining a Biblical Thought Life

I Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

The apostle Peter is not writing these words to members of one church, but rather to …the strangers scattered throughout… (1:1). How different life would be if strangers throughout would be of the same mind! Oneness of mind means unity. In the canon of Scripture, the word unity is used three times.

First it is used in Psalm 133:1, Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Next it is used in Ephesians 4:3, Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Lastly, it is used in Ephesians 4:13, Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: These three verses set forth a type of prescription that, if taken, would bring about oneness of mind.

The first mention in Psalms gives us the goal: brethren dwelling in unity. The second mention gives us the power: through the Holy Spirit of God. The third mention gives us the scope: until we all. By putting these three elements in the mortar and pestle (being mixed together as a pharmacist would mix together herbs to make a medicine) oneness of mind can, even among strangers, can be found. Of course, this one mind is based on, in, and through Christ. In Matthew 22:42 Jesus asked what is perhaps the question of questions, What think ye of Christ? The answer to this one question is the coating of the pill that holds the three elements we spoke of earlier together. Oneness of mind is impossible without a unified answer to the Lord’s question.

May the Lord bless and be pleased with your thought life today

Note: I am not a credentialed counselor, nor do I have any training in Psychology. These devotions are not meant to diagnose or treat any mental condition. I am however a Bible teacher, preacher, and pastor ordained to the Gospel ministry. These devotions are offered from the perspective of a Biblical standpoint and that alone. They are simply an overview of all the mentions in God’s Word of the words mind, think, thought, and imagine in all their derivatives. I pray they help each person who reads them in the worthwhile daily practice of “Minding Your Thoughts.”

Dr. William T. Howe